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Post by barryrendell3858 on Dec 22, 2005 16:30:27 GMT -7
hello everyone,
I have read a few other threads on behaviour but mines slightly different so il still ask.
we have recently re homed a puppy.my wife has always been very close to sparky and him the same.he has never attacked our 2 children but in the last week he has bitten both of them on the back of their neck for no reason,and drew blood.
my wife seems to be next to him when he does this and he has also started to be nasty to visitors.has anyone got any suggestions on how to tackle this behaviour? at the moment we just put him back in his cage and say to him it was naughty and ignore him.we thought that this was the best punishment temporary as he is never really in his cage much.My wife and children have left the puppy alone so there isnt any decrease in the attention sparky recieves.
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Post by jozi on Dec 22, 2005 16:51:32 GMT -7
The agression is possibly due to it being breeding season (Grey tend to breed in the rainy weather).
Hormones mixed with a dab of puppy jealousy...now there is a recipe for disaster!
You didn't say how old your children are or how old Sparky is. Sparky's age will have a lot to do with determining the cause of his behaviour. Your childrens age could have something to do with it as well...
Here's a thought for you...while Sparky is on the childrens shoulders (which, in my opinion, he should not be in the first place...what if those bites had been their faces??) he may feel unstable due to their size and movements. If I were a parrot and someone brought a canine into my territory I might be really concerned about what would happen to me if I accidently fell to the floor. It's possible that the bites were a bid at holding on tight...it's also possible that he is biting out of fear from a predator entering his "safe zone".
The good news is that if this is the case, once Sparky and the puppy work out the details of their relationship, Im sure things will settle down and resume to normal.
Until everything is settled, please, please rethink having Sparky on shoulders...it's dangerous while he is unpredictable (some might say that it is always a dangerous practice).
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Post by nancyd on Dec 22, 2005 18:03:30 GMT -7
It almost sounds as if Sparky is vieing for your wifes attention and is trying to get it no matter what it takes, ie biting the kids when she is sitting next to them, being nasty to visitors, etc. Be sure not to go overboard in telling him how bad he's being as he might take this as just another way to get attention. I agree totally with Jozi in regards to the shoulder sitting. I have read many many books over the summer while looking for a breeder and I can recall only one of them saying it was ok to let a parrot sit on your shoulder and that was only if and when the bird understood that this was a privledge and not a place to hang out. I don't let my tiel go on my shoulder and I don't think I will allow my TAG to learn to sit there either. I have a fondness for my eyes ears nose and lips just the way they are !!! Could it be that Sparky thinks he is being replaced by a puppy  (more jealousy) My tiel is very jealous of my dog and my dog could care less about the tiel. The bird has learned that if he screams the dog will leave the room so ---scream scream scream scream ----Incidentally, I 've had the dog for 7 or 8 years and the tiel for 1 year. I also have my neighbors cat that decided he should live with me instead. I have to pay special attention to the dog now as he acts like I've abandoned him. So I feed the cat so I can let her out of the house, then the dog, (who has the patience of a saint), --then the bird. By the time I get to the bird the cats out and the dog is going back to bed. (he likes to sleep in). This way I can spend time with the bird which is all he seems to live for !!!! |
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Post by spookyhurst on Dec 22, 2005 19:47:58 GMT -7
From what I've read, it's generally believed that children and parrots don't mix well. They say this is partly due to kids being short, so the parrot thinks they are subservient. One of the solutions was to keep the cage close to the floor, and any perching areas below eye level of the kid. Nikko has started to get jealous of my dog (previously it was just the dog that was jealous). This morning I left my mom alone with the two of them (I had to go scout out a hot video game sale  ), and they nearly drove her crazy. The dog was whining for her attention, and the bird was flapping his wings and yelling "Bird, Birdie!" over and over. She ended up eating breakfast with the dog in her lap, and Nikko on his play gym next to her. I admit, Nikko does get shoulder time for awhile everyday. He's never been aggressive (except towards those eeevvviiilllll Kleenexes and paper towels), so I haven't really worried about him biting my face off. Even though I know it's not a great idea, I'll continue to let him spend time up there (he usually just sleeps). It'll take a good bite from him to change my mind, but if that happens, I know I'll have no one to blame but myself. |
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Post by Jane on Dec 23, 2005 2:01:39 GMT -7
There is also a theory that a parrot will bite as a form of protection - if Sparky sees the puppy as a threat he might be biting to try and make the children go away from the perceived danger. The presence of the puppy has unsettled him. Maybe you should actually make more of a fuss of the puppy rather than less in order to reassure Sparky that this new flock member is okay.
Jane
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Post by jozi on Dec 23, 2005 11:47:55 GMT -7
I totally agree with Jane...Sparky needs to know that the puppy is now part of the flock. I would suggest that you do face-to-face time with the puppy and Sparky at the end of the day before bed when they are starting to settle down...maybe both of them down on the floor?? Spread out a sheet, dump some toys and make sure you stay super close and monitor everything that goes on...you never know, they might become the best of friends!
