Missy - no more biting

[reggieroo]

Well I think it's safe to post that I have no more biting from Missy.

 

As some of you may know I adopted Missy last year, around 5 months ago after losing my little mate Murphy to an escape. Apart from some biting she has been a joy to have around & nice to say I have no more bite marks.

 

I have to say though in her defence she wasn't a bad biter, I just wasn't used to having any bites at all from my previous two parrots. She would bite you sometimes when she would put her head down for a tickle, you would be tickling her then she would grab your finger. Other times were when you would ask her to step up, she would bite you & some odd ones at random, but the worst bites were in the shower. If she was on the top of the shower screen & you ask her to step up, she didn't want to at all & you could get quite a hard bite.........ouch!

 

Well after 5 months I can honestly say they are no more. Not quite sure exactly what I did but the few things I have done have worked. I think mostly it was just down to each of us gaining trust in each other & confidecne plays a huge part. Not knowing the inner workings of a parrot brain, it is sometimes quite hard to know what to do for the best & also you read all sorts & sometimes the info you read/get isn't always correct. I often find my own little techniques & along with the support of a place like grey forums you can over come most problems & so far for me all problems I have had.

 

What I did when she bit me was a little risky to your finger but still it seemed to get the message across. When she would bite while in the cage, I would point my finger at her through the bars & in a very stern voice say "don't bite!" she would then most times put her head back down for a tickle. I would give her another tickle, if she bit again I would do the same but this time after telling her again not to bite & would turn my back on her for a minute. I would then give her a third opportunity, if she bit again I would say the same thing "don't bite!" but this time put the sheet over her for 5 minutes while staying silent & ignoring any attempts by her to communicate. I would then take off the cover & try again, at this point she seemed to understand that this biting thing wasn't going to fly with me & didn't give me any more. Also I'd like to point out that most of the time it didn't even get to the 2nd or 3rd stage, I would only have to say it once but she would look at me & my finger & could see her thinking "shall I bite him again or not?"

 

The step up bites & shower bites were not so easy to deal with because she was out of the cage. What I would do if she was on her stand & bit me, I would have to brave the bite & take her back to her cage while telling her "naughty don't bite!" I would place her back in & walk away straight into another room. Often she wouldn't even call after me which made me think she was regretting or thinking about what she had done. After some time I would then go back & chat to her or get her back out.

 

Now we get to the shower bites, the most difficult of all. I couldn't take her back to her cage as I was in the shower, I couldn't ignore her or turn my back on her as she was right there with me so what did I do? Grin & bear it & hope for the best........lol. No in truth there was a little pattern to her bites in the shower & I think they may have been a bit of fear & a bit of "I'm not going in there, so I'm going to bite you" So what I did was ask her to step up & again brave the bite, put her under the shower & ignore the fact that she bit me, it kind went against the other things I did for the other bites but didn't really know what else to do as I didn't want to make any dramas. I would shower her as if nothing had happened & then pop her back on the shower screen. What I would do next a few minutes later was asked her to step up again & this is when I got the most severe bites as she thought "Oh now, I'm going in the shower again" but what I would do is purposely not put her under the shower but keep her on my hand & talk to her & give some tickles. This way it showed her that not every time dad asks me to step up off the shower screen he puts me in the shower, sometimes it's just for some fuss & a chat. This worked & over a few months she trusted me enough to step her up from the shower screen with no bites ever again.

 

Now by no means are these all the answers to stopping your parrot biting but these techniques have worked for me over the last 5 months. I thought I would share with all of you one if the things I've been working on since getting Missy back in October last year.

[danmcq]

You wrote "Now by no means are these all the answers to stopping your parrot biting but these techniques have worked for me over the last 5 months. I thought I would share with all of you one if the things I've been working on since getting Missy back in October last year."

 

Thanks for sharing your great progress with this biting issue and the individual techniques you used in dealing with it in various scenarios you encountered. I believe that is the key. There is no "one size fits them all" when it comes to dealing with biting issues. Some may be able to completely stop them and some will at least be able to slow them down or to avoid the situations that causes them.

 

It's GreYt hearing from you again!!!

[birdhouse]

It makes sense that the shower approach would be different because Missy was reacting to her fear. So, although you were forced to handle it differently anyway, it may have been the best thing to change your reaction. Just grin & bare it. :rolleyes:

 

As you've said, there's no formulaic answer to biting issues because of the different situations, motivations, history & personalities. But it seems like you've worked thru all of that very nicely & done a super job! Very nice to hear things are going so well w/you & Missy, Paul.

[Luvparrots]

Very nice job Paul! Love and patience, a very good combination.

[Gwen]

Thanks for your update on Missy, Paul... Hang in there. I know the bites are as much mentally challenging as painfully awakening.

In just the past few months, my rehome, Roscoe, has gone from daily to no bites!! My ultimate stategy has been no fear & fingers near his mouth with an open invitation!! He actually has his moments he enjoys "mouthing" and exploring ... My kissy sounds & saying "gentle" have calmed him enough to finally trust my touch!!!

[JeffNOK]

When I first got Gracie she also used to bite sometimes. Over the last 2 and a half months the biting has virtually stopped. I agree with what you said--most of it is about building trust and they realize there is no reason to bite. Gracie will sometimes do a "bluff bite" if she wants to be left alone, but she doesn't apply any pressure. It's just her way of communicating and I respect her wishes. Best wishes and keep us posted on your little fid.

[Malikah]

It's so nice to hear from you Paul! Thanks for the detailed explanation of what worked for you and Missy. Wishing you many years of happiness with her.

[MarcusCAG]

Yes, it's lovely to hear from you again, Paul, and to receive the update on your Missy and how things have been going with her. I'm so happy to hear you've both reached a point where the trust between you is obvious, you've covered a lot of ground together already, and the road ahead would seem to appear very sweet for you both!

[chezron]

So glad you got through the biting stage! Way to go! It says a lot about your patience and kindness.

[reggieroo]

Well thank you everybody for the kind words.

[katana600]

Your avatar is lovely, what a pretty place for Missy to hang out. You have made great progress in a relatively short time. It is so good to hear how Missy is settling in to your home and family life. Even with the occasional snap, she sounds like a dear. Your consistency and gentle coaxing have been a good combination for her. Congratulations on building such a good relationship with her.

[reggieroo]

My Avatar is actually Murphy my lost grey. I haven't had the heart to remove it as I feel Grey forums was always mine & Murphy's place & didn't want to take that away.

 

Silly I know, reality is Murphy has gone & now Missy is my grey friend & should be her avatar.

[Gwen]

Not necessarily so.... Murphy is still in our hearts & prayers.

 

Go to: areTOP.com & add pics to the signature & you'll have both !!!!