Nailing Unsuspecting Guests!!

[judygram]

I have to credit Dan for this idea, I know most of you have been bitten by your greys but how many of you have had someone else bitten by your bird? I am talking about guests in your home who thought they would go over and see the pretty bird and try to pick them up or something and BAM!!! get nailed by that beak.:ohmy:

 

Also how many unsuspecting guests have stuck their face up into your grey's face and gotten nailed on the nose or the lip, OUCH, now that hurts, some people can be so stupid.:blink:

 

Don't be afraid to admit that your grey has delivered a bite to a guest in your home, I know it has to have happened to someone here on this forum.

 

Has anyone on this forum ever been sued over such a bite, now that would be interesting to know. So come on and tell me about it, I sympathize with you even though I am biteless at the moment.:whistle:

[Talon]

Wow! Great idea Judy! :cheer:

My kids friends are always going over to Talon and putting their fingers right up to her. Sometimes I forget to remind them that she will bite! But she never broke the skin, she doesn't bite that hard yet.....although Melissa may think differently.

 

Looking forward to reading more stories.....who's next??? {Feel-bad-00020080}:cheer:

[Tari]

Guest are instructed how to act around my birds before they come in. Not that I have many these days but my nieces use to come over a good bit when they were younger and they had to recite the house rules before they came in the door.

I may come off sounding mean when I do this but its for my birds sake not theirs so I don't care.B)

Over the years I had one niece got biten by my amazon and she was a trooper didnt yell or pull away. Just said in a quite voice "Aunt Angie make it stop.'

[Talon]

Tari, I love that you put your birds before your guests! And Bless you poor niece for being as sweet as could be when your amazon had her in her beak! :evil:

[Guest Lidia]

Joshua is pretty good and tends not to bite without provocation. He has only once in his eighteen years bitten a guest and that person put their face right in his (asking for it, if you ask me!). He didn't so much bite as take hold of the septum of their nose and dangle. He didn't break the skin, but it hurt all the same. But I did warn her not to do it!

Joshua likes meeting new people and is quite friendly and willing to sit on people's laps. But I always warn people not to intrude on his cage as that is his territory.

[Guest]

I have a vivid imagination, that's why when I read this I saw a cage with a sign on it like some gardens have "beware of the dog", but then obviously "beware of the parrot"

[loviechick]

I got nailed by my friends Grey once, but I was moving to quickly, but Red, she will step up for most anyone and let them hold her as long as they don't move too fast!

[judygram]

Loviechick, I love your signature, very appropriate, may I ask where you got them, they are so cute.

[Guest Monique]

We also tell everyone "the rules" before they get close to any of our parrots. Basically someone can stand from a foot back and talk to them but that is all that we allow. For one, who knows what diseases (the people) could be carrying, ketosis, flatulence ... many things my bird could find disturbing. But in all honesty I just don't want someone interacting with my birds besides talking (CLEAN APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE ONLY) because most people don't know how to handle birds and birds don't forget those bad experiences!!

 

My story: Our old Grey hated everyone but my husband. Well hate might be a strong word. She would say "come here sweetie" and then chomp on you. She told my Dad to come give her a kiss. Sweet unsuspecting elderly gentlemen walked over bent down to kiss her and THWACK she bit him right on the bottom lip! Broke through the skin "split it" a bit and everything! No - I wasn't there - I would have stopped him!!! It was just him at the bird at that moment ... and the bird won.... True Story!!

[Tricky]

I warn people who go near Jacques cage, I find that just saying "...He bites." is enough for most people to want to keep their distance. I don't think he's bitten anyone yet, but I'm sure there'll be someone someday who'll decide to stick their finger in the cage... I hope they didn't need that finger.

 

Most guests that I've seen interact with the bird stand in front of the cage and mimic his "stay away!" head bobs, not realizing how odd they look. :huh:

[Guest briansmum]

Brian doesn't like anyone getting any closer than about a foot to him. although for some reason he sometimes "fly attacks" people, he did this to my sister the other day and she got a horrible bite on the soft bit inbetween her fingers. his behaviour was strange because he knows her, he has stayed with her when i went away. other than that most of my friends seem to be un-nerved by his flying even though he has made no attempt on them, so they stay away anyway.

like monique though i don't want people to interact with him anymore than just talking to him, i wouldnt trust them not to panic, or move fast and basically ask for a bite.

[judygram]

Thats my attitude too, Beccy, I don't want other people to do anything with Josey but talk to her, no poking fingers at her or getting too close, it makes her uncomfortable and I don't like it either. She still fluffs up some when my hubby goes to stroke her neck but she is not as bad as she used to be. In time I think she will learn to tolerate him better than she does now.

[CeasarsDad]

See I'm the total opposite with Ceasar.. I encourage everyone to go over to his cage and tree stand... I encourage everyone to try and have Ceasar step up on them.

 

We had a New Years Eve Party last year.. Had many many people in the house.. Ceasar was right on his tree stand with all the guests.. He goes to most anyone..

 

We went to Petco one day with Ceasar.. Walked into the store and all the Petco employees came over looking at Ceasar.. In minutes they were passing Ceasar all around..

 

I don't shelter Ceasar.. When we first got Ceasar home.. He was 20 weeks.. I had my daughters bring all their friends over to see him.. Got him use to people from the start.. It Works..

