Ronda477 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Ok went to the cage to get her and like every single time she flies off before I can get there. I can walk up and talk to her and she will just kind of sit there sometimes and others she will go to her highest perch. I tell her to step up and she flies. The only time she doesn't fly is when I tell her at night it is time to go night night. But I have been trying to take her off her cage more often and pet her back and have her with me. Today was a big set back. I got bit pretty hard on my finger cause she was on my hand and I was petting her, well I had her toes with my thumb so she couldn't fly off. I don't pinch them just firmly have them so if she tries to fly off she has a bit of a problem doing so. Well I was losing her and pulled her close to me to try to calm her and had her whole body in one hand and she reached around and bit my index finger right on the nail. I saw stars and I know I said ouch and probably shouldn't have but, was just an instant reaction. It actually hurts soo bad I am sick to my stomach lol. So now can be part of the bite club lol. But how do I get her to stop flying off the cage before I ask her to step up or even after I have asked for that matter? Like I said the only time she doesn't fly is when I tell her night night and put her in her cage. It's not like she is new to this, I have been doing this every day since Oct. Anyone have any suggestions? And should I leave her alone for the rest of today or should I keep getting her off even though I am in severe pain!! lol I don't want her to think she has the upper hand. Even when she bit me I held onto her for couple of minutes before placing her back on her cage top. Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody6 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 My greys do the same thing when they don't want to do what I want them to do. I am sorry you got bit so hard. I know how that feels and yes it is quite hard not to react. It seems she needs to know who is boss and lovingly and firmly as possible. Does bribing her with treats help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Wow Ronda, sorry about the bite and small set back. :-( Just keep on keepin on, with what you have been doing and don't relent. Consistency is critical to gain any ground or respect with these highly intelligent creatures. Maybe try not telling her to step-up and just try pushing your hand under her. Maybe if she doesn't have previous notice of what is coming, she will go a head and step up. This is going to be a trial and error scenario until you get this one nailed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 I think you got a stubborn one Ronda, but she needs to know that you are boss and not her so keep on with it, don't back down even if you get bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Hi there Ronda - ouch! Sorry you got bit! One of the things I read is that parrots can read our facial expressions and we should take advantage of that. I saw this in action for the first time at the Breeders where I got Bella. Karen and Kathy would teach the babies not to bite with verbal commands. When the babies would bite too hard, one of them would hold up the baby to their eye level, they'd make a frown face and say firmly "no bite" (one of the Amazons would always say "oh, oh, oh No Bite!" LOL!) If Bella nibbles on me too hard I say "no bite" and I she looks at me as if she instantly recognizes the command and lets go. When I took Bella for her vet vist and she nipped the vet briefly, he held her up to eye level, made a sad face and said "ouch - that hurts, no bite". It seems to be effective - I mean we train dogs with facial expressions and verbal commands - I would think they work even better with parrots no?<br><br>Post edited by: Nychsa, at: 2008/02/02 03:02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazyAK Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Works for me nychsa. Mazy and I have a kind of a boxing, dodge the fingers game. It always moves on after a few minutes to a catch the finger game. This is fine and she loves it, but sometimes she thinks she'll show me and clamp down harder. I instantly stop my movement, look her in the eye and say "no bite" then she lets go. If I just stop and hold on, she continues to clamp until she hears the command. Then sometimes she gets my finger and when she's just holding on I shake it easy while she holds. When I stop she stills holds waiting to see if I'll say "no bite". When I don't she starts shaking the finger herself to get me to play more without ever clamping down. So verbal commands have worked for me. Buzz words trigger a reaction. So when I say "dinner" she comes out of the cage for a ride to the table where she gets what she can off my plate before I do. What a pig! The dinner command only works in the evening. Try it in the morning and no go, but then say "breakfast" and out she comes. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 Thanks guys/gals! I'm sorry I didn't even know there were responses for I haven't gotten any e-mails. I couldn't believe how much my feelings more or less were hurt cause she did bite me. Didn't think it would affect me like it did. But must be the Italian raising that I won't take any crap lol. Thing is I was raised by an Italian mother but being adopted don't have any in me lol. I'm Irish and German. But I won't give up! I'm prepared to take another bite if I have to. I just want her to do what I want her to do, and just to sit with one of us. Will just try try try again till it finally dawns on her that I'm not giving up. And no treats don't work! I haven't found anything yet and I have tried tons! She just loves to pick all of it apart but nothing that she really likes to eat. But thank you all! I will keep going at it, and checking back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 Thanks guys/gals! I'm sorry I didn't even know there were responses for I haven't gotten any e-mails. I couldn't believe how much my feelings more or less were hurt cause she did bite me. Didn't think it would affect me like it did. But must be the Italian raising that I won't take any crap lol. Thing is I was raised by an Italian mother but being adopted don't have any in me lol. I'm Irish and German. But I won't give up! I'm prepared to take another bite if I have to. I just want her to do what I want her to do, and just to sit with one of us. Will just try try try again till it finally dawns on her that I'm not giving up. And no treats don't work! I haven't found anything yet and I have tried tons! She just loves to pick all of it apart but nothing that she really likes to eat. But thank you all! I will keep going at it, and checking back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevjoe Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I don't think I laughed so hard and lone, what you wrote Ronda. I'm proud of you, you're the boss. {Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E}{Feel-good-0002006E} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronda477 Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 LOL Joe glad I can make you laugh always a pleasure lol. Some of the Italian must of rubbed off though lol. My mom can't even figure out how I can be more stubborn than her sometimes lol. I always tell her the Irish/Italian raising combo, along with the big German bones, I actually am kind of scary when I get mad lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 LOL...no Italian in me ether, but I'm the bad guy in every James Bond movie!(Russian):laugh: :laugh: :laugh: It sounds like you just need to keep letting Sweetheart (I bet you have second thoughts on that name after that bite) know that your the boss. From what I have read and seen for myself when they bite you need to keep at it to let them know that won't "stop you". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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