Bitting

[gabilan95]

Ok, we have a 5 year old grey named Lilly and she is a great and loving CAG. The issue that we have is that we got a new CAG, we don't know how old is she but she is very afraid of people and she bits hard. Do anyone know any tricks or techniques to gain an older grey trust and stop her from biting. She will let me touch her on the head and rub her but if I try to pick her up by putting my hand so she can step up she will start to back off and bit.

 

I will like to know if anyone know a way to tell the age of a CAG?

[MARIR]

What kind of life did she have before you adopted her? Is she biting to "hurt" you? Sounds like she doesn't trust you. Especially if she's only biting when you try to make her step up...makes me thinks she either is scared of something...or maybe the previous owners never taught her this...and she's thinking "you want me to do what?!?!"....just be patient...you might want to offer a peanut or small treat...show her the treat and put your other hand under her breast and say step up (KIND OF A BRIBE)....GOOD LUCK...

[MARIR]

as for the age thing, a vet might be able to guesstomat...

[Guest]

Gabilan95 welcome to the forum

 

I agree with Marir. She probably is scared and her trust can be won with patience and 'rewards'

[MARIR]

my husband came home lastnight and tried to get Gabby out of the cage, Gabby is "his" snuggle bug, well I guess Izzy ran over and BIT him on the thumb and drew blood...needless to say my husband was upset...and we're buying another cage to separate the sisters, so they can want and need us MORE and eachother LESS..

[MARIR]

I forgot to mention, she has not bitten me since I brought her (Izzy) home...I think its just a trust issue, and also (blaming my husband) that he always goes over to Gabby first, and I think Izzy is a little jealous too.

[Guest Monique]

Watch your birds body language before she bites. Does she give you any signals with her body, eyes, or otherwise? As MARIR said, work slow and patient. Try to get her to trust you, take a treat from your hand without problem, then move on to scritches and step up. Take small baby steps and be very patient. You can also first teach her to step up onto a perch for you and take her out of her cage and move her around that way. Let us know how things go for you!!!

[MARIR]

good point Monique..body language is very important...

[Caspersmum]

Hi,

 

I've only just read your message, so not sure how you're getting on now, but I had a few word

[Caspersmum]

Hi,

 

I've only just read your message, so not sure how you're getting on now, but I had a few words to add that might help - and these are from experience. I got my CAG Casper from people who'd never taught him to step up.

 

First of all find a place that she feels comfortable to stand, without too many distractions. A lot of the books say do this on the back of a chair in the bathroom, but casper didn't like the back of chairs, and he didn't like the bathroom either, so it was bound for disaster! Eventually we settled for the arm of the sofa in the lounge, but with no telly on. I discovered (painfully!) that he doesn't like stepping up onto my hand. Then I tried a stick, and he just got angry, would but his head down, so I couldn't got it anywhere near his legs. I then tried using my forearm - and it worked. So he now steps up onto my wrist.

 

If you spend afew minutes a couple of times a day, just telling your CAG to step up and step down repeatedly, you can go a long way very quickly.

 

I hope this helps you!

 

Julia

(and all my bite marks have now healed!)