# Biting



## SyddyBird (May 17, 2012)

I am looking for advice on how to stop his biting. It is not a matter of trust, he is tamed, he is just being arrogant. 

I havent been on here in awhile. We have had Sydney for almost a year and a half. He first bonded to me, but now is more bonded to my boyfriend, (i'm jealous, but ok with that, lol). He was clipped after his escape, but is now fully flighted, and takes long circular flights around the house. We really like him being flighted, we have no kids no cats, and no longer use the door he once escaped from.

The problem is he has become increasingly aggressive about not being picked up, because he doesn't 'need' us anymore. Mostly i am ok with this, except when I need to pick him up to put him in his cage, take him to another room, etc. He bites hard. He rarely allows me to pick him up at all. Anytime I come near him, he bites me. He sometimes bites my boyfriend, maybe 25% of the time. 

I am wondering if a light clipping is in order. I need to be able to get him in his cage. He still lets me pet him and he flies to me often. It's not a bonding issue, and sometimes he won't let me get him off my shoulder when he lands there.

The bites are strong enough to draw blood on occasion. Not a gushing blood, but still.

SO, any tricks or advice, or is a clipping in order? My boyfreind doesn't see how clipping will help, but then again, he doesnt bite him nearly as often.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Clipping might help him lose some of his cockiness. I have to do this regularly with a couple of my more snotty birds. Maybe he's hormonal? It sounds like he's biting you the most, which could mean he sees your boyfriend as a mate and you as a threat. What is his sleeping set up like?


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

*Hi Try this way

B.J's. BIRDS THAT GROW UP TO BE BITERS 


Tame youngsters can often develop into biters for no apparent reason.
Some of the usual causes are, a hormonal in-balance. They may no longer 
like to be cuddled or tickled. Or perhaps one or more of the owners moves 
may sets them off, ie being picked up. Could be they enjoy the owners 
reaction when they get bored watching TV.

One answer to this problem is starting all over again with the taming process. 
& confinement until the behaviour improves. This is to re-enforce what they 
already know to be good behaviour & who supplies the goodies & can take 
them away for naughty behaviour. 
Interacting inside the cage gives you a chance to remove yourself from a 
painful or dangerous situation leaving the bird in his cage alone & ignored. 

In the cage provide a basic seed mix & water, all other foods he enjoys 
are to be used as treat foods, fed by hand, either in the cage or through 
the bars, if the biting is really bad. Carefully watch the body language & 
remove the treat food at the first sign of aggression for a count of 10, then 
re-offer it. Do this as often as it takes. 

It's just a case of, rewarding good behaviour & not rewarding bad. Don't 
encroach on his personal space without a treat food offering. It will be all 
about treats for quite some time Hopefully he will gradually return to some if 
not all of his loving ways & will again, offer his head for a scratch. 
Do not be in a hurry to let him out it's up to you to try to discover what the 
problem is. You don't want the biting problem to come back, do you?.....

There are some who advise you to ignore any biting. The theory is that the 
bird will eventually get fed-up & stop. I have been unable to find out how 
long eventually is but I do know ignoring b****y hurts!!!
*


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## SyddyBird (May 17, 2012)

Thanks for your replies. He's in the living room, but we go to bed at 11, so does he. We cover his cage and turn all the lights out, except their night light. (Their being him and a budgie in the cage next to him). He is ok with this routine, and knows it is bedtime, goes right into his corner. He gets up between 1030 and noon, depending on how active and whistling he is in the morning. 

Just after I posted this, he stepped up for me, off of my boyfriend, as if to show me that he doesn't need his wings clipped, lmao. (see mommy, i can be nice to you.)

I understand he probably sees my boyfriend as his mate, but he is okay with me sometimes. I am mainly concerned with being able to control him when I need to, I cannot chase him for a half an hour until he gets tired of flying every time I have to put him up to leave the house, or for his safety.

I have NEVER been able to train him with treats. Anytime I give him a treat for good behavior he looks at it, turns his head and laughs, literally. And he can love popcorn balls one day, and hate them the next. I never know what is a treat to him. Positive attention is the only thing that works, and in this case, it is not working.