But first, they are going to need to know the rules of play.
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Post by barryrendell3858 on Dec 26, 2005 16:44:14 GMT -7
hi everyone and thankyou for your posts.
firstly i hope you all had a very good christmas.
getting back to sparky he is a year and a half and our children are 8 and 3.when he bit them they were sat on the floor and sparky was on the edge of the sofa.he leant forward and bit them on seperate occasions and through no fault of theirs,they were just watching tv.
we dont allow sparky to perch on their shoulders but he will try his hardest when he is out his cage (practically all the time)to land on my wifes head or shoulders.He has recently started to fly upstairs to her in the bathroom whilst taking a shower or if the bathroom door is closed he calls for her.
We have also had sparky peck the puppy twice now on his nose,and this is when the puppy (called clifford) trys to get attention from my wife,and as soon as sparky sees him near her he flies over to keep a close eye on him.
He doesnt seem to take much notice of the word no now either.countless times today my wife has said no to him as he kept on climbing up the patio curtains and nets.
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Post by spookyhurst on Dec 26, 2005 19:48:46 GMT -7
Might it help if you clipped his wings? This was suggested on another thread where a grey had suddenly become difficult.
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Post by barryrendell3858 on Dec 27, 2005 16:17:09 GMT -7
hi spookyhurst,
we dont really want to have to get that done as he has always been free flying since we purchased him nearly 2 years ago as a baby.
He has been a little spoilt,and now he is naughty our punishment we give him is putting him in his cage that he is hardly ever in anyhow.Thankyou for your post though i think if it comes to it we will have to get them clipped just to try to stop his naughty behaviour.
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Preston
Super Talker
NEED HELP? WE WILL ANSWER AS FAST AS WE CAN (Note: Preston passed away in 2012. We hold his memories dearly, he was a great person and super moderator.)
Sisika and Pete
Joined: January 2005
Posts: 5,912
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Post by Preston on Dec 27, 2005 18:24:47 GMT -7
I'll try to address this without hurting anyones feelings! Time Out does not work with a bird! SH is correct by sighting a clip would humble a dominate bird by limiting his area of percieved ownership, thus allowing you to introduce a persistant bird walking over to the pup (see Jozi). It simplifies the definition of "incoming", where the bird is there before you could prepare for it. Clipping is very easy to do, I can detail it for you when and if you decide. Clipping is a hot debate, and a matter of personal prefrence, but IMHO, I can't see the side of the non-clippers; sure the bird is free like it was ment to be, but windows, ceiling fans, mirrors; the list is endless. There is a new member to our family that has an awesome quote for thier signature; You are responsible for what you tame, forever. I gladly brush up 10 feather clips to avoid the horror of picking up the lifeless body of my little angel. Sorry for the rant, it's just my opinion on the situation. I have experience with 9 parrots with 4 dogs total. Never an incident, so far ;D
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Post by barryrendell3858 on Dec 29, 2005 10:23:53 GMT -7
Thanks preston.
At the moment we have decided to not get his wings clipped but if it gets to the point where no other choice is a good one then we would rather take him to an avian vet as he hates us even clipping his nails.We will keep you all posted on our decisions.
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Preston
Super Talker
NEED HELP? WE WILL ANSWER AS FAST AS WE CAN (Note: Preston passed away in 2012. We hold his memories dearly, he was a great person and super moderator.)
Sisika and Pete
Joined: January 2005
Posts: 5,912
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Post by Preston on Dec 29, 2005 17:51:03 GMT -7
Great! I'm glad I didn't hurt your feelings, and please do keep us posted. ;D
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Post by barryrendell3858 on Jan 1, 2006 12:48:22 GMT -7
hi all,
hope you had a great start to 2006!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
sparky hasnt bitten anyone over the last few days and he is making friends with clifford.He has mastered his squeaky toy so the puppy thinks he has it.Sparky has also been letting the puppy lick his beak.(guess he wants a slave to wash his face now).And sparky also has mastered the bark.No doubt it wont be long before he is telling clifford to go lie down!
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(more jealousy) My tiel is very jealous of my dog and my dog could care less about the tiel. The bird has learned that if he screams the dog will leave the room so ---scream scream scream scream ----Incidentally, I 've had the dog for 7 or 8 years and the tiel for 1 year. I also have my neighbors cat that decided he should live with me instead. I have to pay special attention to the dog now as he acts like I've abandoned him. So I feed the cat so I can let her out of the house, then the dog, (who has the patience of a saint), --then the bird. By the time I get to the bird the cats out and the dog is going back to bed. (he likes to sleep in). This way I can spend time with the bird which is all he seems to live for !!!! 
), and they nearly drove her crazy. The dog was whining for her attention, and the bird was flapping his wings and yelling "Bird, Birdie!" over and over. She ended up eating breakfast with the dog in her lap, and Nikko on his play gym next to her.
