Oct 7, 2011 16:29:59 GMT
MattJ
Normal Green
Puck
Posts: 329
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Post by MattJ on Jan 26, 2012 23:14:44 GMT
Heya, Puck's tame now and well bonded - if I'm sitting watching TV I can play with him on my lap no problems, stroke his cheeks, touch his tail feather ... Problems arise mainly when I'm on the computer, typically he'll jump on my hand when I'm using the mouse and play with my ring for 10-20 seconds. He then gets a bit worked up in a frenzy and will start trying to bite me. I say "trying" cause I have quite big hands (I'm 6'4'') and he struggles to get a real purchase on me (only really possible edge of finger nail or folds on knuckle). Similar thing happens when I'm on the keyboard, or some times when he's just on my hand. If I get him off, he'll usually fly straight back to me. At this point he's often pretty worked up and I cant even put him back in his cage without grabbing him (which he's wise to). He'll sit on my finger till I get close to the cage then fly to my shoulder ... when I go to get him off he'll fly round to the other shoulder Curiously though when I grab him, he wont bite me! So I've tried ... Making a hurt noise Having toys/perch on my desk for him to play with Repeatedly taking him off my hand/desk to his gym/my shoulder Pushing back when he bites/tipping him off Stopping what I'm doing/switch hands with the mouse Mixed success with all of them. As I'm still recovering from hand injuries, even just having a budgie on my hands isnt ideal. The end result is I'll often put him in before I go on the computer. He obviously loves it, because often as soon as I start using the computer he'll be over investigating what's doing on. Ideally, I'd like him to remain on my shoulder or the perch I have setup on my desk ... but I'd be happy if he just stopped bitting! Any thoughts? Cheers
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Post by stace on Jan 27, 2012 0:29:02 GMT
Oh Matt. Puck is so naughty. I think when we have a super tame bird, these are sorts of problems that arise. I have them too with Boo, from time to time.
I can't wear any jewellery in the house any more because Boo just thinks it's a toy. So, if you can, remove the ring. That might help stop the frenzied behaviour starting in the first place. Sometimes by changing up one element of the behaviour problem (the ring) it can stop the rest of it happening.
The other thing I've had to do, when Boo gets obsessed with something I don't want him to do, is work on making him 'forget' about that particular thing. It entails giving him his favourite 'other' thing until he forgets how much he likes the forbidden thing. If you know what I mean.
I've found that the more familiar they are with something, the more obsessed they become with it. If I ever catch Boo playing with something I don't want him to, and landing on a spot where I don't want him to go, I immediately remove him. It seems to stop him doing things that are unwanted from the start.
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Post by stace on Jan 27, 2012 0:52:21 GMT
Incidentally, one of the phrases Boo has learnt without me deliberately teaching him is: "You are SO annoying".
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Post by samwiseg on Jan 27, 2012 8:28:13 GMT
Would say that in my experience (dunno if is the same with anyone else) but birds are very "hypnotised by the shiny" (must be a female thing ! ) But in our case I have to remove my watch as Monts goes MAD over it, start an initital play with head bobs until she gets really worked up and "chomp chomp chomp" at my fingers and knuckles starts happening?! They get over excited?! Agree wih Stace - perhaps if you remove the offending item & try not to make a hurt noise though as they will no they are getting a reaction out of you and will want to do it more (the little buggers) ;D
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,843
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Jan 27, 2012 8:33:00 GMT
I agree with Stace. Trying to distract Puck would be your best bet. But if he's anything like Lilek, it might take a while!! Persistent aren't they?! Boo says "you're so annoying" that is cute Stace!
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Oct 7, 2011 16:29:59 GMT
MattJ
Normal Green
Puck
Posts: 329
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Post by MattJ on Jan 28, 2012 17:11:25 GMT
Thanks for the reples! Often just typing things out is enough to realise what you need to do ... though it seems in this case it was clear to everyone but me, I pretty much spelled it out that my ring was the cause I'd tried taking it off but only after he'd got all worked up - I've now tried taking it off before and the two times so far he's been much less excitable afterwards, not perfect but at least distractable. I'll keep trying!
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Oct 8, 2011 20:57:03 GMT
Bonesy
Normal Violet
Posts: 198
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Post by Bonesy on Jan 29, 2012 1:02:19 GMT
He's doing it for "mating" rights, he's displaying with your hand but he's focusing on the ring as a point of interst like another bird's beak basically... If you left your hand for long enough he would start to pin his eyes, bang his beak, make "kissy" noises, blow out his tail & "britches" and you'd start noticing him paddling his feet on your hands trying to mate you. My mikko did this in his terrible teens, my best resort was to simply fold my hands away underneath the desk, sometimes just walking away and once he changed to another action, I'd invite him to come play on the cage top, or get him a bit of millet, hang it on some string and put it somewhere awkward where he had to work to get at it. It's purely hormonal frustrations, and many actions like pushing or flicking him off will only fuel his determination and it'll become more of a game. You can also "claim" your space by putting your head down to your hand and blowing briskly on his back (budgies don't like being blown on hard, it upturns the feathers and releases heat) and while he is distracted going "HEY what the..!?" you put your face away from him and use your head to push him away from your hand. This way you're using your head to assert that's your "thing" and you'd appreciate him not getting fruity with it. You'll have to get a knack to it and it'll take some repeating but you'll soon see his natural instinct kicking in once you start using your face like they do to say "No, thanks! Get off!" Puck is adorable by the way, he reminds me alot of my friends budgie, Spud!
