# Stopping Cooper from biting



## Coopersmom (Jun 22, 2011)

Hey guys, i got my bird Cooper like three months ago and he was only a few months old so he's just a baby  I love him to death and for the most part he's people friendly. I had two cockatiels when I was younger but they were both older when i got them. So Cooper has is a whole other learning experance lol

I can open the cage and he'll come right out (which I couldn't do with my older ones) but he looooves to chew on my nails, idont think he's try to bite me but I have acrilic nails so they're longer and hArd. How do I stop him from doing this? I know that if he was biting my fingers pulling away reinforces the biting so I'm not sure what to do if he's trying to chew on them

another thing is he screams... Loud lol how do I break him of this?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

OK the chewing is because your acrylic nails are shiney and birds love to chew on shiny things. If he's chewing and you're holding him above the floor you could always drop him or make him unsteady with a steady "no." Or remove your hands from his reach. It hurts when they try to give a home manicure huh?

As for the screaming, try to ignore it. Now is he doing it all the time or when you leave the room? If its only when you leave the room its not screaming its called flock calling, he's checking to make sure you're OK because he can't see you so call back to him. Now if its screaming at other times ignore it. You can also reward him with treats or attention at times when he's NOT screaming to help him get the hint that screaming isn't liked at all. Hope this helps!


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## Coopersmom (Jun 22, 2011)

Drop him? That sounds kinda extreme lol I'm a weenie. I read about the flock call it's cute cause there's this whistle I always do and when I'm not in the room he'll do that and scream too lol but he also screams in the morning


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## casualrepartee (Apr 28, 2011)

Hemingway is constantly flock calling as I leave the room. He also calls when I walk in the house door...when I escape his line of vision to walk into the other room for a second. I'll call back to him if I'm staying, or tell him "goodbye!" when I'm leaving. He still does it just the same. If he does it when I've put him back in his cage for a rest, though, I'll talk to him for a minute, but after that, I let him scream until he gets irritated with me and decides he'll get back at me by eating!


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## Coopersmom (Jun 22, 2011)

I got Cooper somemore toys and now he doesn't try to chew on me as much lol I've been working with him a kit and he finally let me pet his back today!


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## pink.snootchies (Jan 23, 2011)

Coopersmom said:


> Drop him? That sounds kinda extreme lol I'm a weenie. I read about the flock call it's cute cause there's this whistle I always do and when I'm not in the room he'll do that and scream too lol but he also screams in the morning


i dont think it was ment literally drop him, just drop your hand straight down in a quick motion, be prepared to get smacked in the face with a wing lol. 

For screaming, if its when you leave the room make a certain whistle when you leave the room so he knows your still there? Petrie does this often and so i started to let him out more often and give him more attention that i had been, but now hes back to it so i put him back in his cage cover him up until he quiets down then let him back out again with a treat. Good luck.


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## Coopersmom (Jun 22, 2011)

That does make more sense lol I've beeen taking him out a few times a day now and he doesn't scream as much lol hopefully I can get him to stop completely


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## pink.snootchies (Jan 23, 2011)

I hope so too! I guess key is to spoil them rotten... lil boogers.


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## Coopersmom (Jun 22, 2011)

That has to be the trick lol I didn't realize getting a baby would be so different then the older ones I had


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