CharlieB Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Is this truth? One of the best ways to keep your bird well behaved is to keep him off your shoulder. This prevents your bird from considering you as an equal, which he would do if he could see eye to eye with you. Birds who are allowed to sit on their owners’ shoulders often try to dominate their owners, which can result in the birds biting their owners regularly, as well as being difficult to handle. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 COCO enjoys a walk round the house on my shoulder and enjoys sitting watching me do things, I can see the logic and once had a Jackdaw who would peak at my glasses if allowed to shoulder sit. However, it is very easy to allow COCO to sit in my shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 In truth one of the best ways to end up with some kind of disfiguring injury is to allow your bird to shoulder sit especially of the birds grey sized and larger as some just cannot be trusted with shoulder privileges but it is not a matter of dominance. I allow all 3 of my birds to shoulder sit, mind you two of them are smaller type birds but one is my grey. She doesn't spend large amounts of time doing it but I do allow it for I can trust her, some greys you cannot trust for they will go after ears, lips, nose and any other part of the head and if they are interested in messing with those parts of the body then you cannot trust them. Some people preach you shouldn't allow any bird to shoulder sit but it has to be a personal decision based on each individual bird. Some want to go to the shoulder as soon as they get on your hand or arm and it is difficult to keep them from going there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I have 2 greys and one amazon. All are allowed on my shoulder at any time but only as long as they behave! If one tries anything, I spin very fast around, (a trained dancer) and off they go flying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 My Grey and Conure both are shoulder birds. It does not change their flock interactions with any human. Birds are not like packs of animals that have a leader. They are a flock/communal creature in which no one is the alpha or leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willotree Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I have 2 Grey's and one amazon. All are allowed on my shoulder at any time but only as long as they behave! If one tries anything, I spin very fast around, (a trained dancer) and off they go flying. oh yes have to have my husband try that,willo so loves to fly to his shoulder and go for his ear! she's gently but still it's a big no no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Misty is a shoulder bird and I like to have him there.But at one time if I was preparing a snack he could sometimes nip my ear to attract my attention as he wanted a nibble of my food. (Of course being a Grey he regards my food as his food.) and that would lead to a spell behind bars until he showed contrition "Be good boy. No biting ....CanIcomeout?" It never took long for him to get that he has annoyed me. These days he has clearly learned his boundaries but he will still occasionally give a beak nudge to remind me he is there and I just say "OK be good". However I won't risk letting him on anyone else's shoulder. I cannot be sure he would respect someone else enough not to try a nip. Steve n Misty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 My three, one TAG, one CAG and a ZON, all are shoulder sitters. My TAG destroyed my gold chain necklace when I first got her and was then not allowed on my shoulder. That behavior has stopped and she is a very good shoulder sitter now. Not one nibble. My CAG has always been a good shoulder sitter, but he is what I call a "gentle giant". Now my ZON is a re-home and he is an ear nibbler and hair preener. He loves it! So it has taken awhile to get him to leave my ears alone, but we are getting there. He does not bite hard now just a nibble. There are times I have a grey on each shoulder and a zon on my upper back. My TAG owns my left shoulder and my CAG my right. My TAG is the leader of my fids. She is quite aggressive and not-afraid of anything. I don't believe shoulder sitting causes any dominance issues. To me it just brings closeness to the four of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikachu Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I have a cockatiel, who I trust to sit on my shoulder. My CAG I do not. Although still a baby, her personality is one that tells me that she would use it to her advantage. She is not one that I'd let get the upper hand. That being said, she tries every day. I tell her no shoulder, but she tries & tries. Being on the shoulder, they are at eye level and you can't see their body language. My cockatiel has only gotten me twice, and that hurt enough. I can't ever imagine getting bit by a grey. My big question is: those who allow shoulder-sitters, how do you deal with the poop down your back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 My big question is: those who allow shoulder-sitters, how do you deal with the poop down your back? I wear old t-shirts at home so when, and I do say when not if, they poop on me I can change it, also my conure is a shirt chewer so I never wear anything I don't want tore up when she is on me. I am not freaked out by the sight of poop on my shirt like many non bird owners would be so it doesn't bother me when hubby says I have bird poop on my back. You can make or buy some of those shoulder protectors to put over your shoulders but they would have to be washed also so I just use old t-shirts. My tiel does not bite, she has pecked at me or if my hubby puts her up to his nose she will peck it but she doesn't bite at all, can't imagine it would hurt very much if she did but my conure can get in quite a pinch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Shoulder sitting and wing clipping are two subjects that act like a fence. You are on one side or the other. All my fids, 2 Cockatiels, A Congo African Grey, and a Blue afronted Amazon are all full flighted and shouldes sitters and I would not have it any other way. We do have rules and we have a respect for each other when it comes to shoulder sitting. Shoulder sitting is something that is between you and your fid and you both have to respect each other. When I got my amazon I never thought she would be a shoulder bird because of her past, but our bond changed all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 As for dealing with poop down my back. My birds rarely poop while on me, they prefer to get off, go to the edge of the counter or couch and squat over the edge. Occasionally my amazon will go on my shoulder, but as the others have said, Who cares? It means nothing when you are a bird owner...