# Ouch!!!!



## mareeder (Jul 31, 2013)

Things are going pretty well with Pip. Covering the cage has helped with Night Frights, and he is getting pretty good at stepping onto my hand when he wants to come out of the cage.

And the bird would be happy to spend the entire day on my shoulder, which of course he cannot. 

But it took at long time to get here. He can still be nippy with fingers, especially fingers other than my own. But we've managed to find a system that works for getting him out of the cage and onto the shoulder, and even back into to cage.

But lately....... he has taken to biting my ears. And it :censor: hurts. Today, he drew blood. He loves to bite on my glasses (sometimes using them as a handle to crawl up on the side of my face, and onto my head...weirdo. But he also bites my ears. There is a difference between nibbling and biting and he nibbles a lot and I let him as it usually just tickles. But lately, he has been biting hard (no hissing or aggression just chomping down) and I DO NOT LIKE IT. :thumbd:

Just getting him off my shoulder and back into his cage doesn't work, cause he will not step onto my finger from my shoulder. He will only step onto the top of his cage (and sometimes he doesn't wanna), where he will then step onto my hand to go back into the cage.

He's happy on the shoulder, but the ear biting is unacceptable and very painful and I'm not sure how to communicate that to him.

He gets out of his cage twice a day for about an hour each, if he behaves.

What can I do?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You have to make him off balance...tipping your shoulder so he falls off would probably work. He'll start correlating falling with him biting. Also, a loud yelp might help as well.


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## Tequilagirl (Mar 4, 2013)

roxy culver said:


> Also, a loud yelp might help as well.


This doesn't work for me, lol. No advice to give because mine does the same, only here for moral support.


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

roxy culver said:


> You have to make him off balance...tipping your shoulder so he falls off would probably work. He'll start correlating falling with him biting. Also, a loud yelp might help as well.


I second this, making them feel off balance really does work - I've used it on bigger birds, and I'm using it on Emme now, too - she likes to throw me a good nip when we practice up and yesterday she drew blood. Little stinker. Give it a try - might be awkward at first, but if you drop your shoulder down when he goes to bite, it might just do the trick.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

scootergirl762 said:


> I second this, making them feel off balance really does work - I've used it on bigger birds


Same here. It's kind of weird, but it's worked. Good luck!


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## Ftest (May 18, 2013)

This is why I love hanging out here. I would have never thought of this, but it makes sense. Very helpful!


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

OUCH! That probably hurts 
Good luck! I hope it stops soon


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## Tisena (Sep 28, 2013)

I bet it hurts!
Sometimes crazy curls are good  Sam bites my clothes instead because if he goes near my ear my hair annoys him :lol:


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## mareeder (Jul 31, 2013)

roxy culver said:


> You have to make him off balance...tipping your shoulder so he falls off would probably work. He'll start correlating falling with him biting. Also, a loud yelp might help as well.


Excellent! And this is good, as I'm kind of naturally "shrugging" my shoulder when he bites down hard (can't help it, really) and yesterday's bite elicited a loud yelp from me for sure. :/

I'll try tipping my shoulder instead of shrugging, see if that helps.

Thanks!


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