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Conure biting

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Conure biting

Postby randomprecision » Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:21 pm

Hey there,
I've just gotten a new yellow sided green cheek conure. He is very sweet and loves people, he always wants to come out and play but is a huge biter. I don't think he knows that it hurts and he has broke skin many times. I've tried many techniques like blowing in the face, holding the beak, and swaying my hand slightly but these make him bite harder. After he bites he sort of licks the wound and then bites again. He's not affraid of hands as he'll go looking for them and if any of you have heard of the power pause from bird tricks this certainly does not work because he'll reach or fly up to my hand and then bite. But he also doesn't only bite hands, he bites any skin he can find.

I don't really know what to do. Do you guys think something like this could just go away with time? I just wrapped him in a thin little cloth napkin and was giving him scratches and he loved that, he even fell asleep for about five minutes. But when I was putting him away again he just bit me. It doesn't really matter where we are he just bites

I have read about learned aggression and do you think maybe this is what he has? Maybe the breeder accidentaly taught him learned aggression?
This is only my second day in having him and the breeded said he was handfed but lately had not been getting much attention.

Thanks so much!
randomprecision
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided green cheek conure
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Re: Conure biting

Postby Michael » Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:24 pm

Sounds like a combination of learned aggression and just how those birds area.

Have you read this yet?

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=227
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Michael
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Re: Conure biting

Postby randomprecision » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:46 pm

Yes that was helpful thanks,

The only thing is that he/she's not affraid of me, thats not the problem. He likes hands but especially biting them. Like if I use a perch so as to not get bet he'll just walk up to my hand and bite again.
Is there anyway to fix this?
randomprecision
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 4
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided green cheek conure
Flight: Yes

Re: Conure biting

Postby randomprecision » Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:09 pm

Oh one other thing the guy who bred them would use gloves when they started biting
randomprecision
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided green cheek conure
Flight: Yes

Re: Conure biting

Postby Michael » Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:33 pm

Well you're not telling the whole story. It really depends what the cause of biting is but most of the time it is either fear or aggression. You should probably start teaching it alternate behaviors that are more rewarding. Teach it to target and teach it some tricks.
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Michael
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Re: Conure biting

Postby randomprecision » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:57 am

Thanks I've already started targeting, He's really good at it.

Do you think I should have his wings clipped till he gets better about this? Because he likes to fly up to shoulders and bite necks, this really freaks out my mom and it's hard to get him off of there. Or is there a way I can discourage him from sitting up there.
randomprecision
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 4
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Yellow sided green cheek conure
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Re: Conure biting

Postby Michael » Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:15 am

Not freaking out.
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Re: Conure biting

Postby Kathleen » Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:45 am

Although clipping this bird might allow you to have more control over it, it might increase the fear/aggression and it might result in other unnecessary problems like clipped phobias (fear of falling, fear of flying) and breaking of molted primary feathers which stick out and aren't protected by other feathers if they weren't clipped to begin with.

If this bird is biting you, maybe you are going too fast with handling it. You said you just got it. Stop trying to force it. Try the hands off training as suggested already. Clicker conditioning and target training. Be sure to read the guide that was posted already thoroughly because it really goes through these techniques and explains them fantastically.

It sounds like this bird was not properly socialized. Once your bird knows (really really knows) target training, you can target it onto your hand.
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Re: Conure biting

Postby jojovaliente » Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:14 pm

Hi Kathleen and Michael! What would be a good pace to go with? What's too fast and what's too slow? I'm having the same experience with my bird and now trying to take it slower but how much is slow? Should it be like target train for a week? 2 weeks? 3 weeks or a full month and then teach a different trick?

I just got my bird a week ago and was going at her pace and she picked up things way too quick and I didn't think i was forcing her. It's like when i first taught her touch training, she got it down to a tee in one day so I tested her out if she was ready to come out of her cage and touch train onto my hand (step up) and my gosh she did it with ease although she kept biting my hand she was on it so i had to put her down. She even recalls with no problem and loves to fly to me and be near me although I'm kinda tramatized by her bite that I just put her back on the perch or in the cage.

Michael did mention that i needed to take it slow but not sure how slow is slow. Should I just revert back to just touch training inside and outside the cage for some weeks? When do you think it's propper to start moving into the stepping up phase even when she already knows how? Please help. Thanks! ;)

Joel
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Re: Conure biting

Postby Michael » Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:17 pm

While the bird might be 100% at touching the stick, it is not 100% confident in you. So you are getting ahead of the bird with the training. Later on when you have the bird's trust and the bird knows multiple tricks, you may be able to go much quicker. However, somewhere in the first month there is more learning going on that has to do with environment, routine, and personality then just tricks. So as you see, the bird might be able to pick up on the target stick concept quickly but that may be ahead of its comfort level with the environment and that is why you are getting bit.
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Michael
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

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