I posted this same thing on Parrot Forums so for those of you who are on both forums, I apologize for the redundancy, I am just really upset right now. PS the happy time of the month is approaching (female thing) so it could be that added to my emotions.
My morning started off by getting triggered by someone on social media saying that her 10-year-old sun conure never bites. I am so jealous of those who have sweet sun conures that never bite them.
I will say that my Sun is sweet most of the time but when she bites, she can bite so hard and not let go. This morning I asked her to step up out of the cage and maybe to my stupidity I should have not done that because her buddy, the Quaker showed no interest in coming out of the cage.
Sunny was sitting on the door perch, so I thought she wanted to step up. She seemed pretty chill. Well, no, and when I offered her my hand (and mind you I had treats), she bit me so hard on my thumb and would not let go. I used my other hand to free myself from her beak. Well, that didn't seem to work and she bit my index finger and then another finger. It resulted in me prying her off and her flying off to the cage or whatever.
I know that we are just supposed to sit there and take a bite and normally I would if she just did that - bite - but when she does not let go I have to intervene. I am sorry. I am sorry if this makes me a crappy trainer or bird companion, but I can't just sit and wait for her to finish. It is just too long and she kind of starts grinding her beak over my finger.
Clearly, she was trying to tell me something. After 15 minutes in the bathroom, I approached the cage again and found them both sitting on the door perch waiting for me to show up. So I approached and asked for both to step up and they both did. So I treated them and placed them each on their own training perch. During out training session which happened, she was totally nice. She even did well on step-ups. Of course, her Quaker buddy was out and stuff.
I am crying right now because I have had this bird for 17 years and I have for the last few months, I have been trying to really work hard with her to help improve our linse communications. While things are progressing and getting better. I am still getting bit and sometimes really hard. My goal is for this to be at an all time low by this time next year.
In the beginning, when I first adopted her, I seriously did want to re-home her because of the biting, but I managed to work through it by using my handheld T. I will say that does know how to step up, I just wish that if she didn't want to step up she would just retreat and walk away or fly away. She is light you know. Can't she dot that instead of biting?
The only thing I can say about her bites now is that they are not as deep as they were months ago. I still have bites that are still healing. Although my thumb did bleed a lot this morning, the cut is not deep and not a lot of skin was taken off.
Here is the thing, I can handle getting bitten if it is a quick bite - bite, release, done - but why does she insist on clamping and holding on? Doesn't she think I am that slow to catch on? Gosh it hurts, more emotional than physically I might add.
My Quaker is totally not like that (smaller beak of course). If she does bite, it is quick and to the point. With Sunny, it is like long-out drama.
I am feeling overwhelmed and upset right now. She is 18 years old and probably will live past 30. I just hope I can handle 12 more years of her beak LOL!
I really could use a hug right now as well as a tissue.
My morning started off by getting triggered by someone on social media saying that her 10-year-old sun conure never bites. I am so jealous of those who have sweet sun conures that never bite them.
I will say that my Sun is sweet most of the time but when she bites, she can bite so hard and not let go. This morning I asked her to step up out of the cage and maybe to my stupidity I should have not done that because her buddy, the Quaker showed no interest in coming out of the cage.
Sunny was sitting on the door perch, so I thought she wanted to step up. She seemed pretty chill. Well, no, and when I offered her my hand (and mind you I had treats), she bit me so hard on my thumb and would not let go. I used my other hand to free myself from her beak. Well, that didn't seem to work and she bit my index finger and then another finger. It resulted in me prying her off and her flying off to the cage or whatever.
I know that we are just supposed to sit there and take a bite and normally I would if she just did that - bite - but when she does not let go I have to intervene. I am sorry. I am sorry if this makes me a crappy trainer or bird companion, but I can't just sit and wait for her to finish. It is just too long and she kind of starts grinding her beak over my finger.
Clearly, she was trying to tell me something. After 15 minutes in the bathroom, I approached the cage again and found them both sitting on the door perch waiting for me to show up. So I approached and asked for both to step up and they both did. So I treated them and placed them each on their own training perch. During out training session which happened, she was totally nice. She even did well on step-ups. Of course, her Quaker buddy was out and stuff.
I am crying right now because I have had this bird for 17 years and I have for the last few months, I have been trying to really work hard with her to help improve our linse communications. While things are progressing and getting better. I am still getting bit and sometimes really hard. My goal is for this to be at an all time low by this time next year.
In the beginning, when I first adopted her, I seriously did want to re-home her because of the biting, but I managed to work through it by using my handheld T. I will say that does know how to step up, I just wish that if she didn't want to step up she would just retreat and walk away or fly away. She is light you know. Can't she dot that instead of biting?
The only thing I can say about her bites now is that they are not as deep as they were months ago. I still have bites that are still healing. Although my thumb did bleed a lot this morning, the cut is not deep and not a lot of skin was taken off.
Here is the thing, I can handle getting bitten if it is a quick bite - bite, release, done - but why does she insist on clamping and holding on? Doesn't she think I am that slow to catch on? Gosh it hurts, more emotional than physically I might add.
My Quaker is totally not like that (smaller beak of course). If she does bite, it is quick and to the point. With Sunny, it is like long-out drama.
I am feeling overwhelmed and upset right now. She is 18 years old and probably will live past 30. I just hope I can handle 12 more years of her beak LOL!
I really could use a hug right now as well as a tissue.
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