Keeping Curious Out of Trouble...

[EvaBird]

Hi - as you know I am one of the new kids here on the AA.
My B&G has been exploring the upper level of our house twice a day for 4 days now SUPERVISED. Ah ah is our "no I like that furniture so stop it"

One Example:
At lunch she weaseled her way through the boxes blocking the stairs and climbed the baby gate...to come head on with our mastiff foster dog. Now the fact that Harley is the most loveable dog in the world is null and void in this question...because when she saw him she panicked and I literally took her by the neck (since she was jousting like mad) and supported her butt (she only screamed once then relaxed which I found odd but she has only ever been handled in a towel prior to me, maybe she was startled by the skin on skin contact) ... and carried her to a perch in her room.

5 mins later I approached her and she was all about "lovies" which is my ask before I touch her and she bows really low but she was hesitant. So I let her out again cause she was peking at the door, hind sight suggests I shouldn't let her decide when she goes out...and she attacked me leg - I mean chunk of skin gone!

My question is "How do I get her to stop engaging in a dangerous behavior without breaking the trust that I am so desperately/patiently trying to build" It was recommend that I let her explore but she doesn't step up etc yet. She is learning "come" but if I am not as "shinny" a the most recent distraction, I am left sitting on the floor talking to myself......

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

i would stick trainer in her cage it would be all right to keep her in her cage for a few days and i would not let her just explore on her own as there are to many things for her to get into others will be along to help you out @JLcribber

 

[EvaBird]

I am stick training her, we practice twice a day for 5-10 mins. She loves the chop stick now and she was afraid of anything in my hands at first.

I just find when I saw "uh uh" she stops OR she gets pissed off and comes at me!

 

[Wolf]

It is not right to keep her in her cage for a few days. The failing in this is not actually the bird, it is lack of knowledge on the part of the OP. To begin with I would limit the area that the bird can explore to areas that are safe for it to do so. Secondly I would keep a nice thick towel on my shoulders where it is quickly available if needed to protect myself for a serious bite. I think that the first mistake was in putting this bird on its perch and leaving it alone. In this instance the bird does not understand why it was being punished. The second mistake was a failure to correctly read the body language of the bird as OP took bird off perch while bird was angry with her. I think that although it would have been more time consuming to do that the thing to have done would have been to distract the bird and get it to focus on something else. At the same time the bird does need to learn to accept being placed on its perch without always knowing why and I think that I would have given the bird a nut to occupy itself when I placed it on its perch in this case, as the bird did nothing wrong or even unpredictable. I nut could have made the total difference in how the bird reacted to this series of events.

 

[Theresa]

I am stick training her, we practice twice a day for 5-10 mins. She loves the chop stick now and she was afraid of anything in my hands at first.

I just find when I saw "uh uh" she stops OR she gets pissed off and comes at me!

I believe Cynthia meant step up stick! This is what I made for my birds, this is the old one, I will take a picture of the newer one when the birds get up

Others use a T stick!

 

[Theresa]

This is what it looks like now

 

[macawpower58]

Keep her blocked from any dangers. I'd allow her to investigate (but not a mastiff upstairs!!) to her hearts desire in a safe area. Please put the dog behind a full door when your bird is out.

I'm guessing Miss Curious will eventually want another look at the monster she ran into. That's a recipe for disaster.

I also agree teaching her step up, either on you or a stick (like pictured) is very important. Try some bribery for teaching step up. Food is a great way to get results with many birds. Find her most loved treat and save it for teaching.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Does she have birds safe play areas and play stands she can play on safely, instead?

 

[Bartleby]

Congrats on your new girl! I'm relatively new to the parrot world and come from the dog world just like you. It's definitely a learning curve, but you'll get there. The good news is the principles of learning theory are the same (for any living thing) so a lot of what you already know can be applied to your new girl.

Here's something that I found really helpful Watch Understanding Parrot Body Language by Barbara Heidenreich Online | Vimeo On Demand. It might help you tease apart some of her body language to know when she's just excited and when she's more excited/upset. I would also suggest that until you have a more solid relationship you not let her explore quite so much. She can get herself into trouble amazingly quickly and without a solid step-up and trust base, as you've seen, bad things can happen when you're just trying to help her.

Do you have a Java tree or play stand for her? What about hanging stuff from the ceiling? Atoms are great too Mother Pluckin' Bird Toys - Home of the ATOM. Here's one of the play areas for my girl: If you do something along those lines it would keep her off the floor and also keep her occupied and not "tasting" the furniture.

