Tanner Screeching Progress

[LindaMary]

Well, it sure is slow, but there is definitely hope!

 

I've been working with my severe macaw, Tanner, for several months now on trying to reduce his screeching, which can really peel the paint off the walls. (There's a bit of discussion of this under the Animal Talk thread in this forum...)

 

About a month ago, I had an epiphany which resulted in a little change in my approach - kind of trying out the Relaxation Response when he screeches. When I understood that his screeching, which sounds AWFUL, was really just him trying desperately to get my attention and tell me he loved me, it really helped me quell my own irritation at it. And I could govern my own reaction much better, specifically: silence for 10-20 seconds after his screech, then calling back in a GENUINELY cheerful voice "Hello, Tanner!" ("Hello" is Tanner's primary and clearest human word.) When he responds with "Hello" or his gentler macaw croaks (and also any time he just volunteers those noises), I make a HUGE fuss over it (even if I'm not in the same room - I just make sure he can hear me saying "Goooood Boooooyyyy! Yay Tanner! Woohoo!")

 

And it is gradually - but NOTICABLY - working! He screeches MUCH less now than a month a go, and makes the transition to speaking or croaking MUCH more quickly. I am SO proud of him! I know he will not give it up entirely, but he seems to be really learning some self-control - and of course he's getting a lot more positive attention because of it. Everybody wins!

 

So for all you folks out there who (like me) can be short on patience: just hang in there! I am now convinced it can be done!

 

Oh and by the way - he and Maxi are now BOTH starting to say "Good Boy!"

[judygram]

Thats great that you found a way to at least reduce the time Tanner screechs but you are right, he may never stop it all together, its a step in the right direction.

 

Your epiphany has earned you some karma. B)

[LindaMary]

Hey, thanks, Judy!

 

I just know I'm not alone with this screeching subject! I am lucky to have a grey who makes almost exclusively pleasant or funny noises. Tanner sure makes up for that. When he goes on one of his screech-a-thons, my two domestic shorthair cats suddenly look like Persians! :blink: :pinch: :blink:

[BaxtersMom]

I have a screeching problem with my conure. He was such a quiet little guy when we first took him in but the more settled in he got the louder he got. It is very aggrevating to me. I never get openly upset and just ignore the behavior totally but it does get to me where I just want to scream (but I don't). I just act like everything is fine.

 

I thought ignoring it would take care of it but I haven't seen any progress yet and it's been a good 3 or 4 months of this behavior. I have noticed when he is excited it is the worst. When we come home or my husband comes home from work he just screams his head off and lands on our shoulders and it pierces the ears and makes them ring. That can't be good for the ears:blink:

 

I am very glad you are making progress with Tanner. Atleast he learns to talk instead of scream but Bonkers can not talk. I will try your approach though and see if it works for us here. I honestly don't know how to control this or if it's even possible. It seems like the more I ignore him the louder he gets. Maybe I need to acknowledge him and see if it calms him down a bit. Thanks for posting about this.

 

My other birds make noises and occassionally get loud too but it's not annoying.

[LindaMary]

Erika, check out the thread I started on the book Animal Talk. I found Jane08's comments in there very helpful, and maybe you will see a connection to Bonkers, as well. I also recommend the book, BTW.

 

What I think really started to make a difference with Tanner was finding a way to reduce my OWN emotional response to his racket. Even when I didn't openly react (or when I just reacted by ignoring him) it didn't seem to make any difference, and I now think it was because underneath I was actually really tense and annoyed with him. So no matter how much I would speak in what I thought was a "normal" voice with Tanner, I couldn't fool him: I am sure he heard or "read" or could feel my tension and irritation in spite of my best efforts. It was only when I was able to truly change my own feelings about his screeching that I started to really see a difference. It's a pretty amazing thing.

 

Sometimes I also "head him off at the pass", by the way. As in: as SOON as I get home (jacket still on - briefcase still in hand) I go STRAIGHT to the bird room and spend three minutes or so giving profuse hellos and greetings and cheerfulness to both birds. If nothing else, it's good for the non-plussed expressions they get on their fuzzy litle faces ("Hey Tanner, Mom's having another one of her Crazy Days, let's lie low" - "Okay, Max, I'll just sit here and make croaky noises and see if she snaps out of it..."). I'm not sure this would work for other birds, of course!

