Possessive Isaac

[Elvenking]

So...it's been a little while since I asked a question and one occurred to me last night. Isaac does have some behaviors I would like to work on. One being when I pick something up. He will often come over and want whatever it is in my hand. Sometimes to the point of biting my finger is he meets the task with no success.

 

I am thinking slowly breaking this behavior, if I can, by continually telling him "no no no boy" and setting him on a nearby perch. How would you treat the situation.

 

I never really paid too much attention to it because I am a pretty tolerant person and allow him to get away with a lot. However, I don't want other people to encounter this behavior when he is socialized to them.

[Ray P]

That`s the way I did it with Corky.

Corky is very spoiled but she is very good with other people. What`s mine is hers and they never really get over that.

[chezron]

Can you distract him with something else? If i spend some time fussing over anything, that's the thing he wants, so I "get excited" over a different thing to distract him. But normally, this is not such a problem for him. His problem is being willing to step up whenever I want him to - I wish. I have to do all sorts of mind games to get him in his cage. This bothers me because sometime it may be an emergency and he will need to get in his cage.

[Elvenking]

Yeah...I wonder how many experience the possessive thing. Isaac will step up for cage time...oh he will step up and then run to my shoulder where he will then fly away and make me chase him around for an undetermined period of time. Sometimes he will go right in on my hand. Other times he flies up to his Atom and I have to use a wooden stick to get him to step up off the Atom and ride down into his cage. Constantly talking to him and letting him know what good birds do. LOL. Every time I get him the cage...I give him some Pine Nuts in his dish too.

 

I can't let my daughter walk around with anything he might want. I fear he might bite her to try to get what she is holding. So I have to monitor what both of us are doing so we don't get bit. I like to ahve him out of the cage constantly, but if we get into an activity that involves things Isaac can't have, I am afraid I have to put him away for a little bit. I hope he forgives me.

 

I have an insane amount of love for my lil baby, but he can present his challenges. Sometimes I feel like he is getting a bit too comfortable and begins to think that he runs the show. Hopefully I can gently show him that he can only go so far. I hope more will chime in and tell me how they mange their flighted birds. As this will not likely be a major issue for the clipped ones.

[Birdnut]

Of course he runs the show! He's just waiting for you to realize that! LOL!

 

(Sorry, guess that's not too helpful.)

[Elvenking]

Of course he runs the show! He's just waiting for you to realize that! LOL!

 

(Sorry, guess that's not too helpful.)

 

LOL...that might just be the case. Hopefully some have had ways of guiding their feathered friends in some constructive way.

[Luvparrots]

I have three very independent and self-assured parrots. Even the 6-month old grey is fearless. I talk to them all the time. Just like greys have a body language you can read if you try so do people and my parrots know me very well. The tone of my voice, a certain posture stance I use at a given time, just like them we all have this language too. Sometimes when I am talking they will cock their heads and listen intensely, I find this very interesting to watch. They try so hard to understand us and if you give them a chance they can. Just like we can understand them if we really try. I believe our pets just like our children need a routine and you have to be consistent in what you do or ask them to do. No sometimes isn't all right and other times you reprimand them just won't work. If you aren't consistent they get confused and react in contrary ways. My birds are flighted so if they go where I don't want them, I shoo them off, if they want on my shoulder and start to nibble an ear, I flick them off. If you have ever watched a parent bird with their young they don't mollycoddle them and I don't with my parrots either. I believe they are better for it and we have a great relationship. If Ana Grey does something I don't like, I say "Stop That" and if I do something she dislikes, she throws the words right back at me!!! Little stinker!

[Elvenking]

I have three very independent and self-assured parrots. Even the 6-month old grey is fearless. I talk to them all the time. Just like greys have a body language you can read if you try so do people and my parrots know me very well. The tone of my voice, a certain posture stance I use at a given time, just like them we all have this language too. Sometimes when I am talking they will cock their heads and listen intensely, I find this very interesting to watch. They try so hard to understand us and if you give them a chance they can. Just like we can understand them if we really try. I believe our pets just like our children need a routine and you have to be consistent in what you do or ask them to do. No sometimes isn't all right and other times you reprimand them just won't work. If you aren't consistent they get confused and react in contrary ways. My birds are flighted so if they go where I don't want them, I shoo them off, if they want on my shoulder and start to nibble an ear, I flick them off. If you have ever watched a parent bird with their young they don't mollycoddle them and I don't with my parrots either. I believe they are better for it and we have a great relationship. If Ana Grey does something I don't like, I say "Stop That" and if I do something she dislikes, she throws the words right back at me!!! Little stinker!

 

Very nice response...thank you for taking the time to share these thoughts. I tend to believe the same thing. I am going to try to be consistent and see if he catches on.