Whyyyyyy?

[Sicilysangel]

Since my last post about my adopted girl, things have certainly gone down hill with Roscoe.She has been lunging at me any opportunity she gets. No matter where she is she wants to get me. Im not giving up but Im certainly upset and dont know what I did to lose what trust we did have.Target training has not gotten me anywhere. In fact Im starting to think it made her turn on me.What in thd world should I do?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Roscoe's "Honeymoon Period" may be over. Some people think that the "honeymoon period" doesn't exist, well...it does. During such period the bird is pretty well behaved because he/she is adjusting to his/her new environment. (You can call it "shell shocked period, too) Once they feel comfortable, they "can" become quite testy. :54:

If Roscoe feels you are reluctant and/or anxious about her nippy behavior, she will take FULL advantage of your fears.

Please, don't give up on her now.

 

[MonicaMc]

I think 'shell shocked' might be more appropriate phrase.... I think the first few days or weeks, birds may be too terrified of to really "do" or "say" anything, but once they start feeling comfortable, they start wanting respect and boundaries, and when respect is not giving, they start to lunge and bite.


I could be completely wrong though, but the lunging and biting I view as a form of communication.... of them saying that we are doing something that makes them uncomfortable.

 

[Sicilysangel]

I can completely agree, however, why all of a sudden she loves me again because my boyfriend is here? Shes been awful the passed 2 days but now hes here and now I can kiss her and pet her. What heck is going on? I hope she doesnt go back to hating me after he leaves?

 

[Sicilysangel]

I will never give up on her I promise ))))))))

 

[Kalidasa]

Actually, the fact that she's lovey-dovey when your bf is around is a very good sign! It means YOU are her person of choice, not him. Things will smooth out...don't let her intimidate you. As mentioned above, the "honeymoon" (shell shocked) period is over. This is the time when she will learn acceptable behavior, because she doesn't know what that is yet. Don't take it personally, because by what you're describing when your bf stops by, she loves you, but is unsure of how to behave. I assure you it will get better!

 

[Kiwibird]

I can completely agree, however, why all of a sudden she loves me again because my boyfriend is here? Shes been awful the passed 2 days but now hes here and now I can kiss her and pet her. What heck is going on? I hope she doesnt go back to hating me after he leaves?

When Kiwi was new to us, he was vicious towards me, but he really liked my husband. When Joe wasn't around, he would turn evil, but as soon as he got home, Kiwi would behave better. I think (in our case) Kiwi not only 'chose' Joe, but also saw him as an authority figure. My hubby has always been more firm with Kiwi than I have, so I think he was smart enough to play it cool around him so he didn't get reprimanded. They're smart animals, he knew his new mommy was too soft, so he took full advantage. Some birds respond very well to positive reinforcement, Kiwi responded to a combination of PR when he behaved and a firm stance when he didn't.

Just curious, does your boyfriend treat her in a different manner than you do? The way they interact or how he talks to her? If so, try acting more like him. Not every bird responds to the same method of training and socializing, so if you see your boyfriend interacting differently than you do and he gets results, do that! Some birds like to push their limits, and it's your job to (gently) put them in their place. A firm "NO" or not backing down when you give a command until they follow is necessary for certain individuals. Especially less than pleasant behaving rescues.

 

[Sicilysangel]

All of that def. Makes sense. She cannot stand the boyfriend. She screams and tears up her toys n perches when he is here. Lol but Im glad she chose me and all we can do is keep trying.Thank you

 

[Sicilysangel]

Btw the boyfriend is very sweet to her but she wont let him pet her or get close.

 

[Birdman666]

This is the macaw testing phase. Your bird is trying to find out if he can intimidate you or not.

The answer needs to be NOT or he will keep doing it.

It's really that simple.