My wits end!

Little_Bailey · Post by **Little_Bailey** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:58 am

Please i need help, bailey is such a rat bag! it upsets me, i cant hold him without him attacking me now? i'v tried sayin no! puting him in his cage! making him chew something! he is just soooo naughty.. .. its really getting to the point where i was thinking of giving him away! ( but i love him too much) im determind to make him nicer but all my attemps are falling! please i need all the help u can give before i do something drastic.. .. thanks

jen5239 · Post by **jen5239** » Tue May 23, 2006 5:37 am

Hang in there! I'm sure it's probably just the bluffing phase. And from what I've read it can take quite a while or just a short time for them to go thru this stage. You've got to show him that this doesn't bother you and that you're the boss. I know! SUCKS! Cuz if you've been bitten, and I mean a REAL BITE, you know how badly it hurts and the thot of just saying oh go ahead, bite me and I won't care, just doesn't cut it. But he's worth going thru this, believe me! He's just testing his boundaries with you. He wants to be your boss and tell you how it's going to be. It's going to take tiime and persistance. Just tell him he's being a punk and put him away and walk away. Don't show any emotions. Then later try again. That's what I'd do. I'm NO EXPERT at this at all. Shouldn't even be trying to give advice. But I've been advised on this too. Please don't get rid of him! I was there with Byndi too. Even found her a home and when it came down to it, I couldn't do it. And I'm so glad I didn't. She's a wonderful bird and I love her with all my being. So hang in there. You'll get thru this.
Hugs,
Jen

Dani03 · Post by **Dani03** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:28 am

Hey you...try using our 'search' to look up all topics on bluffing or biting. These topics are usually FILLED with tasy tidbits of info already mentioned...

Dani Prinny Bodi

fiona · Post by **fiona** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:27 am

don't put hm back in the cage when he bites....that's what he wants and he's learning that if he bites he'll get what he wants. Unfortunately if yours is a baby and biting there's not much I know to do. Older birds when they are sitting on your finger and bite, I pull my hand down slighly so they have to catch their balance. It seems to work in my experience, but baby birds don't have great balance so I wouldn't do it with a baby.

jen5239 · Post by **jen5239** » Tue May 23, 2006 12:17 pm

Pardon me for telling you to put him back in his cage. As I said I'm NO expert. Sorry!

Dani03 · Post by **Dani03** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:33 pm

Jen there is no need to apolgize! What you were giving out was from your experience. Never ever apolgize for that. You give out great advise and I dunno about the rest of you guys but I consider you to be one of our 'experts' here (or atleast as much of an expert can be on these birds)

Dani Prinny Bodi

Little_Bailey · Post by **Little_Bailey** » Wed May 24, 2006 5:15 am

Thanks jen, dani and fiona! i would never give him away no matter what! i say it but i wouldn dare! thanks for the advice, its just sooo frustrating it seems like he has been like this forever! arggggg. . . so il keep trying! i put him in his cage once but it didn seem to work. tell me how do i get him off if he really rufuses? i sometimes end up giving him his fav treat which i know is really bad cause he thinks he is being good but i dont know wat else to do? well if anyone has anymore advice for me i would be very gratful but thanks for all your help girls! mwaaaaa xxxx

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:28 am

tell us exaaactly whats going on. break it down step by step. usually you can figure out a problem if you look close enough. it's hard to advise you without knowing some specifics.

Little_Bailey · Post by **Little_Bailey** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:27 pm

ok in the morning i get him out of his cage and i put his food in and cuddle him abit, but then he wont get off me he refuses to get of my hand.

Then he will scream all morning when im in the shower etc for attention i guess. . . then i leave he stays out of his cage when ppl are home so my mum is usually home with him, she tries to hold him and he hates her he bites and chews her clothes!

Then when im home from work i try to hold him he gets agressive and bites your clothes or your skin very hard, when he is on you he doesn't just sit or anything. Then when i try to get him off he wont get off again so its come to the point where im scared to pick him up but i wont show it! then someone else has to get him off. . . usually a food bribe! which i know is wrong!. . . i dont really punish him as i dont know how? well thanks for your help! get back to me asap. . . mwa

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Thu May 25, 2006 12:19 am

ok do you take him for a shower in the morning, if you read athenas post it imight be a good way to get him to bond to you. if he wants to be with you thats a good start, your morning shower with him might be a good time.

Bribing him.. or 'rewarding him for good behaviour' is not wrong. using food to train your bird is often the best way. punishing is bad, your not supposed to punish your bird.

Break it down even more, In the morning when he wants to come out he hops on your hand yes? what does he do when he's on you just sit there or move around like he wants to go somewhere else? Is he agressive in the morning or just when you get home and decide you want his attention?

have you tried playing with him, interacting using food and toys to encourage him to step up and does he have his own area where he likes to stay outside his cage with food and toys for him?

Post by **kyria** » Thu May 25, 2006 5:25 am

Well you have the chickies giving you great advice here already and I am sure together you will work through this.

My experience with my Kai was a matter of showing him who was boss. being forceful but not mean when I got him to step up (pushing in under his bite and loudly saying step up) and like fiona said I use to just drop my hand with a soft jolt to make them have to catch their balance, hence forgetting they were going to bite you and realising you are the boss and have the control.

Every bird is different and it will be a matter of working out .. what works with your bird.

Believe me I had a few bites from kai in the early days, ones that took slices of skin off. But now, i trust him completely, he would never bite. I have even played with as a test to see if I can get him roused up enough to even give me a pinch bite, but nope.

Jen succeeded with Byndi and I remember her howls and whails over her sore hands.

Mikaela succeeded with Baby and she had a hard time with his bluffing.

In hind sight .. no matter what .. time usually has them settle and realising you are there to love them .. and they gain a great trust in you and once you get to that point all WILL be beautiful.

What I am really trying to give you is .. great hope. ***hugs***

fiona · Post by **fiona** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:32 pm

jen, you don't have to apologize...I'm definitly no expert. I have worked with birds for a long time, but in two weeks I will get my first bird ....so I don't even own one yet! I just know what I've been told and what my experience has been as you. This is why I like this board. We can share our opinions and discuss what has worked for us...because the same thing will not work for every bird. So thankyou for your input.

Little_Bailey · Post by **Little_Bailey** » Thu May 25, 2006 9:48 pm

Ok first of all thanks to everyone for the advice, in the morning yes he does come on to me, he absolutly hates water, its a mission to get him to shower so i dunno if that would work.

Yes i bond with him with toys and food at least everyday, he bites me first thing when he is out of his cage and steps on me? then he will go up my arm a little bit more and try and bite me through my pj's or clothing etc. He has a play gym in our games room he loves but im pretty sure he is not biting me to get on there as even that is sometimes a misson to get him on that unless he really wants to go on there. . . but usually he sits on top he cage on a perch!

What should i do when i try to give him food to make him get up? if he gets up by following the food should i give it to him?

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Fri May 26, 2006 1:02 pm

All very good advice.

They can get the best of us sometimes... just remember... there are no bad animals, only bad owners. Its all about commitment.

We are here for you... good days and bad!