Hey! We Finally Have CJ!!!!Just one problem

[LoveMyBeak]

Hey Folks I picked up CJ our one year old CAG, He is my wifes bird and we have been visiting him everyweek for two months now to get aquainted with him, and it seemed that he was a sweet heart towards her. He seem very hapy in his cage and we get him out as much as we can but are having a hard time handling him, it's like he changed since we got him home. I can handle him cause his biting don't scare me any but he wont let my wife handle him at all. Is there any kind of training videos/books out there that will help me out. I will do whatever is nessessary to make him a loveable bird that I know he can be. How do I get it so he doesn't bite so hard? My wife wants a bird that everyone in the family can handle including my six year old girl. My wife is most concerned when it comes to our little girl, I mean I can handle his biting but those kind of bites could seriously injure the little one. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I really dont want to get rid of him...........LMB

[sparkysmom]

When did you bring him home? Cuz new surroundings are going to throw things off for a while. He needs to adjust.

As far as wanting a grey to love the whole family (or be even civil) uhhh....that is a crap shoot. I have one that loves me and nobody else and another that loves me but will let others handle him if they have got the goods...aka...very favorite special treats. So I let the others in my house be in charge of very favorite treats that I never give to them. That way the other people get the props for that.

Time...I am sure he is scared of the new change.

[Amie]

Oh, it's not a crap shoot. . . .this little guy could very well be socialized correctly (meaning everyone has to help out equally and love on him equally!) And then, there's the possibility he will choose only one person to love. It's all about socialization. If one person is the bird person, well, the birds are only going to like that one person.

Birds sense fear. So as long as your wife is afraid of being bitten, she will be bitten. In their world, a scared animal either runs away or kills you. And you and your wife aren't running away :) Confidence (fake it if you can!) and time are all I think you're going to need here.

[Lisa B]

yes, he needs time to settle in if he's new..
get yer wife on here and we can give her lots of pointers**LOL**
however there is no guarentee that any bird will be good with a child.
Its a learning process, and its usually more successful if the child is calm in demeanor, and is more on the quiet side around a grey.

I suggest your wife take CJ into your room, with a few of his toys and favorite treats, and lay a sheet out on your bed, and spend time with him in there, alone, away from his cage, learning to trust eachother.

patience is the key with a grey. sometimes they take a long time to adjust and trust.

Here is my Emma being read to by my granddaughter. This was her way of bonding and getting to know Emma.

[LoveMyBeak]

Thanks folks, I appreciate the info, I notice he shakes when I first get him out but after a while of him being calmed down he stops shaking then he is less nippy. I think you are right about adjustment time to his new surroundings, I ordered some training materials from Chris Womach on free parrot videos .com I'm gonna give those a try as well.

I think another problem is due to the fact that his last owner over did the wing clipping (if he falls- he falls like a brick) and also since he is such a clutz he has had a few falls but hes ok, I am sure his belly bone is very sore and that can be making him cranky, We ARE really being extra carefull now with the knowledge of his inability to glide down.........LMB

[Amie]

Originally Posted by LoveMyBeak

Thanks folks, I appreciate the info, I notice he shakes when I first get him out but after a while of him being calmed down he stops shaking then he is less nippy.

My 11-year-old still shakes when I come home from work every day. They just get so excited. She can't wait until she can climb up onto my shoulder while I make her bean mash for her!! His scary excitement will turn into a good excitement after he gets used to you guys.

Alone time with the wife is a good idea. Maybe you should start letting him get out of his cage on his on? Open the door and wait until he comes out before you pick him up. He probably sees his cage as his happy and safe place, and you taking him out of it might be violating that for him right now because he doesn't trust you yet.

Just a thought.

[LoveMyBeak]

Hey Lisa B this Saturday morning my wife put a blanket over our bed and got some bird toys and then she got CJ (reluctantly) out of his cage. for about ten minutes he just stood there on the foot of the bed and stared at us sort of nervously, then he started loosening up and started to get curious and started to explore about. He went over and nibbled at his toys then in another ten minutes he discovered my wifes toes and feet (new fetish for him)within about just one hour he was getting up on her hands wandering around and just enjoying himself, in fact he started to trust us.
So for about two hours he was on the bed with us and was totally into us, in fact today nobody got bit! he DID check our hands out with his beak and tongue but no bites, he even got to know my six year old, she just loved it.
After we were done my wife put him into his cage and waited for five minutes and then went to his cage and put her hand onto one of the perches and waited for about a minute and He was startled at first and climbed away from her but she didn't move her hand, finally he just decided to come on down and stepped right up onto her hand!! She is so excited and told me that that is the bird that she was looking for! he even at one time waddled his little red tail over got up onto my wifes hand and reached up and gave her kisses!
We are learning that a lot of patience is what it takes with this little guy, we haven't yet tried to touch him or pet him but he loved checking out our hands and fingers without biting, instead we are letting him get comfortable with our hands.
Thanks for the advice, we are now approaching him in a different way and it is paying off.........LMB

[Lisa B]

wonderful wonderful wonderful news! It takes alot of patience and trust....so keep the great work up! Relize there will be times when he is going to be nippy, but DONT loose faith. He is still a wild critter, tho being born in captivity. the family time you are having is wonderful.
alot of times birds become territorial/reluctant if you will around their cages.
thats why its best to work with them in a nutral space.

make sure each time he gets up, whether its your idea or his, that you say "up-up" and then make a big deal of him getting up...with a "goooooood boy!!!" this way he associates the action with the words. soon he will be saying TO YOU!
I am very happy for you all!

[dodgewoman]

Great news! Yes, it took about a month b/f Roscoe fully trusted us and he was baby when we got him! He will go to my kids(although not very willingly), me and DH(whom for some reason he loves the most!) now. Def. enforce the up command. I can say "You wanna come out....up" right as I'm opening his door and he will be putting his foot up in anticipation. If I don't he tries to nip b/c there was no warning of me invading his space. Roscoe hasn't learned to say up yet but my tiel does. He will say "come're up!!"

[LoveMyBeak]

Ya we are learning this importance of telling him to step up, we used to use a towel and gently get him out of the cage, and on Saturday when he refused to get out on our hands my wife resorted to the towel, but as soon as he saw the towel he immediately changed his mind and would just stick his foot out and step up- I guess he dont like the towel.

Yesterday we left the door open on his cage and he came out and perched on top of the door of the cage, so my wife comes up to the cage and says"so...you want out do you?" and he proceeds to put out his foot for step ups. But then my wife says "well now.....if you really want out of the cage then you must come out of the cage on my hand." so as if he actually understood her he climbed right back in his cage and onto his main perch and put his foot out and stepped up. It was too funny, I was in awe at the progress we made this weekend...........LMB