This is why you listen to the person the bird is bonded with...

[AkasyaEllric]

So those of you who have checked out my threads know about Slade and how when I adopted him he mauled my thumb and I still took him home. I saw a traumatized bird who had been through 3 homes till me, who was afraid of hands because of the infamous earthquake method to get a bird to stop biting. It's been almost a year and a half of me slowly and surely earning his trust. We are only JUST at the point where he steps up for me without any hesitation or worry.

Well, I've slowly been getting him use to moving around the house with me. He isn't clipped, but he doesn't fly. He prefers his magnificent waddle that I love. The current routine is to get his water, see if he would like to step up (he always does), and go to the kitchen with him to get water. I set him on the back of one of the chairs and do his water, he steps up and we go back in and then hang out in our normal spot. Tonight however. . .just

We were out in the kitchen doing our thing and my dad walked in. My dad is the kind of person who just. . .he does what he wants. He walked over to Slade as soon as he saw him. We live together, he knows his history. I told him, you have to go slow with him to earn his trust. You have to offer treats, A LOT, you have to pet with something he doesn't see as threatening, like a popsicle stick. What does he do? Put his arm right up to him. Slade warns, he beak bops him. My dad said oh, no big deal. Does it again. Slade beak bops again. He then puts his stomach right up to Slade. Slade puts his beak against him but is pinning like heck. He then AGAIN puts his arm to him with me saying you're going to get bit.

Guess what? He got bit. He got bit 5 TIMES. Not only that. Slade latches when he bites and grinds. I'm trying to pull him off of him, but my dad isn't moving when I get him off, so he's biting again. My dad is freaking out telling me to get off of him. He then starts hitting his arm off the table. Oh h e double hockey sticks no. Not my baby, not this bird who owns my heart. I KNEW I would get bitten and I still put my wrist up to him, got pulled his beak up so he would let go, pushed my wrist into him and he stepped up.

He latched on immediately but as soon as I got him to stop I calmly said "Slade, it's me" and he stopped. I then calmly put him back on the chair and finished what I was doing. I then confidently asked him to step up to go back into the living room and he did, no issues He did however, immediately climb to my shoulder, put his butt towards my ear and went into watch dog mode. FYI, he's never ridden on my shoulder before tonight. He's finally calmed down after about 30 minutes of being on watch and actively trying to get to the floor to waddle out to the kitchen and attack my dad some more.

I'm not happy, at all. But, he is ok, and my dad got what he deserved. Hopefully he doesn't try again. Pictures below of my bite compared to my Dad's, and how Slade was for most of the last 30 minutes while on alert. He also dropped 2 feathers in the process, my mom just brought them to me.

My bite:



My dad's bites:



How he spent most of the past 30 minutes:



How he is now:



TLDR; LISTEN TO THE PERSON WHO KNOWS THE BIRD SO YOU DON'T GET MAULED!!!!!

 

[AkasyaEllric]

PS My parents own 8 parrots. . .

 

[EkkieLu]

For sure!!!

 

[TikkiTembo]

Poor Slade tried to communicate! Keep communicating with your family, they'll either catch on or become bird food

 

[AkasyaEllric]

Poor Slade tried to communicate! Keep communicating with your family, they'll either catch on or become bird food

My mom is super respectful of him and is willing to go slow and earn his trust. It's refreshing considering a few years ago she had more of a different attitude. My dad however will probably never learn. He's the type that animals are machines, heck people too, and do what is expected of them. I hate to say it, but this may make him just want to try harder. :/

 

[Mizzely]

If only he had listened!! Ouch!!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Boy, you must be livid at your dad. I guess he got what he deserved, but at the cost of poor Sadie getting stressed and possibly becoming fearful of certain types of people. He might start trying to single your dad out in the future. I hope your dad doesn’t try harder next time. You think with having so many other parrots he would know better. Maybe he should read this thread if he won’t listen to you.

