Terrible Twos?

[JeffNOK]

Gracie my CAG is 22 months old and seems to be exhibiting some "terrible-twos" behavior--some funny and some frustrating.

 

Gracie knows she can get my attention by "being bad". Being bad for Gracie is to dump her food bowl or knock something over onto the floor with a crash. If she is out and I am not paying attention to her or I leave the room for a minute, I inevitably hear a "crash" and Gracie exclaiming "Gracie's a stinker. Stinker! Stinker!" I come back to find a toy unhinged and cast on the floor, a tipped over vase, or a food bowl with it contents scattered hither and yon. On Mother's Day my mom accidentally dropped a knife on the floor. Gracie heard the crash and said "Mommy Stinker! Stinker!"

 

 

On a more serious note, Gracie has started to bite me when I remove her from things she is not supposed to get into. My home is pretty parrot safe, but at my parents she sometimes flies to the wood blinds or lands on lamp shades with the intent of having a nice chewing session. I go to her and she steps up nicely, but then she nails me! My right hand has about 5 chomp marks as I write this. I usually don't raise my voice, but I overdid it a bit and harshly said, "Don't you bite your daddy!!!". Since then she has spent much time attacking/biting a toy and saying "Don't you bite your daddy!!!" I know the best thing is to avoid the bite, so now if I go to my parents house, the blinds will be closed so she can't land on them and pillows are to be placed on the top of all the lamp shades. I figure the less I have to remove her from the less I will be bitten. I haven't done any time outs, but that may be next if the problem continues. Again, this never happens at my house, just my parents.

 

Any thoughts?

 

The posted video shows her attacking her toy and saying "Don't bite your Daddy!" among other random musings of "stinker" "don't be scared" and "bird bird bird-bird is the word", etc

Edited May 14, 2013 by JeffNOK

[Wingy]

Was she allowed on to remain on these things when you were away?

[JeffNOK]

No, she was not allowed on those things. My parents weren't sure they could handle her, so she was in a make shift birdsafe "birdroom"==AKA my Mom's office while I was gone. My parents took turns spending time with her in there.

Edited May 14, 2013 by JeffNOK

[Timbersmom]

I have no idea but I'd love to hear a solution! Timber also bites when I move him from somewhere he wants to be back to his cage or playstand.

[danmcq]

Loved the video of Gracie. She is becoming a prolific talker and the song "Bird is the Word" is too cool.

 

I have to say, she reminds me very much of Dayo around that age. Really feeling full of themselves, getting in to anything and everything, making messes by tossing items to hear the clang and bang, tossing water and food bowls to the floor and then laughing and woo-hooing about it, flying around doing their pterodactyl scream etc. acting like a kamikaze hell bent on destruction and lastly biting when you stop their fun or take something away from them.

 

Solution? Well I have heard people say the did something like return their grey to the cage for a time out, explain how disappointed they are and "Poof" their grey or other birds never did it again and never bitten again afterwards. In my opinion, the entire home population is either smoking or taking something for the calming affect.

 

I let Dayo know by telling him in a stern voice "No Bite!", return him to cage for a timeout.. If I could without losing an arm, eye and maybe a piece of ear. When he is in a hell bent on destruction wild eyed hellion having fun by going on a rampage. I just walk away and ignore him. He will try his best whistles, songs, beat boxing, dayo loves daddy's and the whole gammit, yet I ignore him and will sometimes respond with "You hurt daddy, No bite daddy" and continue to ignore him. If he is on blinds or something I need to get him off of, I quickly learned to use a perch. he will not step up on it, but he will at least fly away after I nudge him gently with it. Many times when I just get it and head his way he will just fly away. If I tried to get a step up, my hand or arm would be hamburger meat because he wants to stay where he is and continue destroying something like a blind. I will say he has mellowed over the years, but from years two to four he was a true hellion establishing his individual rights I suppose in his mind.

 

I guess to put this in a nutshell, is they learn just as we do through feedback, body language and voice tone/fluctuation. But, the main thing is to just avoid a bite as much as possible if you can. I do hope this does not last as long with Gracie.

 

I do need to add. Some people have greys that have never bitten or maybe only once or twice. Greys are much like humans in personalities and disposition. Some are very iintroverted, meek, quiet and would just run or take a beating and walk away with out putting up any type of resistance. Other are very boisterous, out going and will not take anything off anybody and may seek out a good scrap and have a temper.

Edited May 15, 2013 by danmcq

[JeffNOK]

Thanks. I think I might try the perch advice. Like Dayo she will probably fly off of whatever she has gotten into. Now that we are home, there have been no bites and Gracie has been sweet. My hand just has a few little scabs as a reminder.

[aw64]

Im no help but loved the video it did make me laugh, the talking is really good My Alfie is pretty much the same and I always have a perch at hand and touch wood the bites are less, when he does manage to get me he says 'be a good boy Alfie' in the sweetest voice while I hide in a corner trying to hide my pain.

[Greywings]

Like kids sometimes distraction works as well, offer of a bath, a treat or story time can sometimes work. I like the cushion on the lamp shades just remover before using, fires are not fun. Some birds are unsure of stuffed animal toys that can work as an avoidance tool as well.

[Ray P]

An up date on the terrible twos., There will be the horrible threes. the miserable fours. the devastating fives and so on.

Corky is at 12 years and later this year she becomes a teenager. Boy is that going to be fun.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Ray P

[Timbersmom]

I'm afraid to ask what six is Ray! That is Timber's age this year...

[danmcq]

An up date on the terrible twos., There will be the horrible threes. the miserable fours. the devastating fives and so on.

Corky is at 12 years and later this year she becomes a teenager. Boy is that going to be fun.

