My Lovebird is Territorial

[leviofpower]

When my lovie is in my lap or on my arm I can pet her and make her step up with NO biting at all, but when she's in her cage she tries to rip my finger off and wont ever step up if she lets me get close enough to try (which is a very rare occasion). Also, as soon as she climbs onto my shoulder she will NOT let me pet her or get her to step onto my finger, she'll just bite instead. But when on my shoulder if I put my finger in front of her without trying to pet her or get her to step up she'll just nibble and give it kisses.

How can I stop her biting when in her cage and get her to step up when on my shoulder? :confused:

[linda040899]

This is called cage dominance and it's typical, particularly with lovebird hens. Many parrots are protective about their cages. They live there, not you! Reverse the tables and think about how you would deal with an intruder in your home! :)

To deal with the cage problem, try using a perch or a dowel for her to step up onto. Use the "up" command so she knows what you expect. Same thing when you want her to step up onto another place other than the perch.

Shoulders are dominant areas, as it's hard to you to see what she is doing and it can be hard to remove her from your shoulder. I have only a couple of parrots that I trust on my shoulder, as it also makes my face vulnerable to being bitten and not being able to react in time.

Respect her wishes. If she does not want to be petted, that's OK. Perhaps try later or just don't do it. Your relationship with her depends on trust and understanding her.