Attacking the dowel?

[Estee]

Hi all,

So far, we've spoiled Tutti Frutti rotten, which seems to be the normal course of things with a lovebird.

But he's gotten "not so good" at stepping up. He still needs a little pressure on his abdomen. So I've started working on it with a dowel, because he's been nipping a lot when we *try* to take him off our shoulders.

SO, here's the situation: when I bring out the dowel, he goes for it like it's an old high school sparring partner he's overwhelmed with joy at being able to tousle with-- with his beak, and hard.

Help? I want to be able to take him down with a dowel, and he specifically attacks it when he sees it!

[Ilovelovies]

I don't have any advice for you, but i wanted to let you know two of mine does the same thing. They are such strong willed little birds and if they don't want to step on the dowel, they tear into it with a ferocity that reminds me of a hyena :lol .

Gotta love em, they don't do anything they don't want to do without a fight!

~Sharon

[BarbieH]

My birds do similar things. Sam fights the dowel if he doesn't want to step up. He is finger tame, but if he doesn't want to step up on the finger, he will attack it the same way. :omg:

Gracie has a different approach. She puts her head down so the dowel can't get close to her toes. Or, she steps over it. Gotta love her intelligence. :)

If they need to be moved, though, then they have to get on that dowel. Persist. Walk into another room or use something else to distract his attention, then try to get him to step up again. He could well step up on the dowel without thinking about it.

Your little boy can keep wrassling with the dowel even after he has stepped up on it, and have a good time.

[mjm8321]

You can always use a bit of bribery. Millet is hard to resist, even when it is near the evil dowel. ;)

[Kirby]

When I need to get Kirby out of her cage... here's what I tried:

1. Dowel - No use, it died several hours later due to Kirby attacking it
2. Toys - Kirby's favourite toys then had all interest lost when she realised that it ended up with her out of the cage
3. Millet - can be combined with a happy hut for "Rush into happy hut grab millet then run back out before mommy pulls me out of cage" incident
4. FREAKING OUT AND GRABBING HER WITH A TOWEL/BARE HANDS and then feeding her millet because she looks shocked that I won and she did not

#4 Usually works well :D

[Estee]

Hee hee. Yes it's an evil dowel! Barb, Tutti sounds just like Sam. I'll try your tips. Thanks.

[Teri]

lol ok well this makes me feel like a less horrible mom! My Cooper is a dowel attacker too and she seriously seems to love tearing into it. She uses all the meathods you've described to avvoid stepping up on it, putting head down so dowel can't get close, stepping over, attacking, and when she wants to really mess with me she places one foot on the dowel and one on the perch then looks up at me cute as can be and lets out an innocent chirp.

Treats are useless because as yummy as her dried fruit is no treat is worth the moral victory she gains from being a rebellious lil bird for her mommy! Oh and she also does this thing where she taps her beak on the perch as a warning before she attacks dowel,finger or arm. Anyone else seen this behavior?

[Kirby]

Oh yes... haha..

Kirby does that against the side of her cage when we're bugging her with our fingers!!

I wonder if they get a headache from doing that?

[Teri]

hehe I've wondered about the same thing! There's some days (like cage cleaning day) that that's all Coope seems to get done is bangin her beak on the perch to warn me off. Luckily I've found out most of her beak pounding is her hurt pride not feeling like she's be'n given the proper respect. If i eww and aww over how big and bad she is and apologize for my menial presence in her cage she usually backs off and allows me to do what I need to. All hale the Queen! haha!