Isaac My Baby

[Elvenking]

Well, I was feeling particularly loving toward my bird and wanted to come share. He is really an amazing little character. He hears and sees me calling my daughter by her pet name 'growl'. It kind of goes "Grroowwwooll" kind of a play on the word 'girl'. Anyway, he picked this up and it was cute enough. The other day I am in my bed and he is trotting around on my pillow and the window sill. All of a sudden he is looking out the window saying "Growl...growl!". I was like, humm...that's funny I haven't heard him say that for a while and my daughter was not home. I peek out the window, and there is another little girl on the side walk playing with her dad. I was amazed, he knows what a growl is and calls it out when he sees one. He does a similar thing when he sees me drink. He will make the sound of me swallowing. It is amazing to see them communicate an association.

 

I am constantly amazed at Isaac's capacity to share affection as well. He tolerates my attention for him in the form of tons of kisses on his back, pets, neck feather ruffling and scratching, kisses on the side of his beak. He is incredibly sweet! He will tuck his head into my neck and rub his head upwards toward my cheek. I really have to get some video of him being such a sweetie.

 

He sure knows how to make a statement though. He has recently taken to plastic water bottles being one of the funnest toys in the world. He will carefully stand up a bottle, step back, jump up, and attack the bottle with his feet first flapping his wings. Then he will repeat. He will grab the bottle by the cap and fly with it. I have seen him get into some funny situations trying to land with it...LOL. I have also had to learn that I really have to be careful when grabbing any water bottle now...he thinks the game is on and he will bite me to get me to drop the bottle. This seems to be the case with a lot of things I pick up these days. With the water bottle, if I am drinking from one, I have to be really careful as Isaac can get on the defensive side for some reason. He will go up to my hand and try to pry my fingers away with an increasingly hard bite that can sometimes render blood.

 

So to that I offer up a question. Why is Isaac compelled to hurt me when he sees me with what he considers to be a toy? Why is the most loving, non-biting bird compelled to get feisty when it comes to things like that? I have to believe that he doesn't think he is hurting me that bad, or he is just so frustrated that he doesn't know what else to do. I try to talk to him and show him that I am hurting as a result. Any insight is always helpful. I can mitigate the issue by being a ninja when i am drinking a water bottle, or just keeping an eye on where he is when i take a drink. But he gets possessive it would seem. What would you do if your bird behaved that way?

Edited May 4, 2012 by Elvenking

[snoepgoed123]

when Archimedes starts getting toy aggressive, i'll quickly take the toy away and tell him play nice, then after he calms down I'll give the toy back. I'll give him 3 strikes to modify his behavior and after 3 strikes, I tell him that he's not playing nice and he has to go to his cage. Usually when he gets bitey it's generally because it's around his nap time or he's been out for a while

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Issac is NOT happy, you are playing with his toy! Which of course, he is right. He has associated water bottle, as his toy. Unfortunately, as this is now his toy, it would be easier for you to pour your water into a glass, so he can continue to associate water bottle as his toy. I know this will be a major concession on your part. We pick our battles! Some battles are bigger than others. This, is a big one! You need to decide if you will give in, or not. Nancy

[Elvenking]

Yeah he is possessive with the bottles...he also tries to get my hands when I am using remote controls. But I think he is just upset because those things I never let him touch. Actually, I like that he has found something he likes to play with. And I can just pour my drink. Maybe he doesn't like bottles because he can't share my drink when I have it that way too. Because he was miffed about the bottles before they became a toy I think. Another thing that may bother him. He is such a child. LOL.

[danmcq]

LOL Stephen! Dayo is the same way with toys we have played with over the years together. He gets so excited playing with a ball, bottle, wiffle ball etc. that he will fly at and attack my hand holding it or if I throw it he will follow in flight and swoop down and pick it up like a hawk, then take it to a counter or back to the floor and give it a good thrashing. It amazes me how similar Isaac and Dayo are in many things. BIG FUN!!!!

 

I believe it is as Nancy says, we have given them the door to do this and we can stop or take it away. Dayo does know, if I pick something up and block his playful but intended attack/playing the game he just has to wait until I throw it or drop it. I must say though, sometimes it pisses him off so much that he will fly directly at my face, however I am aware that it is coming when he does that and just block him and he swerves and sometimes tries to then swoop around to the back of my neck to give me a good pinch. Most the time I am fast enough to just duck and he fly's over my head.

