Do CAGs wake up 'on the wrong side of the bed' like we do?

[Carolina]

My 6mo CAG, Dali is having a little attitude today. He seems to be in a bad mood and is biting but not hard...but you can tell he has an attitude..quite frankly, he's being a little jerk LOL...does this happen often? And what should I do? He was on his stand and was just throwing his food out of the dish and when I told him "no" he gave me the death stare and then did it again and stared at me to see what I would do!...I didn't want to back down so I told him to 'no, don't do that' and the asked him to step up...he put his head down for a scratch...again I said "no, I want you to step up" and he went to bite but I didn't back down...I gently grabbed his beak (he enjoys beak massages) and asked him to step up in a very serious voice...he finally complied...now he's just relaxing and being his cute self again....he did the same thing this morning in his cage and then his small stand to both my hubby and me but we didn't back off...we acted like we weren't scared of getting bit and got him to step up...did I do the correct thing? I know we shouldn't force greys to do things but I don't want him to learn that being aggressive gets him what he wants. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[JeffNOK]

My CAG Gracie went through a phase from about 6-8 months where she tested boundaries. It sounds very similar to what you are experiencing with Dali. She does still have her moods, but they occur less often. She is now a year and a half. One thing I would suggest is that you choose your battles. Tossing food out of the dish is a losing battle. Greys throw food. I think this is a natural behavior. If the food mess is a problem, I recommend that you restrict feeding to inside the cage or put newspaper down on the floor around his playstand. I would try to focus on the non-negotiables to enforce and let Dali have freedom in other aspects of his life. In my case--I more or less let Gracie do what she wants as long as it is safe for her. I enforce the step up only when I need to put her in her cage when I leave for work and bedtime or when we travel somewhere. I also enforce the step up when she flies somewhere dangerous for her or when she lands on something she wants to destroy, and I would rather she didn't. Those are my non-negotiables. Think about what yours are and focus there. I think Dali will start to chill when he knows the rules and also feels free to make choices within the boundaries you set for him.

Edited January 21, 2013 by JeffNOK

[Wingy]

Can they wake up on the wrong side of the perch. Absolutely. Honestly the throwing food is normal and is not sassy or moody behavior.

[DanielaWelborn]

Yes, yes and yes! Wake up in a mood, on the wrong side of the perch. absolutely . Important to know what Jeff said above: pick your battles.

Two steps forward and one step back!

[Carolina]

There's no issue with the mess, it comes with having a grey. He only tosses the green pellets when he's in his cage, he only likes the orange and yellow. On the stand, he was trowing all his food and looking at me to see a reaction LOL...he's a little better this evening...I just don't want him to think that bitting will result in him getting his way...thanks for the replies!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Greys will throw their food, paint the walls. Its what they do. !2 years later... I can tell you, raspberries are tough to scrub off. BUT.... Sophie loves fruits and veggies, and that was the goal.

As far as training, thats what you are doing. Biting needs to be dealt with, and they need guidance which you are doing. The biting needs to be a firm NO! Return to cage, try again in ten minutes. Always be consistent with the behavioral issues. They are like little kids. Just need the guidance. You are doing great! Nancy

[Ray P]

We all have off days and so do our fids.

[Mickeys Mom]

I absolutely believe that they DO wake up on the wrong side of the perch some days. I have noticed that sometimes when I work late nights, and the lights and television is on untill I go to bed, Mickey seems moody the next morning. I notice it immediately. When I open his cage the next morning he does not seem his usual self. Usually he would immediately have a drink of water and move towards the gate and start his morning chat. He would throw food around very angrilly and peck at his dishes, one or two swear words and thats when I know, not to mess with him untill a little late when he is calmer and I can read from his body language that he is ok. I usually just leave him alone, greet him like usually and let him be.