I should add, he is generally a good bird, not a huge screamer, does what he is supposed to, and after being told no a dozen times, stops doing what he isn't supposed to, (like chewing my books).


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Bird Junky said:


> *
> In the cage provide a basic seed mix & water, all other foods he enjoys
> are to be used as treat foods*


*

It's fine to have certain foods to use as training treats, but going through the taming process is no reason to deprive your bird of a healthy, varied diet. In fact, if you only provide seed and water in the cage for an extended period, you're likely to cause your bird to revert back to being a seed junky and stop eating any fresh foods he currently enjoys. So don't take it to the extreme of only offering seeds and water if you choose to use this route.

Here is more information on training and food bribery, and how to do it the healthy way: http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=28661*


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

Bird Junky said:


> *
> 
> One answer to this problem is starting all over again with the taming process.
> & confinement until the behaviour improves. This is to re-enforce what they
> ...


i'm just going to say that i disagree with this. 

it's awful to punish a bird for being a bird. 

they aren't just an animal. they have feelings too.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

My male cockatiel went through that phase when he turned about one. He became a bit naughty and started acting up like you described. I took him for a light wing clip and that seemed to help. It calmed him down considerably.


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## SyddyBird (May 17, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. Eduardo, Sydney is just over a year and a half, and he has had his wings fully flighted for a few months now. After you did the wing clipping, then he calmed down, did you have to keep re-clipping his wings. He is generally a good bird, but the bites hurt, and he means them, because he thinks he is a free-range bird, not to be caged. 

I don't do much with treat training, because he has no interest in food as treats for behavior. He loves foods, veggies, seeds, pellets, nutriberries, etc. But he just won't eat them as behavior treats. He just eats them when he feels like it. Its a game if I offer him food, and he gets distracted from his good behavior if I offer him a treat. 

The only things he would probably take as treats would be potato chips and beef jerky, and those aren't things I offer him, those are things he sneaks up on my shoulder for, if I forget to lock him up. 

I'm going to just go with trying to use a stick to get him to step up, and use that to put him in his cage. It worked yesterday and today. I do see a light clipping in his future.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I have to keep clipping my more bratty birds. They're fine til they realize they can fully fly again, then its "chase me chase me, I'm not gonna let you catch me!!!" at night, which is SUPER annoying lol. Does he like his reflection in a mirror? You may be able to use that as a "treat" for training.


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## SyddyBird (May 17, 2012)

Yes, it is very annoying. If it was practical, I would just make my bf be the one to always lock him up, but, it isn't.

Until recently, he didnt pay the mirror any attention, now he occasionally pecks at it, but thats when he is standing with my boyfriend. Guess we don't want any intruders in their relationship. Otherwise, he ignores that goofy yellow-headed thing in the mirror.

My bird is really hard-headed. No wonder he likes my bf. Lol


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You know what they say...birds of a feather flock together.


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

enigma731 said:


> It's fine to have certain foods to use as training treats, but going through the taming process is no reason to deprive your bird of a healthy, varied diet. In fact, if you only provide seed and water in the cage for an extended period, you're likely to cause your bird to revert back to being a seed junky and stop eating any fresh foods he currently enjoys. So don't take it to the extreme of only offering seeds and water if you choose to use this route.
> 
> Here is more information on training and food bribery, and how to do it the healthy way: http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=28661


*Thank you for pointing out the fact that my training/taming guide could cause dietary problems. Obviously I should have stressed the fact that my re-training program should take place on a daily basis. I shall amend asap....B.J. *


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

meaggiedear said:


> i'm just going to say that i disagree with this.
> 
> it's awful to punish a bird for being a bird.
> 
> they aren't just an animal. they have feelings too.



*I'm not suggesting a bird should be punished. One gives a treat for
good behaviour. No treat for bad. I don't think that equates to
punishment....B.J.
*


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

But BJ birds don't understand punishment. They don't grasp WHY they aren't getting the treat. They respond to positive reinforcement better. I think that's what she was getting at.


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## hanssolos.momma (Jan 28, 2013)

Hi Im new on here and just got my first tiel this past sunday,I am not sure how to do my own posts on here for everyone to reply all i see that i can do is reply to someones elses post. instructions for a newbie? lol


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