 

So the answer the question of this post.. NO I am lucky Ceasar never bit a guest.. Or US for that matter..

[Guest Lidia]

CeasarsDad wrote:

See I'm the total opposite with Ceasar.. I encourage everyone to go over to his cage and tree stand... I encourage everyone to try and have Ceasar step up on them.

 

There's something to be said for this method too. It makes the bird far more sociable if it is encouraged to interact with a lot of people. Ceasar will be a happy, sociable bird if you keep this up, CD.

 

I do encourage Joshua to be sociable too, but not when he's in his cage because he needs to know that he has his own space. So, once he's outside, I encourage interaction and step-ups.

 

:kiss:

[CeasarsDad]

Hi lidia. I never considered what you are saying about his cage. And of course you are correct about it. In my house there really is only two times ceasar is in his cage. Bedtime and when no one is home. All other times he's on his play tree. When people come over ceasar is out in the open already. I never witnessed how he would act if a stranger approached his cage. Perhaps then he night try to defend it. But I would think we would try to defend his play tree. But he doesn't. Go figure. But I am very happy at ceasars progress so far. I do realize that there are many changes coming. But I am less worried about them. Ceasar knows who the boss is and I really don't thing he will ever try to wrestle that away from me

[Talon]

This is an interesting thread with very different opinions. I guess you do what works best for you.

 

I too, handle Talon like CD does with Ceasar. Although she doesn't go to the stores with me, (her wings are not clipped). She does go for car rides, and is encouraged to step up on any visitors we have. She is very friendly and willing to go onto a strangers hand. She won't stay for too long, but she will visit with them for a bit. (we never force her to go with anyone she doesn't want to.)

 

We have a home business and many people in & out through out the day. She does not fear anyone, and will stay and sometimes even talk around strangers. I think it has helped her to be more outgoing.

[CeasarsDad]

Yes indeed Talon.. This is key with an african grey. It's no secret that these birds can become very one person oriented. Keeping them in front of many people is one way to get them past this attachment problem so many of them seem to have.

[Tari]

Forntantly my Que well still got other people but I only let "bird" people handle her. She well fuss about it but she well do it without biting.

I am able to take her to bird club meetings and that is where she gets her "stranger" time.

She even fusses when my husband "saves" her from the floor. lol

I wish she could interact more but most people get scared when she starts to screem about stepping up. She did this with me too all them years ago the first time I picked her up. Half hour later we were best friends.

[danmcq]

I agree with Ceasar and Talon.

 

I will socialize Dayo with all, which there are many different guests we have in our home.

 

I hope Dayo will come to recognize that socializing is fun and interesting.

 

Hopefully, change will be something Dayo will experience everyday and welcome it.

 

I will "Train" and "Coach" anyone desiring to approach or perhaps try a step-up with Dayo BEFORE they ever get that close so the experience will be a mutually good one for both.

 

That's "Dan's" theory and I'm sticking to it :-)

[Shawzy4]

I to have a very busy house Talon, And like CeasarsDad and Danmcq, We encourage anyone who we feel is confident around storm to ask her to step-up. Most times she will no probs but she has the odd moment when she makes a fuss... As yet no chewing on any strangers fingers:)

[judygram]

I don't have a busy house and we don't have a lot of different people in the house so she does not get to meet a lot of people, but I do take her to work occasionally.

[Guest Lidia]

judygram wrote:

I don't have a busy house and we don't have a lot of different people in the house so she does not get to meet a lot of people, but I do take her to work occasionally.

 

Lucky you! Do you get any work done when she is there! I'd love to be able to take Joshua with me on digs and to the library (can you imagine the havoc he'd cause at the library???).

 

I live alone (with Joshua) so I am dependent on people visiting to socialise Joshua. But I think he's very gregarious by nature and he's so used to going to stay with his vet for long stretches while I'm away, that he's become very laid back and independent.

 

He loves going to stay with the vet as he gets so much attention there. The vet loves him and lets him go around with him on his shoulder, even when he's doing consultations. The nurses let Joshua join them for lunch and let him take bites of their sandwiches, etc!

 

But he's always been very outgoing. When I came back to Ireland from London (where I'd been living for a few years and where I got Joshua), I came by train and ferry and he sat on my shoulder the entire way, meeting people and letting them tickle himand feed him chips.

 

Ooops, this is a much longer reply than I thought it would be! Got to go and take my god-daughter out for her birthday, she wants me to buy her a "vampire coat", whatever that is!

 

{Love-000200C2}<br><br>Post edited by: Lidia, at: 2007/07/28 12:15

[danmcq]

What a great story of "Joshua's Adventures" :-)

 

It sounds like He is such a well mannered and pleasurable Grey to be around.

 

I hope Dayo becomes well socialized also. It is so great, to think about going out in public and letting our Grey's enjoy themselves and give people joy also!

[Talon]

Dan, I'm sure with all that you have planned, Dayo will be very sociable. Like children, they really do take their cues from us. If we are comfortable, relaxed, and encouraging, then they will pick up on that, and it will help them to behave accordingly. Well,let me add by saying... most times.:pinch: :silly: :whistle:

[danmcq]

LOL - Shawzy

 

Hopefully there won't be any chewing on guests fingers..

 

Unless they deserve it, for having bad manners ;-)