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Will she ever stop attacking and biting my husband?

TLC

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Charlotte bit husband again (drew blood). This is now the second time. I feel bad cause I keep trying to get him to interact with her, but he isn’t reading her body language and isn’t impressed when I tell him that. Lol

Also, she was on the floor and that seems to be a trigger for her to go find him in another room and then bite him. Other times she will let him pat her. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong and hope I figure it out soon as hubby isn’t impressed. No more on the floor for her when he is around.

Pet shop owner told me to have my husband stomp and wave hands when she looks like she is going to attack so that she sees him as a bigger predator but that hasn’t really worked. He also said that I should get a time out cage and put her in it whenever she tries to attack him or bite him.

Thoughts?
 

Shezbug

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Ummmm I believe stomping and carrying on will be rewarding- it is a dramatic reaction...... I would get no where except further into trouble with Burt if I did what you were told to do. I do not think I would take any advice from that person for anything animal related.

@JLcribber can you offer some help?

Have you considered contacting an expert avian behaviorist rather than a pet store worker? Hopefully our members can help you but the behaviorist is always there as an option for the future.
 

TLC

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Ummmm I believe stomping and carrying on will be rewarding- it is a dramatic reaction...... I would get no where except further into trouble with Burt if I did what you were told to do. I do not think I would take any advice from that person for anything animal related.

@JLcribber can you offer some help?

Have you considered contacting an expert avian behaviorist rather than a pet store worker? Hopefully our members can help you but the behaviorist is always there as an option for the future.
I absolutely will but it is really more for my husband than the bird. He may or may not come around and I will just have to stop feeling guilty about it. The previous owner said Charlotte didn’t like men and it’s only been about one month since we’ve had her. I would love to video tape her going for my husband to show someone and then find a consistent way to deal with it. I also wondered about the stomping action but perhaps if it’s followed by a time out it will work.
 

TLC

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I absolutely will but it is really more for my husband than the bird. He may or may not come around and I will just have to stop feeling guilty about it. The previous owner said Charlotte didn’t like men and it’s only been about one month since we’ve had her. I would love to video tape her going for my husband to show someone and then find a consistent way to deal with it. I also wondered about the stomping action but perhaps if it’s followed by a time out it will work.
should maybe entitle this post #trying too hard too fast
 

Shezbug

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Maybe your bird would like a time out? Sometimes time out may be rewarding and other times it may be punishment. We really need to understand that not everything we perceive as punishment is what our birds perceive as punishment.
There are times I have seen people put their bird away for "punishment' (which I believe has no place or benefit with a bird relationship ever) where the bird actually saw it as a reward as the person had totally misread the bird and the bird wanted away from them so the time out punishment in the humans mind became the reward in the birds mind.
 

TLC

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Maybe your bird would like a time out? Sometimes time out may be rewarding and other times it may be punishment. We really need to understand that not everything we perceive as punishment is what our birds perceive as punishment.
There are times I have seen people put their bird away for "punishment' (which I believe has no place or benefit with a bird relationship ever) where the bird actually saw it as a reward as the person had totally misread the bird and the bird wanted away from them so the time out punishment in the humans mind became the reward in the birds mind.
Interesting. Personally, I love time outs! Since getting Charlotte, I’ve seen and heard such contradictory information on what to do and what not to do that I’m pretty much going to have to go with my gut, I think. I also think my expectations that Charlotte will act the same as she does with me with my husband is being naive. I can’t complain about anything else with this beautiful bird so... glad there was limited internet when I was raising my children! My hubby does like and enjoy here, other than the attacking and biting part.
 

JLcribber

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Pet shop owner told me to have my husband stomp and wave hands when she looks like she is going to attack so that she sees him as a bigger predator but that hasn’t really worked. He also said that I should get a time out cage and put her in it whenever she tries to attack him or bite him.
Who ever this is, they're clueless. Please stop taking any advice from them.

This is a very common and pretty natural reaction where cockatoos are concerned. They choose someone (fairly quickly and it seems like you) to the detriment of others. Your husband can have a (different) relationship with her in time but he need to do this outside of your presence because as long as you are are around he has no value and is basically competition for your affections. (Whatever you do, do not show affection to each other in front of the bird).

Start off by reading this article (Hubby should read it to if he will). It will explain many things and ways to approach them. Then ask some more questions.

 

malibu

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yeah I agree with the rest, have him stop the stomping and waving asap. I don't have 'toos but I can say with confidence that him trying to be the bigger predator will not help.

