# bonded, but biting hard?



## allir11 (Feb 2, 2012)

Hi everyone. 
I have a question. I've had my 4 year old tiel Apollo for around 2 months and we've really bonded. She flock calls to me and loves scritches. She seems to be really comfortable with me. 
But i've started to notice that she's biting harder than she used to. When i first got her she would only do light bites to get me to stop what I was doing, like trying to get her on my finger. Never anything that actually hurt. But since we've bonded she seems to feel she has the right to chomp down on my finger if she doesn't want to be moved. 
She especially does this on her shower perch, and on the window sill. she also does it sometimes when i'm trying to get her to go from my shoulder to my hand. Usually if i persist she will step up after a few seconds. but she gets a few bites in before she does. 

Is it because she feels more comfortable with me that she thinks it's ok to bite harder? Just wanted to know if anyone knew why she is doing this or how I could get her to tone it down a bit.


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## MeghanNichol (Mar 2, 2012)

My Ziggy has started to do almost the same thing. He will willingly come on to my hand any time I want him, but when he is just hanging out with me he gets some good bites in. My tiel will turn it's back to me if I try to pick him up from a spot he wants to stay.. So maybe your tiel uses bites instead of a back turn. I'm sure she's not trying to hurt you.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Biting is a tiel's only real way of saying no. She's doesn't know any other way to tell you to stop doing something she doesn't like or doesn't want to do. But even if she does bite when you're trying to move her, don't react, otherwise she'll bite even harder because she knows she'll get a reaction out of you.


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## allir11 (Feb 2, 2012)

OK
i've been trying hard not to let her see any sort of reaction. And honestly she's the sweetest thing even if she does nip now and then. I was just wondering if we were having some sort of dominance issue or I was doing something wrong. Thanks for the help


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