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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
| very bad biting!!! |
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hi i was wondering if any one could help me, iv had my senegal for 3 years now and ever since iv had him its been the same, he has a very very very very bad biting problem and he draws blood almost every time, you cant actualy touch him or he will realy hurt you, you cant gt very near him at all and i realy wish i could hold him without geting savaged! i would love to give him a cuddle lol. its realy bad because its kind of hard to look after him when you cant evan touch him. i would just wear gloves when i handle him but he wont get used to them evan when i left them im the cage with him for ages, and it hurts to bad just to ignor him please can some one help me  thanks Tiff |
Wednesday July 25, 2007 4:25 pm |
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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
can anyone help me? id love to be able to touch him and evan cuddle him  |
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Sunday July 29, 2007 4:42 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7399
Location: Canada, Toronto |
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Oops, sorry to have missed this post 
Well there's a couple of things I can think of. He's around 3 now, which means that he's just about reaching sexual maturity. So if he was biting before, it's probably even worst now because he's hormonal and territorial. Can you take him to a room that's away from his cage? This way he won't be as territorial. I'd say while wearing the gloves, take him to a small room like a bathroom or something, and once you have him away from his cage try to work with him with the gloves off.
Start really slow. Does he have a favorite treat? You can start out by trying to get him to take a treat from your hand, without attempting to bite. Every time he takes the treat from your hand praise him, but don't try to touch him just yet. You need to gain his trust first.
After a few days of doing this everyday, try to get him to step up on your hand before you give him the treat, by gently pressing your hand on his tummy. Only give him the treat if he steps up successfully. After a few days, increase the number of step-ups before you give him a treat. Meaning get him to step up from one hand to the other about 4 or 5 times, and if done successfully, then reward him.
This might take a long time, maybe weeks, maybe months, but be consistent and don't give up. Do this every single day. Even if it takes like 2 weeks for him to even take a treat from your hand, still be persistent. You will probably get bitten a few times, but don't back down.
Also, how are you reacting to his biting? The main thing to remember is that you shouldn't act hysterical or make a big deal out of it. Because he will enjoy that. His behavior is in a sense getting rewarded by him getting a reaction out of you. Don't act fearful, and show him you're the dominant one. Look him in the eyes and say with a stern voice "No!". Acting like you're not scared really does work. My African Grey sometimes has her moments, for example sometimes when I ask her to step up because it's time to go to bed, she will try to bite me. But I keep eye contact and continue to offer her my hand for her to step up, and say step up in a more authoritative voice than I did the first time, and she totally backs down and becomes submissive. But if you act fearful, they will sense that and continue to bite.
Whoo, that was long  I hope that helps somewhat. Keep us updated on the progress  and GOOD LUCK! |
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Sunday July 29, 2007 5:13 pm |
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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
thanks sooo much for the help its going to be very hard not to react to the bites because the hurt soooo much but ill try my best, i never shout at him i just shout ouch! realy loud or oh crap lol theres one thing im not sure about though, you said somthing about touching his belly but he has never let me touch his belly befor he realy gards his belly and will very aggresifly (soz about the spelling lol) if you go near that area. thanks for the help and sorry if i seemed like i was trying to hurry a post i just realy needed help thanks tiff |
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Sunday July 29, 2007 5:28 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7399
Location: Canada, Toronto |
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What about using a hand held perch? Do you think he'd be scared of that? You could just use a stick from a tree branch or something like that. And the first couple of weeks do the step up practice with the perch instead of your hands.
But first start out with trying to get him to take a treat from your hand. Lets get over that hurdle before we worry about the stepping up stage. Use something that parrots will go crazy for, like sunflower seeds or something.
Remember, don't rush anything. Also it would be helpful, during the first couple of weeks when you're just trying to give him a treat, spend some time alone with him in that room and just talk to him softly. Like 10-15 minutes each day. Allow him to feel at ease with you.
