Bhristopher Caldwin Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I've had my parrot for 17 years. Well, scratch that, I've lived with a parrot for 17 years. We got him when I was a child and I used to be a little brat to him.. I've recently started really trying to train him, as well, no one ever has, and he's finally started to stop biting. I was wondering how long I should wait to try having him on my shoulder, how to react if he bites while there, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Congratulations for trying to open up the relationship with him-he deserves it. Do you have him on your own or are u in a family with him? Regardless, you are his world and he needs relationships. I would certainly not seek shoulder sitting as a goal. The goal is trust and love. Sit with him, talk with him, offer him treats. Give him toys to play with. Don't rush anything. If he bites, just ignore it. Read his body language(there are many posts here on grey body language) so you can avoid the bite. Mentally picture him as your friend and just try to put his needs first. This little guy has spent years on the sidelines and it wont be a quick fix, but time, patience, and love will drive you in the right direction. Dedicate yourself to this little life. Don't be discouraged if you dont see progress quickly. Greys are so intelligent and sensitive and they need tender care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Jeff gave good advice. Slow as you go. It would be great to hear more about him, since you have been with him for 17 years, you would have a good idea of what he likes/dislikes and how he interacts on a personal level with your family. Has he ever been on other family members shoulders? Has he been mainly confined to his cage all this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhristopher Caldwin Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Chicken has had an on and off again relationship with everyone, except me. I hated this bird, mainly because I didn't understand him for most of his life. No one trained him, he learned that biting is a way to make hands go away and was generally a nuisance because he was lonely. I've been training him for two weeks, he even sleeps in my room now. He no longer bites when I ask him to step up, he's quiet in the morning. I think he's happy to spend so much time around me. I'm having difficulty getting him to be okay with touch though. If a hand is anywhere else but his his feet he becomes nervous and starts biting his nails. I try to introduce him to new things every day. Sometimes He'll let me scratch his head when he's in his cage, which is a start but it's rare, and he wont climb into my hand as I do it. What do you suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Many greys just don't like to be touched, cuddles or scratched. I have 3 parrots, one that I have had since 8 weeks, she never likes to cuddle or be touched. The other 2 love it. So you never know...they all have different personalities, likes and dislikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Since Chicken is around 17 years or older then he is set in his ways and more than likely he won't allow any more touching than he does not, most greys do not like a lot of hands on interaction, some head scratches and neck scritches are about it for touching, some will cuddle some when babies but when they are adults they get more independent. You have done good to maintain a relationship with him but you may just have to accept him as he is and since he can be a biter I wouldn't recommend you have him on your shoulder, when there you can't see him as well and may not be able to stop him from biting you in the face, since he has not been on your shoulder so far why not just let it be as it is now. Hands seem to make greys nervous at least a lot of them so don't force him to accept them if he shows he is uncomfortable with it, you could lose trust and you do not want that. We would love to see some pictures of Chicken if you have some you would share with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhristopher Caldwin Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Since Chicken is around 17 years or older then he is set in his ways and more than likely he won't allow any more touching than he does not, most greys do not like a lot of hands on interaction, some head scratches and neck scritches are about it for touching, some will cuddle some when babies but when they are adults they get more independent. You have done good to maintain a relationship with him but you may just have to accept him as he is and since he can be a biter I wouldn't recommend you have him on your shoulder, when there you can't see him as well and may not be able to stop him from biting you in the face, since he has not been on your shoulder so far why not just let it be as it is now. Hands seem to make greys nervous at least a lot of them so don't force him to accept them if he shows he is uncomfortable with it, you could lose trust and you do not want that. We would love to see some pictures of Chicken if you have some you would share with us. Hey Judy, Thanks for the reply. I guess i've been pushing him a little hard, but I'll back off and accept him for who he is. I got the training dvd from the people at bird tricks and he's learned a few neat ones so far. As for pictures, I only have a few on this drive but i've put them up on my smugmug. Yeah, there are annoying watermarks, sorry, I forgot to turn that off when I published them. The one's where he's outside since i'm sure someone will ask: He has trimmed wings, so he cant fly. He was safe. The one picture where he looks startled is actually a funny story, which is why I decided to upload it. We just got home from the vet and I took him outside for the first time in about 10 years, I put him on the ground and stayed near him and something awesome happened, he started foraging! I spread wild bird seed on the ground for the other birds and chicken walked around, clawed at the ground, found some and ate it. So we went over to the fence so I could take some pictures of him and we encountered the most deadly predator imaginable. A butterfly. I didn't sit there laughing at him, in case your wondering. I picked my little phobic buddy up, reassured him and walked him inside. Pictures Lightswitch Trick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Damn those evil butterflies!!! Great work on your part!!! You are enriching his life so much after so long in that cage. Congrats to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thanks for sharing those pictures of Chicken, he is so cute and yes they can be scared of the silliest things sometimes, imagine a butterfly being scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Everyone is different, what their expectations are. My rescue, went from biting everyone's jugular, to " this behavior is NOT allowed!" It worked! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Patience Grasshopper! Little nips of exploration are not so bad, but the weirdest things can freak out a grey and make it bite HARD. (Okay, not like a macaw, but OW!). Ellie, who trusts me a lot, has bitten me in the ear when I reached overhead to take something out of a cabinet. It would take a kung fu master to not react dramatically to being bit on the ear or lip. You're startled and react physically, Chicken freaks out and you both go backwards in the trust-building... Since you are only recently getting past the biting on other contact, I'd be very hesitant to allow Chicken on your shoulder. Don't rush it. You've taken 17 years of non-trusting and started to turn it around. Don't take any backward steps by trying to rush it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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