 

 

LOL, love this description Ray!!!

[Ray P]

It`s sarcastic six.

[SRSeedBurners]

Our Greycie is doing all you mentioned and she's coming up on 7mos. She's been doing it for at least two months.

 

She tosses stuff off the counter top: just yesterday she broke a bowl and a glass. It seems like she delights in hearing the crash and peering over the side to see what she's done. I used to think it was funny. It isn't anymore. She's constantly throwing utensils onto the floor. I have to keep the counter tops clear or it's fair game. Her problem is she's extremely confident and I have not figured out how to train her to stop. After the 800th time of removing her from the chandelier, I finally wrapped it in cardboard so she can't land there anymore. Overconfident flighted bird...

 

Biting: if she's doing something she really wants to do and it's something I can't have her doing, I will get a good nip when I redirect her. Her favorite is flying into my wife's hair with her terrordactyl scream and then flopping around and getting all tangled in it. She absolutely loves this. My wife is getting tired of it. So when Greycie slips my guard and heads into my wife's hair and I have to get her out...I always come away with marks on my fingers. The NO-BITE no-works.

 

My former Grey did NONE of this but she was never flighted either. Her demeanor was much calmer, Greycie seems super-hyper for long periods during the morning, middle and late day.

 

If you figure out what works please share it!!!

[Wingy]

Buy your wife a hat.

 

Jake will bite our hands and fingers but not usually an arm especially if that arm is in a long sleeved shirt. It isn't that he is fearful of the arm but maybe he knows that he can't give the arm the same satisfying chomp. He does like the string of my hoodie so if I really need to get his attention I hold my arm out and dangle the string. He hops on and grabs the string to play with the knot and I can move him away from where ever he shouldn't be.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Wingy

[JeffNOK]

Thanks for all the responses. It seems I am definitely not alone. It hope redirection, safe set ups around the house, and maybe gentle nudging off things should solve most of the problem. I may have her step up on my arm rather than hand when I am removing her from things. She hasn't bitten my arm yet. I love my little girl so much. I don't want you to think she is always a brat. 90% of the time she is a little grey angel....but that 10% remains.

[DogsBirdsFish]

Our Greycie is doing all you mentioned and she's coming up on 7mos. She's been doing it for at least two months.

 

.... Her favorite is flying into my wife's hair with her terrordactyl scream and then flopping around and getting all tangled in it. She absolutely loves this. My wife is getting tired of it. So when Greycie slips my guard and heads into my wife's hair and I have to get her out...I always come away with marks on my fingers. The NO-BITE no-works.

 

If you figure out what works please share it!!!

 

Here is a solution for your wife from the Caique world:

 

 

The shark hat works like a scarecrow.....LOL.

[Jayd]

Teach, don't use props to scare and cause our Greys to become neurotic....

[JeffNOK]

Jayd, I agree wholeheartedly that scare tactics are the LAST thing we should do with our greys. I do think the "shark hat" was suggested as a joke, however. That cute little Caique didn't look scared in the least. Now, a grey might be frightened by such a hat, though. They notice everything! Caiques are so different. I notice that Gracie seems to be wary of beards. My brother and a family friend have beards and she flies away the minute they get near. As you said Jayd,--teaching is the way to go with a grey. Thankfully, they are so smart that they learn quickly.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I think Gracie understands the " NO BITE". She is halfway there. Now she needs to learn " there are consequenses to her bite. Return her to her cage with a firm " NO BITE!". Ignore her for five minutes then take her out again. If she bites again.... back in, repeat NO BITE! Sophie is not a docile bird. Full of energy and mischief. LOVE her for her love of life and constantly thinking of " what can I get into next!" I was lucky to have kids taking care of her when I was at work. We taught her thru consistensy. Meaning.... she didn't get away with " murder", when kids were caring for her. Nancy

[JeffNOK]

Kins, thank you. I think you are right on target. My first strategy is to AVOID the bite, but I do think that "time outs" are called for if it happens again. I've noticed that in the past few days she has been "talking" a lot about "NO BITE". I reacted to her bite this last weekend with a raised voice and I am suspicious that this may have given her a sense of power. Tonight when she was about to dump her food bowl, I reached to take the bowl away and she nipped at me. She has NEVER done that before. I think she sees this as a battle of wills. Now her nip didn't make contact and all was well, but I know she is testing boundaries, so I am prepared to take action. I do love her so much. She is such a joy, but I can't allow her to misbehave. I don't see this as a set back, but as the natural course of our relationship. I am devoted to her and will do everything to make sure that we co-exist in harmony. After the nipping incident, Gracie said. "Gracie wanna kiss. No bite" She came forward and planted a sweet kiss on my nose with no bites. She does mean well--but she's a parrot after all....we will make this work.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Piece of cake JeffNOK! It did take Sophie six months to get it, but remember, I got her at age two. She was in the terrible two's, learning about her new family. It took six months of being consistent with practicing stepup, encouraging her to want to be with the family.Playing games.... ignoring her when she climbed out of the cage to play with us. We had more than biting to deal with.We practiced stepup thru games. If she wanted to pop the bubble with the game of trouble.... she had to go to the next family member.Biting.... NOT allowed. Back to her cage. She hated being in her cage while we played games! After several months of this.... she was on my wrist, she said NO! NO bite, and bit the air! She had finally put two and two together. Gracie understands NO BITE! You are lucky that she already wants to be with you. I dont think it will be hard for Gracie to learn and understand " consequenses." Be consistent.Timeout should be around five minutes and I always would get Sophie out after. Havent been bitten in over a decade by my girl.( except when she is hanging on the gate in familyroom and I open it. She will give me a lovebite on my ass and laugh!) Another of her games! Nancy