[JBryan]

Whenever Sweetie is on my shoulder and she gives me a little peck on my ear I say OW! whenever it is a little too hard just to let her know. She seems to understand and has gotten to where she knows just how much is too much (and runs it right up to the limit). The other day I heard her sitting in her cage saying OW! over and over. I guess I wasn't surprised she was doing it but it caught me a little off guard. the kicker is that the next day while she was sitting on my shoulder she gave me a little peck on my ear and then said OW! The little stinker bit me just hard enough to make it appropriate too.

[Mama2ManyMouths]

Saying OW! is reinforcing the behaviour, so you can only blame yourself. Best to nip this in the bud and not give her the response she's expecting. Remove her from your shoulder (I know that this can be difficult) and put her down, then turn your back for a moment. Actions speak louder than words and telling them not to do something is only giving them more attention, therefore reinforcing the behaviour further.

I hope this makes sense.

[JBryan]

Actually, that is exactly what I did initially when she used to really lay into it. She would be immediately put on her cage and I would ignore her for a minute or so. She is a lot better now and I tolerate the little nips because she is just being affectionate. Telling her OW! lets her know when she gets a little too rough and she seems to respect that. that is of course unless she is feeling ornery and even then it is really not that bad. I just thought it was cute when she voluteered to say OW! for me.

[Mama2ManyMouths]

JBryan, on 28 July 2010 - 10:59 AM, said:

I just thought it was cute when she voluteered to say OW! for me.

Just be careful about using something that she finds fun and interesting enough to copy it. It can make her nipping self-reinforcing, which is never a good thing.

[Birdlette]

It is amazing to see how their minds make the connections, isn't it? She obviously made the connection between the action and the vocalization although maybe not applying its meaning! I had the same problem with Earl biting my shoulder really hard at first. I solved it in the same way by plunking him down on the back of a chair and pointedly turning my back. Now I just say "no bite" when he pushes the envelope and that seems to get the message across. If he still chomps down too hard I remove him back to his cage. I have tried setting him down on the counter or floor but have found he just clings to my arm for dear life and I can't get him off unless I shake him off pretty violently, which I don't want to do. Anyone got any tips for getting a parrot off your arm when they don't want to go?

But going back to making connections... Earl seems to know that "good" and "very good" are vocalizations that are associated with pleasurable things. It started with him saying "Want some oatmeal?" and then "Mmmm, good" when he got some. Now I notice he says "good" and especially "very good" when he is taking a bath and really enjoying splashing around in his tub. ( He has a shallow pan I put on the top of his cage a few times a week. When he's in the mood for a bath he really makes a mess! Water drips down the walls, the cages, the kitchen table, the cockatiels...) So I'm thinking he has made some sort of connection there? Its fascinating to watch them think things thru!!

[Mama2ManyMouths]

Birdlette, on 28 July 2010 - 11:40 AM, said:

Anyone got any tips for getting a parrot off your arm when they don't want to go?

When our birds don't want to get off, I use a bird ladder to gently push them in the direction I want them to go. Now when they see the ladder in my other hand, they respond more quickly to my request. (They don't appreciate being pushed by "that thing." )

[Birdlette]

Good idea M2MM! I happen to have a spare, only slightly chewed!

[JBryan]

Mama2ManyMouths, on 28 July 2010 - 12:32 PM, said:

Just be careful about using something that she finds fun and interesting enough to copy it. It can make her nipping self-reinforcing, which is never a good thing.

I think we have pretty much established the boundaries. If she ever bites hard she will get the same "cold shoulder" treatment as before but it has been quite a while since she has.

[EinsteinsMom]

Re: getting them off your shoulder/hand/arm/sweater/neck/head etc. - this how Einstein learned to say "let go" in falsely chirpy voice over and over LOL.

usually what i do is either 1) set him down with his butt over a perch and gently push my hand/arm down until he has to step off, or 2) if he's on my shoulder and won't come I use my other arm to 'sweep' down across my shoulder and gently nudge him off. This is one of the reasons I only allow him on my shoulder when I am fixing dinner - he has an immediate positive reinforcement to step off my shoulder onto his stand so he can eat! I have been known to have to have to corall one leg at a time and gently pry toes off one by one, but he's getting better about it.

[Capster59]

hmmm maybe Im bad....I will often hold his head when he wont come off me and then grab his whole body ( which he doesnt mind and surprises me, I can pick him up by his body to move him around!),,then he cant nip at me and know he has no choice but to come.

[Birdlette]

Capster59, on 29 July 2010 - 08:57 AM, said:

hmmm maybe Im bad....I will often hold his head when he wont come off me and then grab his whole body ( which he doesnt mind and surprises me, I can pick him up by his body to move him around!),,then he cant nip at me and know he has no choice but to come.

You mean you pick him up like a chicken around the middle and over the wings with his feet hanging down? I do that only with a towel between me and Earl if I am desparate to get him back in his cage and he's flying from one place to another and not stepping up. (another problem!) He will retreat to the back of the top of his very tall corner cage where I can't reach him or up high on his dragonwood perch when I want him to step up and go in his cage. I have to wait for him to fly over to the kitchen counter before I can towel him and pop him in the cage. Anyone have any ideas on how better to train him to go back in his cage? He spends alot of time out when Gary is home and doesn't seem to understand that there are times we both have to go out at the same time. How can a 385 gram bird get the best of us so often?