help with biting/chewing amazon

[mikejr]

I got a rescued amazon 7years old. He allows head scritches but bites ur hand after awhile and keeps chewing it like food. He loves food. I think he thinks anything that goes in the cage is food. He doesnt step up. Previous owner didnt train him. He talks a little. He doesnt talk when he sees you. Is he shy or what? Is it too late to teach him to step up? and other tricks? Does any one have any suggestions on how to go about training? Also how could i get him to talk more and be less shy?

[brilliantfeathers]

At 7 years old he is not to old to learn ANYTHING! He is still practically a baby, though some may never talk in front of you. My red-lored was not supposed to be a talker..well he talks but I have never got to hear it because he will only so it when the music, vaccum, other birds...something is loud. My DYH will step up and then bite you if he can see your skin on your arm, im not sure why but thats him. So we make sure our arms are not exposed at all! Now Aries my red-lored came to me tame but then started getting hormonal and then we had an earthquake that really set him back. So I have been trying to re tame him. I wrap my arms in compression sleeves and ace bandages and then put a heave sweatshirt on and let him bite me all he wants. I also keep my hand pointing down so he cant bite that either.

Now what do you do when he bites you? How do you react...you shouldnt react at all! Not even with a no bite, they feed of any and all reactions. Trust me I know how hard it is not to react when you have an amazon grinding his beak into your skin..been there!

I think givin a ton of time and interaction (without overdoing it) is crucial! With the Talking, once he feels comfortable with you he may or may not talk in front of you. Juat really depends on the bird.

[mattk1023]

Ive been there,im still sorta there.How long have you had him?mine wasnt talking in front of me i posted a question about then the next day non stop.He says like over a hundred words its crazy.The biting stoped its just the season.Ive been doing alot of reading and birds take along time to adjust.Then one day bam its like a tottaly different bird.But then one day bam theyll sart biting again ecspecially with amazons.Be patient trust me

[birdiemommy]

That's the great thing about amazons. They can be very food oriented. You probably have already tried this, but. Put the hand out that you want him to step up on, and present a treat in the other hand. Work in small steps. Just leaning over your hand to reach the treat is enough to be rewarded at first. Reinforce small steps. Just leaning forward to get it, then putting one foot on your hand for a split second, etc. It may be a slow way to do it, but your amazon will do it because he wants to, and not being forced to. He'll think it is his idea;)
As far as the biting your hand after scritches. He may be trying to tell you he has had enough. Whenever I get bit, it is usually because he was giving me subtle signs that he has had enough, and I was ingnoring them. Watch and see if you can see any signs that he may be feeling done before he starts chewing. Good luck!

[mikejr]

When he bites and starts chewing on my hand, I just move my hand and say a soft but stern No! Then i put my hand back in and as soon as he opens his beak i say no again and pull back my hand a bit.

I'll try working with food rewards more. He lives to please his lil big stomach ^_^ so that may just work.

A funny thing i've noticed is that usually when i put my hand in the cage for the first time he always instictively lowers his head and raises his feathers for the scritch. If i try to touch any other part of his body he freaks out lol

Ive had him for 2months now