[BaxtersMom]

Thanks LindaMary, I found the thread and It looks good. I bet it will help me. I definately need a new approach. I'm so glad you are making progress with Tanner.

[LindaMary]

Good luck, Erika! We are all in this together!

[BaxtersMom]

Yes we are. And I love it that everyone is so helpful. I guess that's what this forum is all about.

[Jane08]

Lindamary this is great news I am so happy for you. That is a real achievement and I certainly know how big an achievement it is. Good on you.

[LindaMary]

Thank you, Jane! As you know - your words were instrumental in encouraging me to proceed with this change in approach, so I think you get some of the credit as well! Good on you in return! B)

[Mingus]

This post is timely for me. At 9 months Kofi has discovered some truly piercing sounds, and shrieks for my attention often. I'm afraid that by responding I will train him to continue doing it. But not responding just makes him more frustrated and louder. I instinctively tried your wait, then respond with soft words approach. He calms down and speaks. Also, if I approach him before he gets upset he will not hollar for attention to begin with.

But this is a work in progress. Any suggestions or epiphanies you could share would be great. There is still the nagging feeling that I'm training him to expect to be showered with immediate attention by doing this.

[zandische]

LindaMary and all - just wanted to add that I had a similar epiphany recently with my grey. During boarding last Christmas she picked up the most god-awful sound - it sounds like those laserbeam toy guns people (crazy people!) buy for their kids. It's horrible and we've been living with it for a few months.

 

We tried to just ignore the sound, hoping that a lack of reaction would give her the hint, but that didn't work. Then I started doing what you figured out - after the screech, I would wait for the very next sound, which is usually a word or a softer sound, and immediately attempt to repeat the sound and go overboard with lots of praise. I'm happy to report that the screaming has almost completely disappeared! She still does it a bit in the morning after breakfast, but I figure that's her normal loud time anyway, so I let her have her fun.

 

One lesson I've definitely learned from all of this: parrots don't simply "forget" words and sounds unless you give them a reason!

[Jane08]

Another thing we also tried with an annoying noise or word was to actually change the noise or word. So sometimes if Kea or Rangi made the noise we would say to them in a soft calm voice something that we wanted them to say.

 

So for example if kea started on a particular noise that I hated I would say to her softly "Can you whistle" and this seemed to trigger a thought and she would immediately start to whistle a tune that we had taught her in conjunction with the phrase "Can you whistle". We then praised her big time and you could see that she was so proud. It didn't take long for her to foget the annoying noise and she seemed so focused on pleasing us and getting praise for whistles and words we asked her to use.

[ranaz]

Many nice ideas...

Zandische...Karma to you...seems you handled this beautifully...great...

 

{Nature-00020095}

[funnyfarm?]

baxtersmom,

just a thought concerning your conure,my partner

has a 11 yr.old greencheek,who was a real screamer,as

soon as he got her a friend,it all stopped!They still

have their moments,after all they are conures!,but they

spend the day preening,and really enjoy each other.At

first he was leary in having 2 screaming,but it turned

out to be the opposite!He also has 2 cags,and a tag,who

add to the chorus!

To comment on birds knowing what you're feeling,

I agree totally.When I first got my Cag Shado,he also

was a screamer.I'm sure that's why his former family gave him up.He had been left alone for most of his life.

At first it was horrible,and even tho I was smiling on

the outside,inside I was thinking,"O god,I can't take this!"It only made it worse.

He semmed to do it most,when I left the room,so I

decided to try what we do with dogs,suffering separation

anxiety.And I would take a deep breath,think happy,peace

ful thoughts,and leave for a few minutes,and gave him a

treat,then I'd give him a toy,and as soon as he was

sure I was coming right back,he slowly started to scream

less and less.I'm sure what I was thinking,had alot to

do with it!My being anxious and uptight only transfered

to him!It works the same with horses too.They know when

you're scared or nervous by your energy! K.C.