Tips on preventing or stopping biting

[DRB]

Perjo is getting stronger and more daring at 22 weeks of age. She's been so sweet and nice all her short life. However, she's gaining some confidence in everything she does, I allow her some freedoms when I have her perched on my hand or shoulder (I know I know). While she is great at stepping up and down, she gets a little more reluctant to do so if she doesn't want to come off my shoulder or change her position/location in the house. In the past 2-3 days she is taking much more serious nips at me, some I can honestly call biting. I want to stop this ASAP.

Any suggestions? I say "no biting" and IMO she understands the "no" command fairly well. I raise my voice just a tad, which still doesn't equate to a full on normal voice as I tend to decrease my tone and volume when holding her and talking to her. But I don't want to get crazy with scolding and negative commands.

 

[Brittany741]

Definitely eliminate the shoulder. This causes some serious behavioral issues, especially in CAGs. Your bird is young and now is the time to teach good habits. The shoulder is something you may be able to do later but I would strongly recommend against it until you've accomplished a lot more training. Many CAGs can never be trusted on a shoulder. Facial bites can and do happen, and easily result in needing reconstructive surgery.

 

[Birdman666]

CAGs tend to displacement/fear bite, which makes shoulders a huge no-no for most of them.

My CAG is the only bird I've got that isn't allowed up there.

I use two fingers on the beak at the fat part, where it connects to the face, when stepping down or picking up if the bird is biting me.

The towels under a long sleeve shirt is another method. Closed bent fist on your hand. Step the bird up with your protected forearm/wrist. If the bird latches on, you are protected, and you also can control his beak since it's full of towel. NO SIR, WE DON'T BITE. STEP DOWN! (The stern look, and mad voice.)

If the bird is on my shoulder and needs to go down, I lean over, and make the bird latch onto the thing he is stepping up to with his beak. He can't hold onto that, and bite me at the same time.

If absolutely necessary, i.e. the bird is being evil, and isn't responding to other methods, I towel. Then I give them a choice, step up nice without biting, or I will go get my towel. You usually only have to do that once or twice. Then all you have to do is show them the towel.

 

[LeaKP]

They are so smart. I only allow my CAGs to sit on my shoulder when I'm seated, never when walking. It's been a learning curve for Nigel who was raised on the shoulder. He's getting it. I'm very strict on that. He complains but I don't care. Those are the limits. He can sit on my knee or hand and the advice Mark gives is spot on.

 

[DRB]

I only allow Perjo on my shoulder when sitting, and it's always for limited amount of time. She loves it. Will start cutting that back and see where it goes. It seems to me a displacement thing is what is causing her to start this trend toward hard nipping. I'll try getting her used to my knee and thigh for a while.

 

[Birdman666]

Displacement is a form of fear biting, and it's triggered by objects, or people they either don't like, don't trust, or are just flat afraid of...

The way you reduce these behaviors is to slowly introduce the bird to these objects, people, etc. until they are desensitized to it. (And watch your fingers doing it! )

The stuff they can't be desensitized to? Yeah if my bird sees [insert here] HE WILL BITE YOU, SO DON'T GO NEAR [Insert here] IF YOU'RE HOLDING THE BIRD OR YOU WILL BLEED....

Some bird training is "train the humans."

For example: My red lored amazon is sweet as pie most of the time.

Pick up Lila when you are holding her, and she will pinch the crap outta you.

Pay attention to another bird while holding her DURING BREEDING SEASON, and she will pinch the crap outta you.

Hint: SHE'S JEALOUS AS HELL...

So you set her down before picking those other birds up. And you don't "flirt" with them while holding her.

 

[DRB]

I was reading displacement as "removing her from one place" to put her in another. Thanks for clarifying.

She seems a bit finicky about being where she wants to be when out of the cage, and her most favorite spot has been my shoulder for the past 3 weeks.

I don't get a ton of company right now, so that is why she still "fear" or dislikes most people, that I can deal with, as I know that will take time.

Perjo nipping or biting me is very new and I don't like it or totally get it for now as we've been so tight since day one.

 

[GraciesMom]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. I spoil Gracie rotten but no matter how much she wants on my shoulder I never allow it simply because even as outgoing & loving as she is with me ... she is still a CAG and by nature/instinct can and will react to things I can't even begin to predict (lets get real they see ghost dangers everywhere lol) & I don't want her to turn that toward my face (not saying she would mean harm but even latching on to secure herself could be just as damaging).

I would definitely read all of the threads/posts on pressure training I know a lot of information from Birdman was a godsend to me for teaching Gracie how to use her beak in an gentle manner.

