Stepping up problem

[Lovebirds1578]

Ive had houdini for 2 weeks now. Ive been taking him out by force to do medication becuase it needs to be done, and i grab him wiht a washcloth. I want to try the step up command but everytime my finger gets near he shuffles away or trys to bite my finger. Will it hurt bad?:omg: Or is there a way to do this without much pain...thanks in advance,

-Ben:roll:

[Katy]

Houdini is being territorial because you are in HIS cage. Try leaving the cage door open so he can come out on his own. Once he is out, he'll probalby be less likely to try to bite you if you approach him. Not guarenteed, but it may work better. You could also try teaching him to step up using a wooden dowel incase he wants to bite.

[Lovebirds1578]

oh hes gotten out, and then he flys around the room!!>: I don't have a problem with that, but wings aren't clipped and its a pain to get him back!. should i let him out and then try using a perch first and then a finger? and what do i do if all he wants to do is fly around and get away from me??

-Ben:whistle:

[Janie]

Will it hurt? :D Yes but I think the fear of the first bite is worse than the actual bite! :D I would suggest a wing clip. Mine are all three very tame but when they become to independent for their own safety, I do have the two younger ones clipped. They're getting clipped this week and I'm sure they will be stunned since they've pretty much had full flight for several months.

[Lovebirds1578]

going back to the vet isn't for awhile, so i will have to make do with wings that arn't clipped. i will try a few of these things and see what happens.

-Ben

[Lindades264]

Hi,

Please have a look at this thread. You may find some info.

http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showthread.php?t=4979

[Lovebirds1578]

Thank you, I will try that this week at night. Hopefully i can get houdini to step up and STAY..:roll: Hes a flyer and loves it.

-Ben

[Janie]

Flyers are great and so much fun.....when they are very tame. Otherwise, an accident waiting to happen.

[Lovebirds1578]

i think i have it under control, i'll start in a small room like the bath room and work up.

-Ben

[Mr.Palmisano]

i think i have it under control, i'll start in a small room like the bath room and work up.

-Ben

Make sure the toilet seat is closed.

[Lovebirds1578]

i do everytime. As well as the window above the shower:lol

-Ben

[RicosPoppy]

Good Luck Ben.

My Rico is fully flighted but also very hand tame.

He spends alot of time out of the cage so I had to make sure I could get him to step up on command in case I need to get a hold of him quickly. i.e. Doorbell rings.

This can still be tricky when he knows it's time to go back to his cage but with lots of work I have managed to keep him fully flighted and very hand tame, so it is possible.

My newest trick, I will hold out my finger and he will fly across the room and land on it. Pretty cool.

[Janie]

I agree, in the right circumstances a fully flighted bird that is tame is wonderful and I don't think I will ever have Oliver clipped again. In the last few weeks he's learned to fly to me when I tap on my shoulder and call him but we've had a very close bond for almost three years. Unless you are living alone or living with other people who think before they open or close a door, flight can risky. Oliver was clipped for the first 2 1/2 years after I adopted him and I did not intend to let him be flighted (forever) this go-round until he made it obvious that he is a bird who is safe with flight. My other two are not really safe unless they are contained in their bird room. One day they might be but for now they are just too curious and into everything. :D I will let them enjoy flight for a least a few weeks between clips cause I think it's good for their muscles. :)

[Z28Taxman]

Ditto will fly to my finger too. :cool: He is fully flighted but as tame as a lovie could possibly get. They only flying he does is between me, his gym and cage.

I do live alone and when I have him out of the cage I lock the front door so that even I don't accidently open it. The back door opens to a screened porch so I don't lock that one since he likes to go out there and stand on my shoulder to talk to the outside birds. Even then he will stay on my shoulder and be happy.

Fortunately I have no problem getting him to go back in his cage. Usually I just walk over, put him in front of his cage and say "go on in" and he just does it. :cool:

It did take quite a bit of work to get him like that however. For the first 8 months or so (when he was clipped) he'd do whatever he could to stay out. Usually climbing to the middle of my back, between my shoulder blades, where I couldn't reach him. :rofl: He's actually better behaved now that he's had full flight for 2 years than he was when clipped! :eek: Did I mention that he's not normal. :rofl:

[Bekah]

"did take quite a bit of work to get him like that however. For the first 8 months or so (when he was clipped) he'd do whatever he could to stay out. Usually climbing to the middle of my back, between my shoulder blades, where I couldn't reach him. :rofl: He's actually better behaved now that he's had full flight for 2 years than he was when clipped! :eek: Did I mention that he's not normal."

Yeah that was exacley how my little Petey was the first week. Now he has been a little better about it.

Ben, I hope verything goes well with your little Houdini. He is such a cute little birdie :D. JUst remember patience and love. He will come to you when he is ready. Keep us updated on how everything goes!

[Lovebirds1578]

well i have come to update you. Only 11 more days of medication for the little houdini and ive opened the cage door and just let him jump out and fly around. To get him back, he will sit on one of my drumsticks (thiner than the perches i have, and i am a drummer) and he will stay for only a short period of time. I'm getting there though. This weekend i'll get him onto the perch and then see if i can transfer him to the finger. I will keep you updated. Thats all for now,


-Ben

[LauraO]

Ben: It sounds like you are making great progress and it may be that the drumstick is your dowel for now. I would stay on this track and not even try to use your finger at this point. I would wait until Houdini has the dowel /stick thing down before even trying your finger. I made this mistake with my first lovebird because I wanted to touch him so bad. He was always so jumpy around me in the early days. Once I stopped trying to get him to step up on my fingers or touch him he got way more comforteable.

