JeffNOK Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 My CAG Gracie is just 16 months old, but she is beginning to start some terrible two tendencies. The other day she ate her normal meal of veggies, pasta, rice, and beans. After a few minutes she started to call out "Gracie wants veggies. Gracie wants cheese". She wouldn't stop. She only says this when she wants food, so I figured she was still hungry. I prepared her another half bowl full and presented it to her on her travel cage where she eats. She immediately grabbed the rim of the bowl and flung it on the floor and pronounced with glee "Gracie is a stinker! Gracie is a stinker." (I call her a "stinker" when she does something naughty.) I was not amused. Then a day later she called to me, "Gracie want a kiss. Gracie want a kiss." We have this routine where she asks for a kiss and I touch my nose to her beak and make a kissing noise and she says "Thank you baby". Well she kept calling, "Gracie want a kiss, Gracie want a kiss". So I went to her, and as I was moving in to touch her beak with my nose--she NIPPED ME and ran off! Then said "Gracie is a stinker. Gracie is a stinker!" Now the food bowl is one thing, but biting/nipping is another. It drew a bit of blood. I was very stern with my tone and "eye of death" as I told her "no bite". On the one hand, I find her sense of humor sort of fascinating, but I can't allow her to dump food or bite. I'm not sure I should even put my face near her now (although I have done it since and she has been sweet. She wont allow hands, so my nose is the only physical contact I get!) As for the food bowl, I get it away from her before she can dump it. I fear many of you will advise me to quit the kissing thing altogether just like the issue with "shoulder safe versus non shoulder safe". I will just miss those moments of touch since that is all she has allowed. Anyway, just venting. She is normally very sweet, but I don't want to reinforce this kind of behavior. As she gets older, the behavior might get worse if I don't nip it in the bud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLB Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Why do our sweet babies have to grow up and go through the "stinker" stage! So sorry Jeff. I understand how you must feel, my Lola is a hands off kind of girl and I too wait for the day that kisses may be off limits. What is it they say...this too shall pass?? Hoping for you it passes quickly, although it is funny that she has such a great sense of humor. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Gracie's attitude is certainly not following her name. She has a little sarcastic attitude going on right now. Hopefully, this too will pass. Be strong and patient Jeff, she is just trying to find her place in things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingy Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Only time will tell if Gracie got your message of no bite and is willing to go along. There is no harm in giving her a gentle reminder about being nice before you offer your nose for a nuzzle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Jeff, gracie is starting to experiment with her knowledge of language, rules, games etc. She developing her own personality and also testing all things she knows for limits, good, bad and fun reactions. This is not unusual at all at 16 months old. She is having fun and developing a fun and funny personality in my opinion. Just view ta as a human child going crazy with the nee found ability of realizing they actually can control to some extent their own world. The problem is, they do not know what the limits are yet. Thats where it becomes both a joy and a major pain in the butt. I actually laughed through this. It is such a normal thing to happen and you nor gracie are really doing anything wrong. Just stay calm is the most important thing I can say to do. I learned the hard way by freaking ot at first and believe me, that just magnified the behavior 10 fold. Once I calmed down and gave a mild mannered response or no response things slowly were understood over a loooong time with patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 The eye of death is effective. Follow it, and a stern "No bite", with turning your back on her for a minute and ignoring her. Sorrow, I really laughed at how appropriate her words were in each situation. We all say we want our fids to be smart. Well, be careful what you wish for ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 I have to admit, I thought you were telling a funny story and was laughing right up until the drawing of blood. She is getting willful. I was delighted at how much she is talking to you now. For the food tossing, our breeder gave me some heavy ceramic bowls, I think they were cat food bowls actually and I was just thinking I may have to go digging them out of storage since Gilbert has started removing his food dishes and giving them a toss. I do know this trying stage will pass and hope Gracie doesn't stop wanting sweet kisses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 goodness lol so much to look forward to.... I spose? I love the Gracie is a stinker! I do hope the stage passes by quickly for you and completely passes me by