random determined biting

[Linda77]

Hello everyone,

I've had Buddy, the TAG, for about 4 months now. He is an adult I bought from a bird collector/dealer.

Buddy had major trust issues for a time, things like diving off rather than being near me.

I believe he was handled quite badly previously, so was mostly afraid.

Now, he is stepping up, going 'bye bye' onto my arm, wanting to be in the room where I am, etc. He has made lots of good progress in a short time.

The trouble is---he will give me a vicious intentional bite randomly. The latest was Saturday.

 

I returned home with wiffle balls into which I put chicken thigh bones (his favorite), and told him what I had. He hopped right onto my arm from his playperch, and as I was placing him onto his cage perch, he grabbed hold of the web flesh between my thumb and index finger and gave me a fully-wide-open bite which drew blood and incapacitated my hand for two days. OW!! Geez, talk about feeling snubbed. It's hard to want to be around him when he does this to me. And I'm the person he likes! He's afraid of my husband still.

 

I realize it is probably because his cage was involved, or food/treats, or not wanting to go into his cage (he did step right up, though).

But, still, I would like to trust him, but from now on, him stepping onto my hand will take unprecidented courage on my part. I cannot use a perch/stick, as his previous owner had a 'method' of locking parrots in a shower and forcing them onto perches. Needless to say, Buddy freaks with sticks of any sort, including brooms, etc etc.

 

Has anyone had similar experiences with this trust thing and how can I get past this? Also, he has just barely begun to let me touch his toes and beak when I wake him in the morning as he is clinging to the side of his cage. I'm outside of the cage, of course, with bars for protection. I thought we were coming along pretty well!

 

Any help welcome,

Thanks,

Linda

[M2MM]

Do you have any idea of how old Buddy is? How many owners he's had? What his case history is?

 

Unfortunately, the honeymoon period is well and truly over with Buddy. He's comfortable enough now to show his "true colours" and even though he likes you, he has many issues getting in the way.

 

I have several friends with Greys that they adopted/rescued as adults. Adult birds that are rehomed are rehomed because they became unhandleable by their former owners. One of these birds is now about 25 years old and has something akin to "flashbacks" or post-traumatic stress disorder. He will lacerate his owner's hands severely for absolutely no reason, and then suddenly "wake up" and act normal again. They are assuming that he's had a very bad life at the hands of someone sadistic and something triggers a horrific memory that makes him lash out.

 

Another friend rescued three Greys from conditions they will not describe, because it upsets them too much to think about. These three Greys will allow the wife to come near, but the husband gets shrieked at, lunged at, and treated as if he was a boogie-man. They've had these birds for three years now, and they are a long way from being ready to adopt out. (That's what this couple does - they rehab parrots and adopt out the ones that have learned to trust humans again.)

 

Your Grey sounds like he's been through a lot in his life and he's having difficulties learning to trust people. He probably likes you, but has a lot of "baggage" that gets in the way. You will need a lot of patience and understanding to help him get past it. It's also possible that he will never be a really loving, cuddly bird ever. So, that's something you will need to think about. Are you in this for the long haul? Can you continue to live with him if he doesn't improve a whole lot?

 

There are organizations out there that will help you in your TAG's rehabilitation. They are rescue/rehome/rehab societies that help people and their parrots. If you can find one close by, give them a call and ask if they can help you identify what his "stumbling blocks" are, and how to overcome them.

Do a Google search using: your town, state, country, (rescue, rehome, adoption, rehab) parrots

 

There is one book I know on the subject: "The Second-hand Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan and Dianalee Deter. This is basically an overview about rehomed parrots.

 

Barabara Heidenreich has two books: "Good Bird!" and "the Parrot Problem Solver - Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behaviour" I highly recommend that you obtain copies of these books - they are worth every penny. Ms. Heidenreich also has a couple of DVDs on training, and puts on seminars in various locations throughout the year.

 

As for my own experience, I have a 17 month old TAG that I've had since he was 5 months old. He's currently showing some aggression, but although he does bite hard at times, I believe it just a stage he's going through as he matures, so it's not really a problem that has to be fixed. He's still sweet and cuddly when he wants to be, so I have nothing to complain about.

 

I hope this helps. <br><br>Post edited by: M2MM, at: 2008/07/07 23:37

[Linda77]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Buddy is an adult (his eyes are completely light colored), but I've no clue to his age. I think they guesstimated 8 or ? when I took him. I was told he was locked up in a drug house in Detroit being fed cookies. These Detroit people got him from their mom, who went into a home or somesuch. I can't place any value in what they told me.

 

I took him in because he talked and needed a home. A talking non-plucking CAG bird was my objective, and he talks like a champ--to us, to himself, to the dogs, anyone and everyone. He also whistles, dances and is great at self-entertaining so that I don't worry about him plucking feathers in boredom. He is satisfied with his life and comfortable enough to come looking for me when I let him out of his cage when I get home from work. I like that he enjoys routine--as life on our farm is all about that!

 

Also, he has been trusting enough to come out on the deck with me and hang out. All good signs.

And, yes, I know this guy more than likely will never be a cuddler. That's ok, as I stated--I wanted a talker.

 

The books sound wonderful, I'll check Amazon to buy, and I do have some consultants I've found on the web for more insight.

 

thank you again for your great feedback!

Linda

[M2MM]

If you are taking him out on the deck, I hope it's in his cage. Even the most loving birds, even clipped ones, can fly away if spooked or startled. In addition, predatory birds (hawks, eagles, crows) are known for taking parrots right off their companion's shoulder or arm. Just be extra cautious. :dry: