question about biting :(

[louiesmom]

Hi,

I posted a few months back asking for suggestions about my Jenday conure, Louie's, feather plucking issues. They haven't improved, but they havent' gotten worse and they're still better than they were a year ago, and we've tried everything. He's in good health otherwise. So that's the update on that.

Now I'm back with a question on biting. Louie came to me from the pet store I worked in at the time with a severe biting problem that began after he was separated from a bird he had bonded with when he was a baby. In fact, that's the reason I took him home...he bit so badly that nobody else in the store would handle him anymore and I just adored him. I spent the first six months that I had him teaching him not to bite with great success. After six months, he only nipped when he was afraid of something.

Lately he's started biting again though and I can't figure out why! He does it when I put him back in the cage, though the amount of time he spends out of the cage has increased recently rather than decreased. He bites when I scratch his head, which never used to bother him. He bites when I tell him to "step up" and sometimes he bites for no reason at all (or so it seems), like this morning when he was sitting in my lap. My hand was in my lap and he just waddled right over and started chewing on me! Nothing in his environment has changed other than that our 15-year-old husky was, very sadly, put to sleep recently due to cancer, and there is no dog in the house anymore. I would think that would stress Louie out less, not more, since he hated the dog anyway.

Can anyone point me in a direction or multiple directions as to why he would suddenly start biting again? He's 2 years old now, almost 3. I know this sounds ridiculous and I've never heard of anything like this, but do birds go through something like the "terrible twos" where they test their limits? Is it a sexual maturity thing?

Any help is greatly appreciated! My thumbs would certainly like the rest from being all beat up and bitten. Thanks!

 

[Jodi]

Hi Louiesmom I believe the jendays do reach sexual maturity at age two, and can exhibit many new, different, and not so pleasant behaviors around this time. If thats what is going on, there are so many people here that will have great advice on how to deal with your little guy! Sorry I cant be more help to you, I also was looking this up recently knowing my conure was turning two.

 

[Ladyeclectic]

I was thinking of hormones too, but it could be because of your dog's passing. Birds are creatures of habit: change one thing, no matter how small or previously stressing etc, and their own behaviors may change. Perhaps not having the dog around is enough of a trigger to discombobulate Louie and make him revert to when he last lost another friend.

Try not to take it personally. Give him something distracting when he's out, let him have more shredding toys to take out any aggressive tendencies he may have, etc. How old is he by the way?

 

[Ecclipse]

Hi Louiesmom,

Well done on being such an amazing parront I know how it feels to have to rehabilitate a parrot who has suffered trauma. Both posts above are spot on - it could be that the death of your dog has impacted him or that he is going through sexual maturity - or both - lol!!!!

When Hugo was still alive he was also from a petshop and was also very nervous and could be like chalk and cheese depending on his mood. The way that I approached it to never alter anything that I did and kept my emotions and body language constant so that no bad habits were inforced. He also used to bite for no reason. I got to the point where I didnt take it personally - as mentioned above - and by being constant I knew that I wasnt doing anything that would make him fearful. Owning a parrot like Hugo and Louies will have its ups and downs because of what the have faith. If you do, do something that upsets him alter to it if its negative - no ones perfect!!!!

Keep us posted

 

[louiesmom]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! I'm happy to hear them. I didn't realize that losing the dog (even though they didn't like each other) could affect him that way, and I suspected sexual maturity, but I wasn't sure about the age on that.

Louie has never been DNA tested for sex either...does male vs. female affect the behavior during the start of sexual maturity?

I guess it's time to start all over with bite training. I'm good at keeping him from biting when he's on my hand or arm, but when he's on my lap or a perch, it's harder to get him to stop biting, and he's gone from little nips back to ripping big holes in my fingers. Any suggestions? Also, any suggestions for getting him more comfortable with being touched? It's not just his head, although before he liked having his head scratched....he has never let me touch his tummy or wings.

Sorry if I sound like a horrible newbie at all this, but for all my research, Louie is turning out to be a charming, but challenging little fellow.

I'm also working on training my family...they're not bird people and I live with my parents right now. My mom is the only one who really interacts with him other than myself, but teaching her bird psychology (ex: don't scream back at the bird when the bird is screaming at you) is proving to be a challenge itself. I constantly have to remind her that birds are not like dogs; he doesn't really understand "SHUT UP!" or "QUIT SQUAWKING!" All he knows is that you're making loud noises too...yay. I had to correct her this morning because he latched onto my hand while I was holding him and I was trying to get him to let go (I was taught by a bird friend to drop my hand a few inches to throw him off balance so he lets go) and she started going on at him, "Louie! Let go! Don't do that!" I was like, "Shhhh! Don't make any noise when he bites me. Noise=good!"

I usually give him a firm, but level "No bite!" though.

Anyway, I'm ranting now! Thanks again and any further input is great!

 

[Ecclipse]

How long have you been staying with your parents for? Is it a new development? The move and your parrot seeing you interacting with your mom could be making him jealous. Maybe, for the meantime be the only one to work with him until you see him fall into sync again with his old habits - might be way off but was just thinking out loud

Rosie got a new large cage and lots of lekka toys - I have found the change of cage has ruffled her feathers and the fact that Im studying at the mo hasnt helped either. She is behaving like a diva with good cause. Parrots dont like change but I can see Rosie is beginning to enjoy having her new cage. Also, I washed her tent and its been away for a couple of days. The minute I put it back in and moved my hand passed it to change her water she launched herself at me as if to say, "Back off - your NOT taking my blankie away again!" Funny bunny!!!

 

[louiesmom]

Louie's actually always been with my parents at their house. I'm young enough I haven't left the nest yet...no bird puns intended. LOL Nope, this is his normal environment.

 

[Ecclipse]

This is my personal opinion and doesnt reflect anyone elses. Coming from someone who has owned a parrot who has come from the same background as your parrot I wouldnt read too much into it. It could be what was mentioned earlier or your lil chap being a "child". Judging by what your posting you know what your doing and what is best for him. Keep doing what your doing - lol - it might be harder to train your family than it is to train him - hahaha

 

[bogo1]

Several thoughts you might consider. While the cause could be reaching sexual maturity (although there are usually, but not always, other signs of that) or it could be the fact that you have lost a dog that was always part of his background at your home, I do not think that you should have to deal with the biting. When your bird likes being with you as much as Loui obviously does, you have a very viable response to nipping/biting hard enough to do harm. Many years ago I had a bird that had a serious biting problem (a 9 year old rescue) and one of the two conures I have now went through a phase of biting a couple of months ago. If the bird bites, I firmly but quietly say, "no, be gentile" and then immediate withdraw from the bird in a very clear way. If that means putting the bird back in the cage, I do that. Or on top of the cage, or on the floor next to me. Whatever is a safe place that clearly sends the message, "you are not being nice, so you are out a here." Then, a minute or two later, I will retrieve the bird and go back to doing whatever I was doing before the bite, as though it had never happened. If biting occurs again, I withdraw again. This time for longer... but not so long that the bird forgets why the distancing is occurring in the first place. This is controversial, but I am not a fan of shaking my hand or dropping away from a biting bird. I actually push into the bird, holding my finger of other hand against back of head if necessary for a bit of leverage. This is NOT done hard but rather merely counters the force the bird is using. But birds don't like it anymore than you like being bit so it supports the "no, be gentle". Mind, this is not a punishment, but done merely to affect a quick release that also "shows" you weren't afraid of or rewarding the behavior but merely won't accept it as the bird's choice to draw blood. Hope this helps. Others use different approaches and as long as they are humane, I think the "correct" response might be different for birds with different personalities.