I wouldn't take her biting/nipping etc. as a negative indication of how tight you guys are... end of the day she's a bird and they use their beaks she just needs to be taught the correct way to use it with people and not use it as a weapon to get her way... plus they are little kids looking to push bounds and gain control. A lot of Birdmans advise helps deal with that without injury. In my experience CAGS can be moody little buggers and very stubborn when they want (or don't) want something.

Good luck

 

[DRB]

Pressure training, never saw those threads, or maybe missed them reading so much other info in here. What forum are they in?

 

[DRB]

Found it, simple Google search led me back here to the specific threads

 

[DRB]

I've been doing most of that stuff covered by so many people. Taking a short break when playing. Vocalizing how I am not pleased with her bite pressure in certain situations, usually with the word "no" as she understand the no response fairly well.

She understands the difference between loud and soft whistling, so I think I can reign in her beak pressure.

 

[Birdman666]

CAGS are more difficult in some ways. They're stubborn. They get held and interacted with on their own terms....

With a macaw YOU set the boundaries with the bird.

With a CAG? Frequently THE BIRD sets boundaries with you, and then you have to gradually expand them at a pace the bird will accept. One of the ways they do that is by biting. What you have to do is teach him to PINCH instead of bite.

It still hurts, it just doesn't leave scars.

My CAG is the only bird I've got that's likely to draw blood if he's pissed off.

The rest only pinch, even if they're upset.

My CAG gives you a warning. Disregard the warning, the pinches get significantly harder.

IN FACT, HE'LL LOOK AT YOU SOMETIMES AND SAY "OOOOWWWW! THAT HURTS!" or "KNOCK IT OFF!" sometimes he'll use "STINKER!" (I call him that when he uses too much bite pressure. He also calls people who annoy him that! Either way, the context is clear.) Here's a clue: He knows those particular phrases in context.

 

[GraciesMom]

My CAG gives you a warning. Disregard the warning, the pinches get significantly harder.

IN FACT, HE'LL LOOK AT YOU SOMETIMES AND SAY "OOOOWWWW! THAT HURTS!" or "KNOCK IT OFF!" sometimes he'll use "STINKER!" (I call him that when he uses too much bite pressure. He also calls people who annoy him that! Either way, the context is clear.) Here's a clue: He knows those particular phrases in context.

That's Gracie all the way .. if she doesn't want someone close she lowers her head and pushes them away with her beak.. you get that warning twice before a pinch... don't move and it's a full on bite.

I can tell her to "cmere" to fly over to me and sometimes she does & sometimes she'll say "no come get me or just no", floor rescues she'll say "cmere up up up". Yesterday I told her to stop it when she was redesigning the sofa with her beak & she replied "no you stop it", hubby pointed out that I was arguing with a parrot (and losing lol).
They do catch on to context that's for sure.

 

[DRB]

I leave Perjo's travel (spare sleep) cage out all the time, it's slowly becoming her poop spot (and that's by design, she's caught on pretty well) and when she wants off that cage and onto my shoulder she leans toward me and gives me an "eh eh" (as she isn't flying around on her own, unless she gets spooked). And yes I'll reach over and let her on my hand. If that isn't good enough, she leans toward the shoulder and "eh eh" and I give in 80% of the time. If I don't give in right away and try to pet her are rub her neck she gets ornery and starts nibbling with her version of a squawk. I know that's her way of saying "give me what I want" but I don't want to give in to that behavior of hers WHILE giving her what she wants.

I need to be more stubborn in not letting her set every boundary every time. I'm Irish and German so being stubborn shouldn't be a problem for me.

 

[DRB]

Ironically the last hour Perjo has been very careful with grabbing me with her beak, very gentle and observant of my reactions to her reaching. LOL.

 

[Weezerj]

The parrot dance....3 steps forward followed by 1 (or 2) backward.....about the time you think " we've got this", look out.

 

[LeaKP]

Yeah, a type of adolescence that never goes away! :-D

 

[ChristaNL]

Got here because of the whole displacement biting thing and am amazed and somewhat shocked about the bad rep african greys seem to have.


I've met only one who was raised to be a true asshole - he was not wel socialized and taught that biting deep got him everything ...

(I only had a month to help him change his mind about that before his owner sold him on, unfortunately I am not a trainer- he was just a guest, so I hope he got a good place)



My own 4 ( 2 of them no longer alive) - I never gave a second thought, after getting to know each other schoulders are perfectly fine, biting just does not happen (unless they have to grab on to avoid falling and even then ...)


I always found them to be far more subtle than other birds - they read humans fantasticly and do not need loud enforced commands or attention.
(the 2 hens both let me lift them of their eggs without protest -even after being in my house for only a few months, plze don't tell me that is exeptional as well?)