Training not to bite

[Shayne]

My macaw lunges at me all the time and usually doesn't bite that hard, or not at all. He's never left a mark. I don't flinch in the slightest when he does but I can't decide weather I should tell him no when he does or just totally ignore it as it doesn't bother me much. If I completly ignore it and give him no reaction whatsoever will he eventually give up and stop doing it or is it better to tell him no when he does it.

 

[LoveMyParrots]

The best way is to ignore the bite. Since he doesn't bite hard, which is awesome! Then go ahead! If he is playing with your hand and was biting/nipping it a bit hard, then tell him to be gentle in a clam voice.

Hope this helped

 

[Cami]

I don't know if this is a tried and true method, but it seems to work. I always had a sort of understanding that you cannot discipline a bird, (I've always had a dog) so my thought process would be to use a conditioning process.

I started Spencer young when his biting developed, and would say the command, "no bite" with varying degrees of emotion in my voice. It seems to work in 99% of the situations; it's 50/50 when he's in hormone hell.

Fast forward ten years later, it's still effective, he backs off instantly, of course he then sticks his tongue out at me. He always needs the last uh, word. :09:

 

[Sheryl]

Does he still lunge? Mine does, too.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Does he still lunge? Mine does, too.

Sheryl, the OP hasn't been online for over a year.

 

[Sheryl]

Ooops. Silly me.

 

[Lynn57]

What would you do if when he lunged he bit hard or harder