Biting grey :( :(

[Veren]

hey guys, i have a grey thats about 6years old. when i got him as a baby, he was hand reared and he was fine. however for the last 4 or 5 years he's got really aggressive. as soon i put my hand down for him to climb onto, he either bites (really hard) or backs away. i read up that you should not force it so i dont. a also tried not pulling my hand away when he does bite and sternly say "no!" but that doesnt help either. i aslo tried distracting him while putting my hand down for him to pearch on but that doesnt help either lol. please please please can you guys give me any suggestions??? thank you!!

[danmcq]

Well, since you have let him continue this behaviour for so many years. It is going to take an act of congress and a lot of time and patience to try and turn this behaviour around.

Instead of giving him your hand to just bite on, go in with your hand balled into a fist, bent forward to draw the back of hand skin tight and he will not be able to bite it. Then you can simply jet push your fist under him and make him step up.

But and this is a big but, if he is really aggressive and decides to attack by jumping and biting your arm. Stop dong this immediately. It does not sound like he is an attacker, but thought I should state this just in case he is.

This is going to take a while and consistancy to change it.

[luvparrots]

Hi Veren, please tell us a little more about your grey. What is his name. Are you trying to step him up from inside his cage. Some greys get very possessive of their cages. I always let my grey come out on her own and step her up from the door or the top of her cage onto my arm. I just think it is more stable for her and so she has no need to beak my arm to see if it is strong enough to hold her. Perhaps that might help.

[Veren]

Sorry for not introducing myself Hi my name's Veren and im from South Africa. I have a TAG and his name is Spikey. He's about 6 years old now and i had him from the time he was 6 weeks old. what more can i say.. just love em to bits!! (even through the biting lol). thanks for the reply though guys!! il try balling up my hand. but what should i do if that doesnt work? i know itl take time and i have no problem with that at all i just wanna make sure i do it right! i do let him out of his cage, i just open the door and he climbs out every morning himself. loves to sit on top of the cage and talk and whistle. then after a few hours he'd either go back in his cage himself or id draw him in by putting a toy or something in the cage. he doesnt perch on my hand from the top of the cage and its even worse if i try to get him to do it from inside the cage. he sometimes lets me pick him up without biting when he's on the floor and needs to go back on the cage.

thanks again for the reply guys!!

[Veren]

oh and is there anything i can do everyday with him that will help? i do spend alot of time next to his cage talking to him and stuff like that. but should i try something else?

[adelt]

hello, i was surfing the forums and saw your post and thought i may be able to help. as you are saying he had been a biter for years he don't know that your hand means no harm to him, put a few honey drops on your finger and let him bite it, he will taste the sweetness of the honey, don't give him too much honey, try it 2 times every day for a while i guess he will be always looking for the honey taste and will stop biting. good luck..