[Lovebirds1578]

alright, i will stick to the dowel/drum stick for awhile and see how that goes. Slowly i should gain his trust and he can sit on my finger!! Thanks for the advice,

-Ben

[Lovebirds1578]

Look what i did today!!!...:happy: :D He'll only stay on the finger without biting me if i have millet or an avi-cake. Otherwise he bites my thumb. does this mean hes just testing me or what? i don't know why he'd want to bite me. But i'm happy for now!:lol

-Ben

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3468/picture2id7.png

[Janie]

does this mean hes just testing me or what?

:D Maybe and maybe not! :lol I'm sure he's curious about that thumb and one of my three is curious about every inch of skin he comes in contact with when he's on me. He likes to investigate and he uses his beak to do that so sometimes that means he bites (over investigates) what he sees! :D I have never once thought he was biting because he was mad or scared. Just curious. Both of my younger birds love to crawl all over me and both are very curious but one does bite at things he comes in contact with and the other one does not. Hard to say what makes each one tick! :)

And remember what you've read here over and over, they do go through many phases when they're young. You are making great progress! :D

[Lovebirds1578]

So should i just let him bite me? it doesn't hurt too much, just at first it was a shock becuase i was never bitten before so i pulled away..:whistle:

-Ben

[Janie]

No, I would not just let him bite me! :eek: Every single time Big Boi bites me I remove him from the spot where he's "over investigating", i.e., biting the heck out of me, and tell him "NO BITE Big Boi!" I also rub his little beak. In the beginning I did return him to his cage but he looked so pitiful and desperate that I gave in and let him back out. He's gotten so much better in his old age (just over a year old) and has not drawn blood in about 2 months. I think his biting was a phase and while I'm sure he will bite again, off and on, I hope that the worst of it is behind him. Now, if a bird is biting because he has a reason to bite, then you do need to figure out what you're doing to cause that so that you can avoid a bite but in my case with my bird, the bites were not done out of anger or fear, just using his beak for everything. :)

[Lovebirds1578]

Alright. I'm not sure if hes just curious or not, but i open the door of the cage and he hops out and then i get the perch to get him up and he does fine with that, and then once on the perch, he like walks over and like bites me. And its starting to hurt!! I'm not sure if i should just let him investigate or tell him to stop.

-Ben

[Janie]

Ben, I do recommend that you always to tell him to stop, using the same phrase each time. I am not saying it will work but it's always worth a try. Every single time Big Boi has bitten me, I say, "Big Boi, NO BITE" and then hold him and gently rub his head and beak. Lovies are smart little parrots and I think that if they hear the same command over and over and you are consistent, they might eventually figure out what your wanting. Investigating is fine and perfectly normal but getting those bites is no fun so if you can stop it, do. Distracting him by offering his something to chew, even while he's on you, might help, too.

And speaking of lovies being smart......almost every time I call one of my three by their name, I get a chirp back from that bird and only from the bird who's name I've called. Yep, I think they are very smart! :D

[Lovebirds1578]

alright, ive been giving like an avy cake or millet when i want him to step up, but i'd like to just get him to sit on me without biting...i'll just brave it out and use my stern commands til it stops, if it ever does.

-Ben

[Janie]

Ben, I've had Big Boi for over a year. It takes time.

[Lindades264]

Hi Ben,

Biting you should not be acceptable. Be sure to say your phrase firmly, but not harshly. ie "Don't Bite". Houdini will learn this is not permitted by your voice. When he stops biting be sure to say "Good Houdini". Praise him alot for the good behavior. When he bites, you may try to give him a toy (to distract him). His beak may be sensitive and this may be why he is biting you. He also may be determining if you are a reliable perch. There may be many reasons he is biting, but be sure to let him know you are not happy with this behavior.
Have a talk with him. One more thing, birds will use their beak as a third hand, he may bite gently when stepping up, this should be permitted. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Lovebirds1578]

well i got him on my finger becuase he wanted millet, and with my other hand and he let me pet his back for awhile yay!! as for the bites, im not used to yet and still want to say "ouch" and am afraid of it. So i guess i need to step up, let the bite happen, and then use a firm NO BITE.

-Ben

[LauraO]

Ben: While I personally don't care if my lovies bite me or not (even the bloody hen bites:x ), you have been given some great advise. My only question is about when Houdini bites you. If he only bites you once as he gets on you it may be a matter of him testing the stability of where he's stepping. Or, if he's biting your finger as your getting close to him or petting him, he may be telling you he's nervous. These sorts of things are accepteable, which is why it's important to get a better understanding of Houdini and why he's using his beak. You don't want to scold him if he's just trying to communicate something or feel safe. As for the pain, you could also start telling him easy and as he gets more comforteable with you you can touch his beak. However, some lovies, as Janie can attest to, just don't have very good beak pressure control and their bites may hurt when they aren't even trying to hurt you:( .

I'm so glad for the update on Houdini. You are making great progress and sharing your experiences here helps others realize what time, love and patience can accomplish in building a relationship with your lovie:) .