totally LOL :confused: but least I can be prepared and know what is going to come up and how to appropriately address it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Some great advice given, don't feed the drama (it can be addictive) do remain calm, don't take it personally and do practice rewarding the positive behaviors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 It should all work out as so long as you keep your sense of humor while Gracie is developing her's. Biting is a no-no. But this sounds more like a bad prank. So take it for how it was meant & maybe you can deal w/her like you would w/a little kid in the same situation? Just expect it to take some repetition before she gets what jokes are funny. I find pouting & sulking work really well in these types of situations. Even Phenix tries to make up after he's laid an egg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Gracie is a smart girl. Noone is telling you to stop kisses! They are important. Terrible two's are knocking at your door. You need to figure out how you are going to respond. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelseaB Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Your post really brought back memories! Biscotti started his terrible two's at about the age Gracie is. It was really a rude awakening for me, Biscotti had always been a sweet cuddle bug--until then. He is now 3 1/2 & most of the "terrible", lol, stuff has past but he is no longer a cuddler & minimal scritches is all the actual contact he cares for. Since Gracie has never been a cuddle bird, she is probably going to try & show her independence in other ways. Biscotti can still be a total turd at times, such is the nature of greys, & he definitely has a sense of humor like you are describing with Gracie! Before he does something he knows he shouldn't he says "that's a bad bird" in this real calm voice, then he goes ahead & does it. and usually laughs! Aren't they the most wonderful, exasperating creatures you have ever know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 lol i love that the most wonderful exasperating creatures !!! thats funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 (edited) Over the last few days since I posted, Gracie has started to say "Sorry, no bite" "Gracie want a kiss!". I have been able to kiss her without incident, although once she started to open her beak a bit and I said "No bite". She stopped. The "Sorry" is so weird. I probably say it to her very occassionally if I bump her cage or her perch or drop something and make a loud noise. It is not a daily thing by any means. I can understand the "no bite" because I meant for it to leave an impression, but for her to put together the "Sorry" + "No Bite" + "Gracie want a kiss"==I'm just very surprised. I wish I could get some of this on video, but when the camera comes out, she goes mute and looks at me like "you gotta be kidding". Edited December 7, 2012 by JeffNOK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 (edited) I wish I could get some of this on video, but when the camera comes out, she goes mute and looks at me like "you gotta be kidding". Too bad. But unfortunately that seems to be gene encoded on many greys. You may be about to embark on a whole self-awareness trip. Phenix' maybe 3rd word was "What". Right out of the box, he used it anywhere it was appropriate. Tonal inflections & all. Sometimes he even used the body language; cocking his head or glaring over one shoulder. I couldn't help but encourage it because it kind of blew me away. He caught me so off guard so many times. But I think it was after the episode where he had his vet in tears laughing that it became a permanent part of his repertoire. I never thought I said it enough for him to pick it up the way he did. And I really don't use it all that often. It was just something that caught his attention. Once he found out it got everyone else's attention, he just ran w/it. It was one of the first things to really teach me how closely they observe everything & how incredible it is to see how they process it. Edited December 7, 2012 by birdhouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 EXCELLENT! She is starting to understand, biting is not a good thing for you.A very important moment for you and Gracie. Make a big deal of it with her.Be careful that she doesn't confuse kisses with bites. True progress JeffNOK. Once Sophie told me "NO BITE"... she meant it. Never got bit again Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Kins: I hope you are right. I've never been nervous around Gracie or feared a bite--but when the face is involved it gets dicey. I believe she was just playing, and hopefully she understands now that biting is not play. Fingers crossed she has gotten the message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 You need to focus on her new understanding. Praise, reward, return to cage when her behavior is not appropriate. It was alot of work for all of us, to get our birds to understand that if they wanted to be on our shoulder, they couldn't bite. It worked for all of them. They all go to all of us, on our shoulders. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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