Kyoto
New member
- Mar 18, 2015
- 1,102
- Media
- 3
- 2
- Parrots
- Kyoto (AKA Kyo)-Green Cheek Conure
Charlie - Canary
Tommy - Budgie
Sunny - budgie
Hi everyone!
I just wanted to post about Kyo and my progress with a biting problem that started about 3 weeks after bringing him/her home. You can see the original post here:
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/52920-biting-husband-s-ears-losing-focus-easily.html
Basically, she started showing aggression towards my husband, and then towards my hands as well. I found the problem to be very complex after lots of research and testing out different methods as outlined by other forum members who were very helpful.
1) She learned that my husband allowing her on his shoulder at the beginning meant that she was dominant over him. I believe that this was the start to the problem.
2) She didn't understand how much pressure was appropriate to apply to hands/fingers vs toys and perches.
3) She wanted more one on one time with us.
4) She wanted an earlier bed time.
5) She was trying what was working on my husband on me after having success bullying him
So, here is what I did to start to modify her behaviour for my specific situation (still a WIP, but she is doing MUCH better now):
As suggested, I started teaching her that sitting on her human friends is a privilege, and not a right for her. That meant stick training, and giving her lots of praise and treats for landing on places that aren't a human perch (play stand, cage, computer desk, chair, window sill). I only allow her to perch on me now under my discretion, and as soon as she starts trying to rip open my skin she is put down onto the desk. I then try to get her to step up on the stick and reward her for sitting on the appropriate place.
When she lands on my head, I immediately (slowly so she doesn't fall) bend over by either the floor or the chair and ask her to step onto there. When she steps off I give her lots of praise and a treat if I have one nearby. I then get her to step up on her perch again and praise/treat her more.
Kyo loves to cuddle and be petted, and unfortunately with her biting it has been a bit harder to trust her. However, I've found that when she "preens" back too hard I am able to gently remove her beak and ask her to "be gentle", and it is mostly starting to work. She still bites too hard sometimes, so when that happens the cuddle session ends until she is a nice bird again.
This brings me to the last point. She wants more than anything to be with me and to have my attention. I've learned that my attention and rubs/scratches are better than treats to her.
I have tried towelling when she gets nasty, but because she loves to lay on her back and cuddle she enjoys it. I save putting her back in her cage for tantrums, as I really don't want her cage to become a negative place.
As for the aggression towards my husband, she is improving with him spending time with her, but he is happier to wear gloves and a hat than to use a stick with her. Since she is very brave and not afraid of anything (I haven't seen her spook at all, not even at the vacuum or seeing our cats), I feel that the gloves and hat are an okay method for him. I prefer to use the stick method myself, but whatever works right.
And finally, I've been getting up earlier and spending more time with her in the morning before I go to work. This has also made her happier.
I hope this might help other people! I see lots of other posts about GCC's having similar behaviour.
She has this new thing she does when in her cage and wanting cuddles. She has one spot she goes to (on a perch by one of her toys), and she leans her head over for scratches
it's so adorable! She does it every night before bed now. And in the morning. She likes when my husband pets her here the best for some reason, but would rather lay on her back in my hands to be scratched (only when she applies appropriate beak pressure of course).
I just wanted to post about Kyo and my progress with a biting problem that started about 3 weeks after bringing him/her home. You can see the original post here:
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/52920-biting-husband-s-ears-losing-focus-easily.html
Basically, she started showing aggression towards my husband, and then towards my hands as well. I found the problem to be very complex after lots of research and testing out different methods as outlined by other forum members who were very helpful.
1) She learned that my husband allowing her on his shoulder at the beginning meant that she was dominant over him. I believe that this was the start to the problem.
2) She didn't understand how much pressure was appropriate to apply to hands/fingers vs toys and perches.
3) She wanted more one on one time with us.
4) She wanted an earlier bed time.
5) She was trying what was working on my husband on me after having success bullying him
So, here is what I did to start to modify her behaviour for my specific situation (still a WIP, but she is doing MUCH better now):
As suggested, I started teaching her that sitting on her human friends is a privilege, and not a right for her. That meant stick training, and giving her lots of praise and treats for landing on places that aren't a human perch (play stand, cage, computer desk, chair, window sill). I only allow her to perch on me now under my discretion, and as soon as she starts trying to rip open my skin she is put down onto the desk. I then try to get her to step up on the stick and reward her for sitting on the appropriate place.
When she lands on my head, I immediately (slowly so she doesn't fall) bend over by either the floor or the chair and ask her to step onto there. When she steps off I give her lots of praise and a treat if I have one nearby. I then get her to step up on her perch again and praise/treat her more.
Kyo loves to cuddle and be petted, and unfortunately with her biting it has been a bit harder to trust her. However, I've found that when she "preens" back too hard I am able to gently remove her beak and ask her to "be gentle", and it is mostly starting to work. She still bites too hard sometimes, so when that happens the cuddle session ends until she is a nice bird again.
This brings me to the last point. She wants more than anything to be with me and to have my attention. I've learned that my attention and rubs/scratches are better than treats to her.
I have tried towelling when she gets nasty, but because she loves to lay on her back and cuddle she enjoys it. I save putting her back in her cage for tantrums, as I really don't want her cage to become a negative place.
As for the aggression towards my husband, she is improving with him spending time with her, but he is happier to wear gloves and a hat than to use a stick with her. Since she is very brave and not afraid of anything (I haven't seen her spook at all, not even at the vacuum or seeing our cats), I feel that the gloves and hat are an okay method for him. I prefer to use the stick method myself, but whatever works right.
And finally, I've been getting up earlier and spending more time with her in the morning before I go to work. This has also made her happier.
I hope this might help other people! I see lots of other posts about GCC's having similar behaviour.
She has this new thing she does when in her cage and wanting cuddles. She has one spot she goes to (on a perch by one of her toys), and she leans her head over for scratches
it's so adorable! She does it every night before bed now. And in the morning. She likes when my husband pets her here the best for some reason, but would rather lay on her back in my hands to be scratched (only when she applies appropriate beak pressure of course).
