Overzealous Playing

[Starlit_Night]

Hi All! Long time, no write. Everything is going wonderfully with our little zoo. Aleta is going through her first molt and she is a little prickly right now. (Both in appearance and personality!)

We are having a bit of a tough time with the biting. It doesn't seem to be intentional biting, just overzealous playing. She doesnt seem to know how hard she is biting - typical of babies. We just don't know how to show her it is too hard. With a puppy if you yelp, they get they hurt you. With Aleta, if I yelp, I know I'm going to get the opposite reaction. It's fun and she will try again for the same reaction.

I've tried telling her "no biting" and removing her beak from my fingers (ears, lips, etc) but she just goes back to chomping away as soon as she can. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Christine

 

[kiwiS]

Kiwi gets a little excited too, but I use the same squeal she gives me when I get overzealous with my scritching and that seems to work sometimes

When that doesn't work, I have her do a few step ups, say "That hurts" in a low, sad tone (hamming it up a bit) and leave her alone for a few minutes to calm down.

And when she does pinch in a less painful manner, I keep encouraging her to play. That way she will know it's okay to do her natural beak-y thing but to control her strength with her wimpy human ^.^

Hope this helps!

 

[Starlit_Night]

I will give that a try!

I seem to be able to get across when I am unhappy with her behavior - not that it always changes it. I know she gets it when she comes back over to my cheek, tips her hed to the side against my cheek and makes kissing noises. Perhaps thats all I need to do. I just dont want to discourage the playing, just the hard biting. Hmm..

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[kiwiS]

awww well she obviously loves you! I'm sure after she fully realizes that biting you that hard equals an unhappy friend, she will do her best to be good ^.^ So much fun getting to know them huh!

How does she play with you? Kiwi will lie on my arm on her back, with her feet in the air and nibble and nip at my fingers while I tickle her. She used to grab my fingers and bite down hard, but I tried these techniques and now she mostly grabs, licks and lets go. Sometimes she still needs a bit of a reminder! lol

 

[Starlit_Night]

I am working her laying on her back, she is still not totally comfortable with it. Slowly we are getting there.

She often sits on my shoulder burrowing in my hair and natter in my ear (hence the ear bites). She also loves to play with one of those cat ball rattle toys with the bell inside. She could throw that around forever.

Above all else though, I think her favorite game is "scare the dogs". They are terrified of her. Little, loud and nibbling - they want nothing to do with her. She waits till they aren't looking then jumps onto the couch beside them and grabs some tail fur. They scurry away and she jumps back to me happily talking to herself.

Kiwi is very pretty, is she a cinnamon? How old is she? Does she talk at all?? I have no bird people around, so I like to compare notes when I can.

 

[kiwiS]

Haha, what a mischievous little monkey! ^.^ Kiwi does that too, she loves climbing on my dog's back and picking at his fur, but he will have none of that and will usually run off! You are right to take it slow with getting her on the back thing..she will do it naturally (or not) and then just roll with it. Kiwi was never taught to do it, she just one day rolled over and stuck her legs in the air and I guess that was her telling me to tickle her feet so she can Bite me!

I think she is a cinnamon, but I'm not 100% sure? She is 9 months old and she does talk here and there. The words she says that I can recognize are "Step up", "kiss", "kiwi", "I love you"- now shortened to just "pew" LOL, "B" from B-I-N-G-O. I announce things to her before I do them so she also says words like "Vacuum" and "lights". Its funny when i start to vacuum she'll sometimes sit up at my ear and say "vacuum, vacuum vacuum" over and over….so bossy! hahaha

I know what you mean…this forum has been tons of help with all questions and even just talking about your bird. I've learned a lot from the good folks on it.

Hope to hear more stories about Aleta (what a pretty name!) and your other furry pets!

 

[legal_eagle]

Just don't let her get overly excited ... stop the playing when it's about to get to that point and let her calm back down.

 

[rerebooboobebe19]

I had a very similar occurrence with Remus, he went through his first molt in August and he was a little terror! He is so much calmer now and only nips when I did something "wrong" (he's got a lot of attitude). I did all those tricks of doing the eeek! and then the no in a low voice, but in the end I just helped him work out those pin feathers and we bonded. Now is happier and is my buddy! Only problem though is through that whole transition he has gotten possessive of me and now my husband can't touch him when he is on me or on his cage. But when Remus comes up to my husband on his own terms he is okay. So make sure to have him interact with others as well so he doesn't cling on to one person.

That is so amazing that Kiwi knows those words! I'm impressed! I've been working more on the tricks for Remus, I think it calms him to be a little focused sometimes. But I definitely should work on some word associations.