[Elvenking]

I must say though, sometimes it pisses him off so much that he will fly directly at my face, however I am aware that it is coming when he does that and just block him and he swerves and sometimes tries to then swoop around to the back of my neck to give me a good pinch. Most the time I am fast enough to just duck and he fly's over my head.

 

LMAO....man that is so funny cause it's Isaac to a 'T'.He just thinks it's fun but he gets scared when he sees that it hurts. Right now he is letting me rub his chin and his neck, but the bugger will go after a bottle with some vigor! I love to empty a water bottle and watchin him have tons of fun with it. Like you say...wings flapping and threashing with it. I love it....it's a floor show for sure. But if I am holding it...he's goin after my fingers. LOL. I have never had a neck bite. But....he used to nip my ears...he has since learned not to do that.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Elvenking

[judygram]

When he gets into playing with a bottle and you are trying to take it away and he bites you hard enough to bring blood, I don't think he realizes he is hurting you in the process, he is just trying to get his toy back and that excites him and we all know what happens when they get really excited. I know Issac loves you to pieces but when he gets excited about his toys or in this case the water bottle then like Nancy puts it, you must pick your battle, do you win or does Issac win, let us know who comes out on top.

[katana600]

I don't have advice since this is beyond my experience. I do love that you have spirited, flighted greys and they let you know what they want are such a child when they don't get it right now. LOL. Dan, I will never get too tired to laugh at the imagination of Dayo sneaking in for a neck pinch, the little toot. A water bottle is a pretty darn good enemy for Isaac to get into a dither with every now and then. He may be just getting excited about the game, and he may be getting impatient with the expectation that you will finish your water bottle and give him a good play session. It does me good in heart and soul to think of the greys out there who are playing and getting exuberant. I know that the grass is always greener in the other grey's cage, but I really enjoy having my mind on other things right now and your post made me laugh. Thanks.

[chezron]

i do think some of the aggression is hormonal. Brutus was a little turd for a couple of months and now seems to be coming out of it. I mean they are wild animals and their actions don't always make sense, but I don't take it personally when Brutus bonks me on the back of the head and laughs. I have gotten very good at ducking at the best time. I just really love his zest for life. A few times while I was petting him in my lap and went to use the remote he flew at it unexpectedly. These sorts of behaviors seem to happen in the spring. Sometimes he seems momentarily possessed and held hostage by testosterone. I don't even recognize him for a few minutes. Even still, i try to redirect or ignore, so as not to add fuel to the fire. Basically I believe he loves me deeply and truly and never means to hurt me in any way. The vast majority of the time he is an angel.

[Guest XxExoticPsychExX]

Solomon is exactly the same way minus the flying. I've been trying to curb his aggressiveness though since he's not always like that. Most of the time he'll play nice, but when he gets possessive, watch out! Lol

[Elvenking]

i do think some of the aggression is hormonal. Brutus was a little turd for a couple of months and now seems to be coming out of it. I mean they are wild animals and their actions don't always make sense, but I don't take it personally when Brutus bonks me on the back of the head and laughs. I have gotten very good at ducking at the best time. I just really love his zest for life. A few times while I was petting him in my lap and went to use the remote he flew at it unexpectedly. These sorts of behaviors seem to happen in the spring. Sometimes he seems momentarily possessed and held hostage by testosterone. I don't even recognize him for a few minutes. Even still, i try to redirect or ignore, so as not to add fuel to the fire. Basically I believe he loves me deeply and truly and never means to hurt me in any way. The vast majority of the time he is an angel.

 

I am the same way. I couldn't possibly believe that Isaac had any personal mission to hurt me when he does this. I think he just gets excited at the prospect of making me drop that bottle that he just goes for it and then kind of gets freaked out if he sees that it hurts. It's like you say, they get it in them and not even they know how far they are taking it. He stops when he knows and I can see that he is a bit sorry when he lands and looks back after I have yelped.

 

He is so otherwise gentle. I always get the little gentle beak grab around my finger that is so sweet when he is just looking to let me know that he wants something or if he wants the fingers away for now.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Remember all... they truly don't mean harm, but unless you tell them, they don't know any better. If they bite hard, gently grab the beak, say " NO!" Move onto something else. If Sophie was biting me consistently, she went into " timeout", for five minutes, during the terrible two's.

No bite, is acceptable past approx 12-16 months. They are old enough to learn. I am not an expert, but I know I have two birds that never bite. ( sunny occasionally will!) Nancy