Please help me with my biting Blue Front

[wrd1972]

Hello,
My name is Bill and I just joined the forum to seek some help for my Blue Fron Amazon who was handraised and used to be very sweet, but about 15 years ago he starting biting very badly.

I ended up having kids so the bird needed to go live with my parents for a while, but now I have brought him back into my home because my folks can no longer care for him do to their age. During his time with my folks, he still had the nasty biting habit.

So now he is back with me after 13 years, and I really would like to try to address the biting issue and my 13 year old daughter wants to help. I really need some help and assistance to see this through successfully. I really love Rafferty, and I think with the right work he may come around.

For the record, I also have an African Gray that does not have any biting issues other than play biting. He is 24 years old. I also have a small white front that has never liked me, but I will address him after rafferty is under control.

So I am very able to pick Rafferty up off his cage with a stick, and transport him anywhere he needs to go. So when he is on or in the cage, he is usually calm but he can have moments here the tail is flared and the eyes are dilating. I certainly know the signs of when he is disturbed. But most of the time in or on the cage, he will show off and talk like nothing at all is wrong.

So if he is off the cage and I attempt to pick him up, he will raise his foot and climb on my finger with no issue at all. Once I get him to the cage he wont release from my finger but will rather just tear into my thumb with a vengeance. Once he is biting, he will lock on and not release until I manipulate his head just a bit in a delicate manner. So as of now, my right thumb is ripped to shreds. I don't scream or flich when this happens, but rather just suck it up and bleed until I release him.

Can anyone please help me out here? I would really like my sweet BFA back just like when he was young. Hopefully its not too late.

Thanks
Bill

 

[texsize]

My yellow nape has the same Pitbull bite you describe.

I guess my best recommendation is to start from scratch.
Somewhere in the PF is a thread labeled bonding and building trust.
I don't know of any short cuts.

 

[SailBoat]

With great luck, one can start over with Amazons, even yours.

It is important to first begin by reading the two Threads at the top of the Amazon Sub-forum with detail. Please start with the Understanding Amazon Body Language. The goal is to understand what your Amazon is telling you.

If I follow you correctly, your Amazon is bitting you when being returned to the cage, correct? Commonly, its the other way around when first asking for a Step-up. Are you asking for a Step-down or just placing your hand at or near the cage?

 

[wrd1972]

With great luck, one can start over with Amazons, even yours.

It is important to first begin by reading the two Threads at the top of the Amazon Sub-forum with detail. Please start with the Understanding Amazon Body Language. The goal is to understand what your Amazon is telling you.

If I follow you correctly, your Amazon is bitting you when being returned to the cage, correct? Commonly, its the other way around when first asking for a Step-up. Are you asking for a Step-down or just placing your hand at or near the cage?

So I don't dare try to pick him up from the cage. Thats gonna hurt! However I can ask to scratch his head, and he will lower his head and let me scratch him in small durations. This usually does not result in a strike, but I am on my guard.

If he is on the floor, he will come and stand on my shoe. He does not run away but rather normally approaches me. So if I ask to pick him up, he will raise his foot and promptly and nicely get on my finger. If I carry him to the cage and ask him to get down, he will put one foot on the perch and then quickly tear into my thumb.

Definitely getting a lot of mixed messages from him. Its just weird.

 

[wrd1972]

Yes I will certainly review the mentioned stickys.

 

[wrench13]

HI wrd72,. Sailboats, my friend and guide in all things AMAZON, is giving you a good start, those threads are gold, literally.

We have one member, Jim, screen name Amy my blue front, who carries his .bfa around on a stick and it works quite well for them. We have play dates with our birds once in awhile .

 

[texsize]

The foot still on your finger, does he increase his grip just before he chomps?
My Red lored did not give the usual warning signs but would grip extremely hard just before.
This sometimes gave me enough advance notice to play rock the boat (or earthquake) to give her something moe urgent to cope with.

 

[wrd1972]

Not sure on the grip, but I will take notice next training session. The personality is very Jekyl/Hyde for sure. He just let rub his neck several times, and continues to show off. I will also take notice if he tries to bit me just while playing AWAY from the cage. Thumb is going to have to heal first.

Where do you guys stand on a leather glove nowadays for training? Thirty years ago that was the only way to break my rescue Muluccan Cockatoo, then he was good as gold going forth - best bird I ever had. Yes I understand Cockatoos and Amazons are very different "animals". lol I can still suck up the pain if that's best.

 

[wrd1972]

I will also do a video of our next session to share.

 

[SailBoat]

My yellow nape has the same Pitbull bite you describe.

I guess my best recommendation is to start from scratch.
Somewhere in the PF is a thread labeled bonding and building trust.
I don't know of any short cuts.

The 'Hot Three' (YNA, BFA & DYHA) all can and do lock-on, plus they can grind, which allows for a very deep cut. Bite Pressure Training is very helpful in curbing this.

As stated above, starting from scratch is a great place. As I stated above Amazons will allow a re-start from the basics of first working to redeveloping a Trust Bond.

FYI: Some where in History, someone came up with the 'grin and take it' response to Parrots bitting. The Parrot really never learns that bitting is not acceptable. Most individuals here are using the stop shake a bit and stating; NO, No, no! Set the Parrot down, turn and move a step or two away. After about 30 to 60 seconds. Turn around and start with Step-up again. Normally, this is a process used with Step-up. But, it has merit with Step-down.

A couple of basics:
- Only Good Things Happens When Humans Are Around.

- Change your vantage point!
It is Never the Fault of the Parrot!
It is always the Fault of the Human!
This change in your vantage point helps you to quickly see what you are doing wrong and change it. Some number of years ago, there was an event that caused a change in your relationship. That needs to identified and corrected.

 

[SailBoat]

Not sure on the grip, but I will take notice next training session. The personality is very Jekyl/Hyde for sure. He just let rub his neck several times, and continues to show off. I will also take notice if he tries to bit me just while playing AWAY from the cage. Thumb is going to have to heal first.

Where do you guys stand on a leather glove nowadays for training? Thirty years ago that was the only way to break my rescue Muluccan Cockatoo, then he was good as gold going forth - best bird I ever had. Yes I understand Cockatoos and Amazons are very different "animals". lol I can still suck up the pain if that's best.

IMHO, the glove looks to much like a hand and association is near 100%. A this point, you are better to either work with a perch or your arm while wearing a long sleeve shirt.

With Parrots its different species.

 

[wrench13]

I've never read anything positive with leather glove use with amazons. So much better to use the mind set 'Boats has laid out. Amazons make you THINK, that's for sure.

 

[raeleigh26]

We are just getting to know our BFA, it's been less than a month, but we've decided to simply respect that he doesn't want us touching him in/on "his" places.
He has a perfect step up, happily even, from anywhere else, but we've both gotten a bite by asking after he says no. Once each was enough.
We carry him by stick to/ from his perch and cage.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[texsize]

One of my Amazons (Luna) will only step up onto my iPad.
It’s wierd but it works. I can carry her around the house like that but offer her my finger and I will get bitten. Not a bad bite but one that carries a warning of worse to come.

 

[moon1964]

One of my Amazons (Luna) will only step up onto my iPad.
It’s wierd but it works. I can carry her around the house like that but offer her my finger and I will get bitten. Not a bad bite but one that carries a warning of worse to come.

Mine i call my stick bird..been bitten really bad a few times from him