Behaviour issues!

[Silverthorn]

The last few weeks or so now Lola has become more intent on destroying everything possible in the living room. Her favourites being the wooden beam the curtains are screwed onto and the net curtains underneath (she currently has her swing there to look out the windows). Though she is also partial to the sofa and the dvd box too when the mood takes her!

 

Also about the time this all started happening i have been on the receiving end of some pretty nasty bites.

She favours my partner Neil but we have a pretty ok relationship, though in recent weeks with her increased bad behaviour there has been much more biting and it's getting difficult to handle her sometimes. Her relationship with Neil has not really changed, she still adores him and rarely leaves him alone when out of the cage.

 

I'm not sure what would have triggered this behaviour but i obviously want to takes steps to right it so that we have a happy bird and i no longer live in fear of getting bitten every time i go near her!

 

Lola is 1 and around 3 months and we have had her just a little over a year. I appreciate though we have had her a little while now theres still a lot more learning for me and Neil to deal with as this is our first parrot after all.

 

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[danmcq]

Well, as Lola ages, she is becoming more adventurous and also not thinking twice about biting the one like yourself that is not the favored love muffin.

 

These behaviors will need to be dealt with in different ways. The first is her chewing on things she likes doing so on. The only way to stop that is first put a little stuffed toy with eyes on those trouble spots. She will not venture there any longer until she becomes used to them. Once she does, you get another different looking stuffed toy wit eye's. You can also get up a gazillion times and remove her from where she is not allowed, but that normally does not stop them.

 

The bites you are receiving can only be slowed by you paying very close attention to her body language. You probably already know as you go in for a step up if she wishes to or not. If she does not, then just back off and avoid the bite unless you must get her to put her in the cage for example. When she does bite, tell her NO BITE and take her to her cage for a time out immediately and leave her in there for around 5 minutes then let her out again. This will help lessen those bites as well over time as she learns that bites equals cage time. Of course she may still choose to bite and suffer the cage time once in a while because you may have just pissed her off.

 

I hope this helps. Others will have comments as well.

[Silverthorn]

Thanks for your reply!

 

I will definitely try the stuffed toy idea, being somewhat short i have much difficulty in getting her off the top of the curtains when she starts on big wooden beam so i hope this will stop her from going up there to begin with!

 

Yes i do recognise the signs of when she's not happy to step up, I do try and avoid her when she's not happy unless necessary as nobody likes to be on receiving end of a beak!

 

It's as if she knows i'm typing about her as it's been model behaviour almost all night tonight!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I believe it is also important to " confuse them" as to pick one person to love. Greys tend to pick one person. It doesn't need to be so. Sophie loves all of us, and will stepup to all of us. It was thru games, where we passed Sophie around. Books... as Sophie LOVES to be read too, as well as Sophie's interests. She LOVES music... thats Ryan. She LOVES playing hiding seek. Thats Sean. Complaint department, or being afraid, thats me.We all fill her needs, so she goes to any of us. Nancy