Bonding Idea?

[lisachristine]

I just wanted to share my experience with those of you who have a long distance relationship with your grey. I've been working with Rosie for 2 years now and so far our progress has been slow, but steady. One idea I wanted to share (that TOTALLY has work for me) is to try bonding late at night with all lights out except a small night light. While sitting in a chair next to where Rosie likes to perch, we play a game that I created called "tickle tickle". With the lights out, I grab a small pinch of hair and gently tickle her beak and chest as I say "tickle tickle" in a soft voice. This has allowed her to explore part of my body without my hands being bit . She enjoys playing with my hair which has led her to be more curious about the rest of my body. Last night she wanted to explore my face, so I took a chance and pressed my face agaist the bars, of course praying that she wouldn't take my nose off. She slowly and softly beaked all around my forehead and eyebrows. Can't wait to see what tonight brings!

Edited December 22, 2012 by lisachristine

[MiracleAces]

I love these kind of success stories. It's scary to take those leaps like you did pressing against the cage like that. But the rewards can be so amazing.

 

I remember the first time I gave Luna a peck on the beak. It took lots of courage and a willingness to get bitten should that have happened. Now only a couple weeks later she rubs her beak and head under my chin and I massage her beak for her all day long.

 

I hope you many more experiences/ stories like this with you and Rosie. I'm glad Rosie has someone as patient as you to work with her.

[JeffNOK]

Sounds like a good idea. My hair is too short for that. Maybe I'll grow a long long beard for winter and try that.

[Jayd]

A bonding technique that has been around for many years is to take the parrot into a darkened bed room sit on the bed placing the fid near you, then just spending time together letting the bird explore you. When spending bonding time, the cage door should always be open, not "through the bars", to much between the bars can lead to the only way anything will happen is through the bars. Do the same thing your doing but with the door open at your birds pace.....

[lisachristine]

Jeff, before I used this method I would put the crown of my head to the bars. You can try this to let your bird explore how you feel, taste, and smell. If they try to bite your scalp it is too tight to bite (or mine is anyway). They may try to bite it at first only because their instincts are telling them to, however after they see that it's not a threat their curiosity will get the better of them. Thanks Jayd, after a few rounds of tickle, I open the door and sit on the ground beneath her. If she hasent had enough of me at this point, she will come to the edge of the door for us to play peek a boo. She will swing her head from inside to cage to outside every time I say "peek a Boo". Last week she acutally put a foot on my shoulder!

[Jayd]

To many Greys, the cage is a scared place, to some, they become very territorial. Before bonding, you need to build trust, this is basically done by getting your parrot used to what they'll be around on a daily basis. The general way of doing this is by leaving the cage door ope, sitting in a chair with out attempting to use touch, always waiting for the Grey to make the first move, all members of the family does this. A Grey will choose who they bond with and when. If you present a fore head or large toe or some other part of you body that your Grey will have very little contact with is defeating the whole purpose of touch. To present your forehead with the intent of saying "if your going to bite me, it's okay to bite me hear" your also training your Grey that your forehead will always be " first point of contact".

A positive approach to trust training would be that after sitting by the open cage door talking, reading to your baby you take a treat and place it just inside the cage, let them come to it giving verbal praise, keep this up. On another visit, place your hand and rest i in the cage, read or sing until the day happens that your hand is approached. then go from there. Do not use false means to build trust and bonding, it will bite you in the rear every time. Always treat your Grey with respect. All things take time, especially with living with a Grey..

Since Rosie is a re-home, she pretty much knows what the routine is, what you need to do is find out what parts of the routine is liked and disliked..you need to make more positive actions, right now, Rosies content with whats happening, you need to go to the next level.....

Edited December 23, 2012 by Jayd

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Asolutely gowd\[

[lisachristine]

Thank you again for the information and the concern. I'm not sure if I completely agree with you, but that's why we're here right?? I think every Grey is different and I think I'm pretty intuitive with her and her body laugage, otherwise I don't think we would have made it this far. I know that there are a LOT of rehab CAGs out there and there are many different methods, but I think with her temperment the slower I go the better. We have years to come right? In her previous homes they forced her to interact by toweling and grabbing feet. Right now I know that she is showing an interest in me and that is GREAT!! My long term goals are not to have her as a parrot that I am able to handle and carry around, but to be trusting with me and confident in herself. Thanks again, and I will keep what you said in the back of my mind as I continue to rehab. I'm sure you have WAY more experience than me and I respect that. Either way, I am SOOO in love!

[lisachristine]

I just noticed tonight, before I got on the forum, that the bold spot on her chest from plucking is completely gone!! Please tell me I'm doing something right??

[Jayd]

I just noticed tonight, before I got on the forum, that the bold spot on her chest from plucking is completely gone!! Please tell me I'm doing something right??

There's no question about the fact your doing good.

I reread your posts and threads and whats going on is a little clearer, Let me explain....

 

[some clarifications: Toweling is a accepted means of handling a parrot, I don't do it or advise it unless it's the only way to prevent harm.]

 

With Rosie being over 4 yr's old, she's entering her Mature stage, from this point on a grey slows down [in general] kind of kicks back and enjoy themselves and the life they've carved out for them. Rosie is a very sly and intelligent Grey, she knows what she wants and how to get it, she manipulates to get what she wanted and knows how much she has to give to get it. Shes one self sufficient bird. You are doing everything she wants you to do and she's giving back no more than she knows she has to. Greys are different from each other, to a point, a lot of research has been put into the psychology of a Grey, a lot of things are general facts as I've written.

Your Rosie doesn't need rehab, she needs re-training before she becomes to set in her ways. As things stand right now you'll find there will be things that won't be changed, From this age forward it becomes harder to not only train, but to break bad habits. You need to be more challenging with her, offer to her your finger not to the cage. Use your finger/hand not your shoulder/ head. Sometimes we forget just how advanced the thinking process is, Rosie has you figured out, she can sense your fear of being bitten. I'm going to stop here, everything I've stated in my posts can be verified on the net, Rehabbing, rescuing and re-homing has been my life's work. Thank you Jayd

Edited December 23, 2012 by Jayd

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

lisachristine... you are doing everything right. I tried to post earlier this week, but birds had a " field day" with my keyboard, kids got me a new one! yAHOO!

[Mickeys Mom]

I love these cuddly stories. Mickey is two now and since I got him at a very young age, I take him from his cage witch is open most of the time. I place him on my shoulder and sit on the bed with the notebook doing my work. He will then also nibble at my face, hair, ears and nose and sometimes make those baby noises wilst trying to kiss me. This works well for me because he and I are bonding wilst im working - lol, and when he is tired he pull up one leg, puffs up and sits sleeping on my shoulder untill I say ok boy nite nite and then put him in his cage for sleeping time. Sometimes he just wants to be impossible and pretends to want to play - then the struggle starts to get him to go into his cage, but he knows when im serious and when he can push the envelope just a little. They are so clever.