This creates a worse relationship since the relationship is no longer a mutual respect its predator and prey so naturally the birds only defence is to bite
 

TLC

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Who ever this is, they're clueless. Please stop taking any advice from them.

This is a very common and pretty natural reaction where cockatoos are concerned. They choose someone (fairly quickly and it seems like you) to the detriment of others. Your husband can have a (different) relationship with her in time but he need to do this outside of your presence because as long as you are are around he has no value and is basically competition for your affections. (Whatever you do, do not show affection to each other in front of the bird).

Start off by reading this article (Hubby should read it to if he will). It will explain many things and ways to approach them. Then ask some more questions.

Thanks so much John. I will read the article and try not to show my husband any affection ... in the presence of Charlotte, I mean!
 

melissasparrots

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Charlotte bit husband again (drew blood). This is now the second time. I feel bad cause I keep trying to get him to interact with her, but he isn’t reading her body language and isn’t impressed when I tell him that. Lol

Also, she was on the floor and that seems to be a trigger for her to go find him in another room and then bite him. Other times she will let him pat her. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong and hope I figure it out soon as hubby isn’t impressed. No more on the floor for her when he is around.

Pet shop owner told me to have my husband stomp and wave hands when she looks like she is going to attack so that she sees him as a bigger predator but that hasn’t really worked. He also said that I should get a time out cage and put her in it whenever she tries to attack him or bite him.

Thoughts?
I have a no cockatoos on the floor rule. It solves a lot of problems.
 

sunnysmom

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I pretty much have to keep my cockatoo and my fiance separated. I think if your husband is willing to work with Charlotte, the suggestions in the article John posted are very good. (And the article does a great job at explaining behavior.) But if your husband doesn't want to work with Charlotte, there's not much you can do. I'm saying that from my experience. My fiance doesn't read Elvis, my 'too, well at all. Nor does he really have the patience to work with him. I have reluctantly accepted this. So, the best thing I can do is to limit their out of cage time interactions.
 

macawpower58

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And if they do happen to be in the same room, give him some armor so he's not a sitting target.
Like a nice soft pillow to bounce attacking Toos off.
I used one when my macaw went through an attack stage.
Nothing scarier than a big bundle of feathers coming straight at you beak agape!
A pillow won't hurt your bird, and may save hubby from some bites.
 

TLC

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And if they do happen to be in the same room, give him some armor so he's not a sitting target.
Like a nice soft pillow to bounce attacking Toos off.
I used one when my macaw went through an attack stage.
Nothing scarier than a big bundle of feathers coming straight at you beak agape!
A pillow won't hurt your bird, and may save hubby from some bites.
Oh, great idea that is doable. Thanks for that.
 

melissasparrots

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Is Charlotte a DNA sexed female? I ask because in your avatar, the bird looks to have a more male beak. Male umbrellas are well known for this type of behavior and generally being quite challenging. It probably doesn't really make a difference in terms of what to do about it, but it may explain the behavior if it becomes persistent and really aggressive.
Would your husband be willing to do some trick training with her or some basic target training? It may help to foster some cooperation within Charlotte. Sometimes you can interrupt aggression with a trick. I find that works better with females than with males that are in the midst of raging hormones. It works better still if you can read body language and have them do a hands off trick and then disengage safely before the bad behavior shows.
 

TLC

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Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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Trenny
Is Charlotte a DNA sexed female? I ask because in your avatar, the bird looks to have a more male beak. Male umbrellas are well known for this type of behavior and generally being quite challenging. It probably doesn't really make a difference in terms of what to do about it, but it may explain the behavior if it becomes persistent and really aggressive.
Would your husband be willing to do some trick training with her or some basic target training? It may help to foster some cooperation within Charlotte. Sometimes you can interrupt aggression with a trick. I find that works better with females than with males that are in the midst of raging hormones. It works better still if you can read body language and have them do a hands off trick and then disengage safely before the bad behavior shows.
Good idea about trick training for hubby (I mean Charlotte!). He likely would enjoy that. I don’t believe that she has been DNA tested but someone else thought her eyes were too dark for a girl. I have no reason to doubt her previous owner who I am still in touch with who had her for 3 years unless she assumed when she got her from previous owner (first owner, had her for 11 years) they were wrong. I’ll ask her. Trying to not spend so. Icy money at the vet so not sure I would do the test unless it was warranted for health reasons.
 
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