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Oct 7, 2011 16:29:59 GMT
MattJ
Normal Green
Puck
Posts: 329
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Post by MattJ on Feb 29, 2012 22:30:35 GMT
I cant believe I didnt read Bonesy's reply until now I can completely see what you mean about him seeing my ring as a point of interest, like a beak ..... and the rest of it lol He does a similar thing with my finger nails but I think the noise from my ring is better. My action now is to just take my ring off when he starts to play with it, typically he'll then carry on playing with it and throw it on the floor Since realising I can take my ring off he's much less obsessed with my fingers and we're both much happier
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Oct 7, 2011 16:29:59 GMT
MattJ
Normal Green
Puck
Posts: 329
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Post by MattJ on Feb 29, 2012 22:33:14 GMT
Puck is adorable by the way, he reminds me alot of my friends budgie, Spud! Lovely birdy! I owe so much of the taming to the reasoning on your website!
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May 17, 2024 1:25:33 GMT
Deleted
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 13:08:13 GMT
Just out of interest, how long does a budgie's hormonal 'teenager' phase last for? I guess it varies between birds but how long is average? Because right now I can't wait for Munchy to be an adult so that I can try to interact with him again. He doesn't seem scared of me, will drink when I'm sitting next to his cage and will happily sit on my shoulder or land on my if his cage isn't there, but he's hard to get out of his cage because he bites my finger so I can't go near him and he's afraid of my hands too much for me to pick him up, which makes trying to train him to step up again (onto a perch rather than my finger) very difficult. He also bit my hand the other day just because it was there at the end of the perch he was sitting on after I'd got him down from the mirror on it. Sadly I'm the sort of person who really likes being able to handle and stroke a pet, and I'm not sure if Munchy will ever let me do that. I have another two and a half weeks off of uni so I'm going to try to get him stepping up (and maybe put his rope perch back outside and hope he'll stay out even without his mirror so that I can get him onto a perch for training easier than struggling to get him out because he's wised up to the millet lure and having to try to pick him up until he lands on the floor of the cage and then taking the bars off). I'm contemplating getting him a friend but if I do I'd prefer to get a bird that's already been through it's hormonal phase and first moult (but that's not too old so that it would be unlikely to pass away too long before Munchy's old as well, because if it had just been the two of them for years Munchy might get really sad) and had been handled a lot and was already hand tame and at least accepted being handled. That way I could have my little stroking fix without bothering Munchy and Munchy wouldn't be lonely if he doesn't want to interact more than he already does. Maybe if Munchy calms down in the future I could use the quarantine cage to separate them for a little bit whilst trying to tame him again To those of you who have multiple birds but had one a while before the others, did your first bird become any less tame when you got more?
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Post by BudgiesBuddy on Apr 3, 2012 13:25:06 GMT
Budgies first molt is around four month old.
I find my budgies to be extremely playful, roughly from 2 months old to six months old after which they start to settle down. And this the period where they can be easily tamed.
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May 17, 2024 1:25:33 GMT
Deleted
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 13:42:46 GMT
Phew, that's good then, BB. Hopefully in a couple of months Munchy will calm down enough to let me try to get him on my finger without biting me again. It always happens so suddenly that it's really hard for me to just not react to it. I wish I could :< He started moulting about 4 weeks ago so hopefully it will be over soon or start to ease off. I was hoping to have a playful pet that wanted to spend time for me so I don't really want to give in and get him a friend but at the same time I wonder if he might be happier that way.
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Feb 29, 2012 21:44:11 GMT
Bird Junky
Normal Green
Posts: 458
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Post by Bird Junky on Apr 3, 2012 14:18:54 GMT
Hello Ira & Matt. Ira hormones are not the sole reason for your birds so called naughtiness. Matt, put him away before you start. Your bird expects all your attention when he's out because that's what you taught him Yours B.J. .
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May 17, 2024 1:25:33 GMT
Deleted
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 14:33:59 GMT
Maybe not, B.J. but I can't see any other obvious reason for it. I'm hoping it is something he'll grow out of because I rather have the one very friendly budgie than two that would rather be with each other. He's friendly enough, just trying to work out what to do about the biting. *Sigh* If anyone wants to travel all the way to Cardiff and tame my budgie to stop biting and maybe accept being touched then that would be nice. If not, a recommendation of where I can get a slightly older, hand tame and possibly playful budgie as a companion for Munchy would be nice in case I decide to consider that option more seriously.
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Feb 29, 2012 21:44:11 GMT
Bird Junky
Normal Green
Posts: 458
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Post by Bird Junky on Apr 3, 2012 15:17:57 GMT
Hi Ira. I can only suggest you use my Taming system & start again. But like all the others. it wont work if you take short cuts or move on to the next stage before your bird is 100% at each stage. Yes I know patience is a pain in the "you know what" but the more bad mannered your bird gets. The harder it is to retrain him. Yours B.J.
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