The important thing is to set her up for success. Instead of watching and waiting for her to mess up by chewing on things or getting into areas she shouldn't, provide her with tons of appropriate things for her to chew on and investigate. Praise her and engage her for utilizing them. That way she really doesn't need be scolded away as often.

Target training with the chopstick is great, it will help with stick training like TMS mentioned. You can teach her to target onto and off the stick that way she learns to stepup on the stick and can be moved safely no matter what kind of mood she might be in. You can also teach her to target all around her cage and to target around the safe bird play areas as well. It's a way to get her engaged in her new environment.

 

[Wolf]

I wish that I could tell you about a macaws body language but I don't have any of this species, so I am worthless on that point other than to say that learning a birds body language will protect you from many bites that could easily be avoided. The best way to teach a bird to not bite is to avoid the bite in the first place. My birds would have thought that I was punishing them unfairly had I put them on a perch alone, even if I came back in a few minutes. Alone time for these birds is in their mind a very harsh punishment, and seems to be true regardless of the species, so use it sparingly.

 

[EvaBird]

It is not right to keep her in her cage for a few days. The failing in this is not actually the bird, it is lack of knowledge on the part of the OP. To begin with I would limit the area that the bird can explore to areas that are safe for it to do so. Secondly I would keep a nice thick towel on my shoulders where it is quickly available if needed to protect myself for a serious bite. I think that the first mistake was in putting this bird on its perch and leaving it alone. In this instance the bird does not understand why it was being punished. The second mistake was a failure to correctly read the body language of the bird as OP took bird off perch while bird was angry with her. I think that although it would have been more time consuming to do that the thing to have done would have been to distract the bird and get it to focus on something else. At the same time the bird does need to learn to accept being placed on its perch without always knowing why and I think that I would have given the bird a nut to occupy itself when I placed it on its perch in this case, as the bird did nothing wrong or even unpredictable. I nut could have made the total difference in how the bird reacted to this series of events.

I am confused by this response as she ws never left un supervised nor does she use a perch at this time. They are available to her. She only likes the floor unless she is sleeping in her parrot room - she is no longer caged has not been for 3 weeks. The area she was in was thought to be safe but I am still learning. She has toys we both play with and she gets nut etc to redirect her. My example was one where she was faster than I was! In a moment of being face to face with my foster dog allowing her time to calm down was not an option. I guess I chose a poor example. In all fairness I knew she was going to bite me but I didn't have time to move so I stood my ground. I appreciate you taking the time to respond but I never suggested she did anything wrong or unpredictable. I was only asking for advice on how to address the curiosity without stifling it. I think the answer thus far is to keep up the stick training and remain patient. I can do that for sure.

Her room has changed since there she now has birch branches, two swings from the ceiling and more 2x4s she loves to chop

 

[Wolf]

The idea of the towel was simply something to place between you and her when she tries to bite you. You know more about the bird than I and if you choose to not use a towel that is great, but you still may need something to block a bite if she tries to come at you to bite. It is your call. I suggested a towel as it is soft and not likely to hurt the bird.
If I misunderstood what you said I apologise.
My response that started with it is not ok to keep her in her cage for a few days was not directed to you it was actually in response to the party who suggested this idea to you.

 

[EvaBird]

maybe I can keep a small towel with me and she will stop being so adverse to it. Thanks!

 

[macawpower58]

When my macaw went through an aggressive stage I utilized a soft fuzzy baby blanket. He also hates and fears towels, but he sees this soft little blanket as good. I've used it to herd him, tossed it over my arm as protection from bites, etc..

You don't really need a towel, just some sort of protection.

 

[EvaBird]

Thank you everyone! this evening Eva listened to my UHUH and since I had a long mit on..she wanted nothing to do with my arm so she just walked away. She was out exploring twice as long!

 

[Monica]

Are you target training or stick training her?

If target training, can you teach her to step up to your hand via target training?


Make sure she has ways to forage to keep her busy.

 

[Wolf]

It has been my understanding that target and stick training are one and the same. You apparently have a different point of view, please explain the difference to me, please.

 

[Bartleby]

It has been my understanding that target and stick training are one and the same. You apparently have a different point of view, please explain the difference to me, please.

Stick training is teaching a bird to step up onto a stick: Barbara's Force Free Animal Training Talk: Stick Training Parrots
Target training is teaching a bird to "target" an object for a reward (some use sticks, don't have to though).

 

[Wolf]

Thank you, Bartleby, for the clarification of these terms as well as for the link.

 

[Monica]

As Bartleby mentioned! Step up is a form of target training, as you are teaching the bird to target their feet onto your hand or arm. Going back to the cage can also be target training.