training to quit biting

[budgiepeeptor]

I want my bird crackers to quit biting me when i try to get him to stand on my finger. i've tried keeping my hand in the cage, and talking to him, he wont listen.
any suggestions?

[Rosie]

Hmmm...how about giving a quick puff of air in the face, when he does it. If he doesn't do it, then praise him. Anyone....:)

[alicey]

Don't react to the bird's bites. Usually when you react by going "OW!" or drawing your hand back out, then that bird realizes he has some power over you. Don't react no matter how much it hurts and then he'll probably stop doing it. But never ever grab your bird either or do anything to scare him. Just try to bring your finger up to his chest. That's the best advice I can give you--it worked with my budgie.

[echosaisis]

I trained Faye by wearing a glove and holding her and letting her bite my gloved hand just sitting there calmly with her. She began to realize I wasnt a threat when I just held her within my hand. I did that a few times a day then started with finger walking (with gloves) and the next day braved without gloves and she's been fine ever since.

[abel]

The more you have your hand around him, the less he'll see it as an invader to attack, but more as a familiar, comfortable part of his world. Birds are pretty territorial when it comes to their cages. I would take his cage into a small place, like a walk in closet, and let him come out of the cage to hand train. If he's not ready to step on your hand, use the hand to give him treats for several days, until he's more at ease. :)

[budgiepeeptor]

well, the puff of air to the face made him bite harder, and if itook him out of the cage he would instantly take off flying, i'll try the other ways you guys suggested.

[Blue Moon]

I am having the same problem. Right now I am trying the gloved hand wich I used when I first started training Moon. Lately Ive been just sticking my hand in there. Sometimes she will just stare at my hand, put one foot on it, then scramble higher up into the cage. Other times she will nip then climb higher up into the cage. I might try to hand train her out of the cage in the bathroom, but I have no clue how I would get her out of her cage. At one point I was wondering if I could just trad her in for a new budgie and start all over. But now Im trying really hard and giving the glove trick a try. Tell us how your training gose. Good luck!

[jayjay]

another method i have used with some success is to move my index finger slowly with my nail towards its beak when it is in a nippy mood. when it sees the finger it will generally try to nip at it, but if you hold you finger nail towards the beak, it will harmless bite at your nail and you wont feel a thing. after a few nips it will stop and you can generally softly brush its beak with your nail. do this a few times and your budgie should lessen the frequency of nip attempts.

[Lace]

There is a simple soluton to this. when he tries to bite you, show him it doesnt effect you. you see, when he bites you and you shows signs of pain or pull back, he then associates that biting is a way to make you stop trying to at him and make you go away. This can be one of the worse states of mind to get a bird into if you are trying to tame them. Soon, they will then feel dominate over you and feel a quick bite will always scare you away. Its going to hurt a bit, but when they bite, dont pull back,let them bite. I have had a bird that i had in my hands grab onto the skin between my thumb and figner and bite really hard and never release, it hurt but i acted like it didnt bother me, and eventually they stopped and looked at me wondering why it wasnt working. continueing such behavior as this will help you name the biting habits. THough i have never had a really niping bird, only my first budgie, Luna ever bite me and that was only when i cuped her in my hands so i could look her over and make sure she was healthy. But buy not reacting to her bites, she stopped with in only a week of he biting. Some budgies, however, do not bite on instinct at all. Akita, has not yet bitten me and she was complelty untamed when i got her. Im not sure why some budgies do not bite as defense and some do. :/ anyway, good luck with Crackers!

[pauliepattie]

couldn't just b beaking?