 

[AkasyaEllric]

Boy, you must be livid at your dad. I guess he got what he deserved, but at the cost of poor Sadie getting stressed and possibly becoming fearful of certain types of people. He might start trying to single your dad out in the future. I hope your dad doesn’t try harder next time. You think with having so many other parrots he would know better. Maybe he should read this thread if he won’t listen to you.

Nah, he's just tell me I shouldn't of posted about it on the internet. And Slade almost certainly will. He didn't like my dad to begin with since when I first got him and was working with him with sticks for stepping up rather than my hands my dad said I was being silly and too much of a baby and forced him to step up then. Slade was terrified and kept trying to get away from him and he wouldn't stop, no bites that time though. Pois, from what I've heard, hold grudges so he'll probably never like him and tbh it's well deserved.

 

[Clueless]

He can change. Maybe he will?

 

[Gribouille]

your dad's attitude reminds me of some movies about animal trainers in circus

 

[AkasyaEllric]

your dad's attitude reminds me of some movies about animal trainers in circus

I mean, to be honest, it kind of is. This is him mellowed out too, he use to be a lot worse when I was younger. Last night he just turned what happened into a joke and said that Slade tried to eat him. He did say to me that he knew it was his fault though, so there is at least that.

 

[Beasley]

Your dad reminds me of my dad. The way I see it, him getting mauled is an eventuality. He’s already been bit by several (!!) dogs but still thinks it’s appropriate to make eye contact, raise his arms, and jut his face out at them menacingly. Luckily he has zero interest in harassing other animals, just dogs..still boggles the mind.

 

[AkasyaEllric]

Your dad reminds me of my dad. The way I see it, him getting mauled is an eventuality. He’s already been bit by several (!!) dogs but still thinks it’s appropriate to make eye contact, raise his arms, and jut his face out at them menacingly. Luckily he has zero interest in harassing other animals, just dogs..still boggles the mind.

Yep, sounds pretty much the same. They don't have a dog anymore thankfully but he expected her to act like a machine and do what he wanted, and didn't read body language at all. I don't fault people who can't read animals honestly, but I do fault them for not listening to others who can because of ego.

 

[Beasley]

I don't fault people who can't read animals honestly, but I do fault them for not listening to others who can because of ego.

Agreed! Yep, my dad won’t listen to the only rule I have, completely ignore the dog. I rehab “aggressive breed” dogs for the pound and can’t take them anywhere near him because I will not have one of my students euthanized because he’s a dumb@.

 

[faislaq]

Glad Slade is okay (more or less) after your dad tried to knock him off. I was worried he'd fall. Thank you for saving him even though you knew he'd bite. He couldn't help it.

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

This must be so frustrating! Glad Slade is happy how.

 

[TikkiTembo]

We tell every guest 'Don't touch the green bird', I can't imagine how it would feel if they didn't listen...Mad at them, sad they got bitten, sad for my bird that felt afraid...Ugh!

 

[AkasyaEllric]

We tell every guest 'Don't touch the green bird', I can't imagine how it would feel if they didn't listen...Mad at them, sad they got bitten, sad for my bird that felt afraid...Ugh!

I'm not sad my dad got bit though I kept to our normal schedule last night even though I wanted to keep Slade out and cuddle him forever since he was still nervous. Putting him in at the normal time was the best thing though since he seemed to calm down a little more before bed time. He's not usually a jumpy bird so it hurt my heart to see him jumping at everything last night.

 

[Gribouille]

Your dad reminds me of my dad. The way I see it, him getting mauled is an eventuality. He’s already been bit by several (!!) dogs but still thinks it’s appropriate to make eye contact, raise his arms, and jut his face out at them menacingly. Luckily he has zero interest in harassing other animals, just dogs..still boggles the mind.

trying to assess himself as the Alpha male, is he..

 

[Beasley]

trying to assess himself as the Alpha male, is he..

In his own completely wrong way, yes. It’s sad that he thinks aggressive behavior is how to achieve that goal. Dogs want a leader, just lead and they will follow, no need to try to terrify them into a submissive position