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 My three don't poop while on my shoulder. Although Ana Grey is an air conditioning expert and loves to make sure that my shirt shoulder is well ventilated. I just make sure that I wear old shirts and T-shirts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Poop down your back is a part of parrothood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikachu Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Since I don't allow mine to sit on my shoulder, idk if she'd poop. But, I'm guessing she would since she poops all the time. She is a chewer, so I think that I wouldn't have any material left on my shirt if I allowed her up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 I can't say I ever entered a battle with Sophie, who was more dominate, who ruled.. I just knew, she wanted my earrings, and was determined to get them! I started wrist status only, based on her behavior! ( I had no idea, this was a topic to be discussed!) I removed all my earrings, and decided she couln't sit on my shoulder, until she understood she could not attack my ears. It was a serious pain in the ---! When I learned furthur, it made complete sense. I started teaching her " wrist status only". It worked! TOTAL pain.... but I now reap the benefits. Sophie ten years later, sits on my shoulder 10o% I haven't been bit since she was three. Now on the other side, people get bit, we don't. BUT.... she feels like she is such a part of our family, I worry sometimes, we will fail. When I drove Ryan to the airport today after being home for a week, I asked him if he had fun, and spent enough time with Sophie. He responded... " I had a GREAT time with Sophie." Even if I didn't want to spend time with Sophie, it is not an option! LOL( he's right!) Life is about Sophie. She makes sure of that. We love it! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieB Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 Wonderful, thank you everyone, that is what I jot down from the book "Guide to parrot behavior" My CAG also like nibbling my ears, but not anymore, I just shook my head and said "no biting" for a few times, and somehow, she stops nibbling my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 You have to do what is right for you and your bird, no birds on shoulders at my house as we have an Umbie Too and an Elanora among the Greys . A large cockatoo can inflick too much damge too quickly to avoid. The highest bird in the flock is usually looking out for danger, guard duty as it were not being the king. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanlung Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Is this truth? One of the best ways to keep your bird well behaved is to keep him off your shoulder. This prevents your bird from considering you as an equal, which he would do if he could see eye to eye with you. Birds who are allowed to sit on their owners’ shoulders often try to dominate their owners, which can result in the birds biting their owners regularly, as well as being difficult to handle. Thanks Why the myth of Domination kept going on repeating and repeating and repeating again and again and again. As if to give the lie that if humans do not dominate the parrot, the parrot will therefore dominate the humans? That we should feel so hapless and insecure that we even need to be worried about being dominated? That if that lie is not enshrined in stone, that lie must be innuendoed to be the truth? Is it a crime and a sin to accept each other as the equal that we are? Or is it a peculiar streak that the bigger is the mightier and therefore the mightier have the right and obligation to dominate everything smaller and weaker? And if not on my shoulder How about flying high above over my head? Would that meant Riam would then dominate me like crazy as she was so high and I so low below and chomping my head off the moment she landed, and landed on my shoulder (where else) ? Try to find the time to read this. And perhaps you might have a far more magical time with your birdie. And perhaps you might be bitten a lot less than whats happening to you. And perhaps your desire to think of domination of one kind or the other might even go away entirely. Understanding the mind of your grey and any other birdie http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2187.html And perhaps on top of all that, your birdie might even allow you to put him/her on the shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I agree with Shanlung. The subject of height domination has been going on for years to the point that it becomes splintered. I let 2 of my 3 greys on my shoulder. They are extremely comfortable and really don't wanna get off. It gets to the point where I even forget that they're on my shoulders because they're so still and quiet. Sometimes the y take a nap. Now on to my third grey--he loves going on my shoulder for a totally different reason. He's completely fascinated with nibbling jewelry, ear lobes, cheeks, shirt collars, pulling nape hair. He's been this way from when he was 6 mts old. He's 14 yrs old now. Is he doing this because he knows he's in a dominate area? I seriously doubt that and the reason I say that is because he's in many other higher areas ( all of them are) and never shows any dominant or aggressive signs. What about the bird who's high up on the top of the cage? What about the bird who's on a high shelf? The bird does need to be retrieved, right?? I'm giving him a treat which is me, my skin, my clothes, my jewelry, my hair so I have a very simple solution. I don't let him have that treat. I don't allow myself to be a treat. I just don't allow him on my shoulder. Very, very simple solution. He gets many other treats which don't involve me and my belongings. He means no harm because I can retrieve any of them from anywhere they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblivion Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Shoulder sitting and wing clipping are two subjects that act like a fence. You are on one side or the other. Some of us sit quite comfortably on fences. My 'tiel is a shoulder bird - the most damage she does is when she squawks RIGHT IN MY EAR. As if my tinnitus wasn't bad enough. Spencer (TAG) isn't even a hand bird, but that's his choice, not mine. If he wanted on my shoulder, he'd have to earn it. I used to have a budgie that there is NO WAY ON EARTH I would allow on my shoulder. She was a terror. It really is a person-by-person, bird-by-bird thing. As for poop, I'll throw a hand-towel over my shoulder if I think of it. If not, oh well. I have a daughter. She's subjected me to far more disgusting things than any bird could do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abieisert Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 As for poop, I'll throw a hand-towel over my shoulder if I think of it. If not, oh well. I have a daughter. She's subjected me to far more disgusting things than any bird could do. That had me laughing. We have 2 boys. Oh how I KNOW how you feel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oblivion Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Heh. And then don't get me started on the two dogs . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abieisert Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Heh. And then don't get me started on the two dogs . . . Holy cow! I know....I KNOW! One of my two never outgrew his "puppy" phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Some of us sit quite comfortably on fences. My 'tiel is a shoulder bird - the most damage she does is when she squawks RIGHT IN MY EAR. As if my tinnitus wasn't bad enough. Spencer (TAG) isn't even a hand bird, but that's his choice, not mine. If he wanted on my shoulder, he'd have to earn it. I used to have a budgie that there is NO WAY ON EARTH I would allow on my shoulder. She was a terror. It really is a person-by-person, bird-by-bird thing. As for poop, I'll throw a hand-towel over my shoulder if I think of it. If not, oh well. I have a daughter. She's subjected me to far more disgusting things than any bird could do. *****It really is a person-by-person, bird-by-bird thing.***** I totally agree 1000 %. Too much scientific material ( blah) and definitely not enough common sense material concerning domination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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