More Screaming

[RomeoBG]

OK, everyone here is a victim of your own success. With all the great ideas you guys gave me for decreasing how often my B&G makes contact calls when I leave, and with how successful the ideas were, I'm looking for more suggestions on screaming.

After being home for about 4 weeks now, I talked to some of my neighbors to see how my baby was doing during the week while I was out at work. It turns out that he does ALOT of screaming almost all day long. I have noticed he screams 4-5 times a day on weekends when I'm home, and it's usually him trying to get me to let him out of the cage, or if he's already out to pay attention to him. I've been leaving the room for several min. as a punishment, or if I am unable to leave the room (1 bedroom apt.) because of something I'm working on I will wait for the screaming to stop and then slowly go to his cage and cover him for a 5 min. time out without saying anything. The times I do this he quiets right down, and when I remove the cover 5 min. later he's calmed right down.

I'm concerned that any training I'm doing w/ him on weeknights and weekdays is being negated by his unchecked screaming during the weekdays. So my questions:

1. Is his unchecked screaming negatively affecting the training I'm doing with him?

2. Any suggestions on how to work with him in a way he understands the weekday screaming is not desired?

Thanks well in advance!!

[mmr]

Originally Posted by RomeoBG

I will wait for the screaming to stop and then slowly go to his cage and cover him for a 5 min. time out without saying anything.

When he stops screaming you are go and praise him verbaly and with a treat. Covering him up hen he is quiet makes him thing he was bad.

[RomeoBG]

That's a good point mmr. I didn't want to cover him while he was screaming as I thought that he would associate me coming to the cage to cover him as attention and that it would reinforce the screaming. If I can't leave the room, and I don't cover him to calm him down, he starts to scream more and louder. It amazes me how loud he can get when he REALLY gets going!!

[mmr]

this is what I do:
If he is in the cage and starts the screaming, I walk over and cover him up till he stops, then I go and uncover him. If you keep doing this he gets the idea after some time. If he is out of his cage I walk away (go to the bathroom if you have to). Then when he stops I walk over and verbaly and treat praise him and say good boy be quiet. If he just keeps screaming then I put him in his cage and cover up till he gets quiet.

Yes I agree I think macaws are the loudest of the screamers. I thought my umbrella cockatoo was loud till I got Teal. Now I am convinced that Macaws are the loudest!

[malcomb88]

good points.....but i disagree with covering him during the day time.....its not normal....what i do when my baby huey screams....is (if he is out of his cage) i say "No scream, time out?" i say time out as if it were a question.....then he usually quiets down because timeout for him is going in the shower with the lights off for 2 min. after the two min turn the light on say "No scream" then i pick him up and praise him "good boy" give him scratches. then he usually calms down. if he is in the cage i simply just say No scream........timeout? and if he keeps screaming i put him in timeout. (shower) now dont turn on the shower just put him in there. its work amazingly. my friend from a parrot store taught me this because if you make his cage time out......he will never want to go in it. so simply use the shower. hope this helps! its worked magical wonders for all my birds

[mmr]

Originally Posted by malcomb88

good points.....but i disagree with covering him during the day time.....its not normal....

I didn't say cover him all day. I said cover him till he stops screaming.


also by talking to him while screaming (telling him no) you are still giving him attention! Understand? Just ignore, don't look, talk, etc.

[malcomb88]

i mis read! im so sorry! that is true about giving him attention but im just tellin yall what i do works

[mmr]

also keep in mind you don't want him to think of the shower as a "bad" thing! Does that make sense? I would find a speacial neutral spot for time outs.


I guess what ever works, and mind you I am making suggestions on what I know that works. I had a constant screamin U2 that now rarely does it. And a Macaw that screams (were still working). But He has calmed down a lot. I also know that my macaw's OLD mommy used to go "running" to him when he screamed. Now his new mommy doesn't so he is learning.

[RomeoBG]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I think I was on the right track and I just need to make a few small tweaks for lessening his screaming when I'm present. Any ideas on the screaming during the day when I'm not home, or do you think that with working with him while I am home he will follow suit when i'm not?

[kellywess]

Leave the radio on for him maybe? Does he have plenty of toys to chew on to keep him occupied? You may want to invest in some foraging toys. I can give you some ideas on how to make your own if ya want. I cant believe your neighbors dont want to lynch you for having such a large, loud animal in a one bedroom apartment. Make sure you put all of those nice neighbors of yours on your Christmas Card list. LOL I feel lucky now, Captain only screams in the morning... I immediately give him a banana to keep him busy and he forgets all about the screaming when the banana is gone. Other than that he really doesnt scream too often. I ignore him when he does. He does yell... "I want to come out" often which softens with a "please" at the end.