Just thought of another suggestion when you're trying to get him to step up onto your hand. While bringing you hand close to his belly, have a toy in your other hand, and if he goes to bite quickly distract him with the toy by bringing it in between his beak and your hand that he's about to bite. |
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Sunday July 29, 2007 5:42 pm |
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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
thank you so much you are realy helpfull and friendly i cant wait to see if it works. thanks tiff |
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Sunday July 29, 2007 5:46 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7399
Location: Canada, Toronto |
quote:
Originally posted by sqwarky
thank you so much you are realy helpfull and friendly i cant wait to see if it works. thanks tiff
You're welcome, hope it helps |
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Sunday July 29, 2007 5:53 pm |
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jletaz
Experienced flier
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Posts: 1282
Location: CA, USA |
I didn't know Squarky wasn't hand tame... Shirin gave some really good advice. Just know that birds of the Poicephalus family which Senegals are a part of... like my Red Bellied parrot also, can be very hard biters for their size, and especially the males, once mature have a tendency to bite. Just like humans, they are all a little different, and I believe a lot of Senegal owners here have nice ones, but generally speaking, mature Poicephalus males tend to get bitey. Do what Shirin says, and you might see improvement, but he is old enough that you probably won't ever see it go away completely. I know you'll love him no matter what |
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Tuesday July 31, 2007 8:44 pm |
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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
as long as i can hold him most of the time and give him a cuddle thats all i want because i have never actualy held him befor and i long to,i always have to get him on somthing like a stick or i use a cushon (sp?) somtimes to let him out the cage. and your rite ill always love him no matter what thank you all for the great advice. tiff |
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Wednesday August 1, 2007 4:32 pm |
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SparkeysDad
Bappie
Joined: 21 Aug 2007
Posts: 60
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| very biting. |
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keep wearing the gloves,but when it bites you, never ever react. because it will
think its funny. |
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Sunday August 26, 2007 8:30 pm |
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jletaz
Experienced flier
Joined: 28 Feb 2007
Posts: 1282
Location: CA, USA |
| Re: very biting. |
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quote:
Originally posted by SparkeysDad
keep wearing the gloves,but when it bites you, never ever react. because it will
think its funny.
I have to disagree to a point Don't give the "drama" reward by screaming and losing control in front of the bird, but he needs to hear a calm but firm 'no' or 'no bite' with eye contact, then it's important to immediately put him down or away and walk away for a minute. Birds in the wild will let the other know if they've bitten too hard. Has Squarky been stick trained using a perch or dowel instead of your hands? Might work better than gloves. He will most likely be less intimidated by the stick. Some birds get more freaked out with the look and feel of the gloves... or on the other hand, might get used to the gloves, and get freaked out at your bare flesh and bite for sure!
Also, have you been doing positive reinforcement with Squarky? When he shows any bit of progress, or does something remotely good, give him a little treat... it will reinforce the behavior you want him to have. I think you've been doing great Tiff... keep up the good work |
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Sunday August 26, 2007 10:31 pm |
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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
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hello thanks for the advice, i also thought before that you had to ignore totally when they bite and not say a thing but i have been saying no in a stern voice and looking him strait in the eyes and he hates it lol it works very well, he stops biting or whatever he's been doing wrong if not first time then i just keep saying it and keeping eye contact and he stops! its amazing, i have seen such an inprovement in him and its still early days. and yes i have been giveing him LOTS of praise evan for the smallest of things he does rite, i was also wondering if there is such a thing as to much praise because i realy realy realy praise him when he does somthing rite. but it dosnt seem to be having a bad afect (sp?) its having the opasit (sp?). and i thought maby its wishfull thinking that hes getting better but my mum has noticed such a change in him to! yay! and i was using a perch but i was putting my gloved hand ferther up each time intill he got used to that then a little more intill now he steps onto the glove now, im just going to keep hand feeding him and passing toys to him for a long time then when he is totaly or almost totaly used to my hands just use them. im going to put in a more detailed vertion of squarkys progress in his diary but all i can say is he is doing sooooooo well! thanks guys if it wernt for this web site i would still be a bad parrot owner but now things are sooo good! tiff |
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Wednesday August 29, 2007 3:19 pm |
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cashmeer
Just hatched
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 33
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| Biting bird... |
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I d like to see someone get bit "hard" by a parrot and not react sharply...the only thing I can say is...never,ever...go up to your bird with fast movements! And your idea of a fast movement and your birds are entirely different...when you put your hand or finger near your parrot it must be done in very slow motion...also with choo choo..I ve noticed if I lean my shoulder down to him...he will step up on it better than my finger..but if I go near him with a piece of food..thinking he will take it from my hand ...I will get bitten...my problem now...is screetching...he used to always whistle in the mornings and during the day..and now all he does is ear piercing screeches...no clue how to stop that... |
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Thursday September 6, 2007 1:54 pm |
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sqwarky
Flutterer
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 159
Location: UK, Brighton |
i learnt the slow moving thing very early on because squarky is very very very jumpy! and i always have to tell my brother do do the same around his cage, as for the screeching (sp?) squarky does it alot but it dosnt realy bother me, it does my mum lol but im not sure how to get rid of the screeching, sorry |
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Friday September 7, 2007 5:29 pm |
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