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| Question about Pets:Why is our cockateil mean? |
If this behavior has gone on for over three years then the bird will now be convinced that this is normal behavior. You can possibly alter the behavior, but it will take infinite patience and lots of time. The time frame I am speaking of here is daily sessions of at least 1 to 2 hours for at least several months , and perhaps even years. The deeper ingrained the behavior, the longer it takes to break.
Before you begin any training, make sure his wings are clipped for his own safety and to make him more reliant upon you. They should be reclipped about every 6 months.
Start by making one person the bird's sole caregiver. We will assume that this person will be you. You must be the only one to associate with the bird, since it will be very confusing to the bird to have many people interacting with it( each person is different, will talk differently, and react differently). You must be the only one to clean the cage, as well as giving food and water.
Next , I would keep the bird inside the cage while you are training it. This will allow for fewer distractions, and will focus the bird on you.
Each day you should go in and sit by the bird for at least 1 to 2 hours( more daily time would speed the process). Talk to it in soothing tones, praise it , sing to it, read to it, watch TV with it, or whatever you can think of. This gets the bird used to your presence and shows it that it cannot drive you away. You can try speaking in very low tones, little more than a whisper. This makes the bird strain to hear you, and often will make him forget to be aggressive! Do not give any sort of treats to the bird at this stage. The bird may be hostile at first, but it is essential that you keep these visits going every day so that the bird realizes that he is not in charge! Eventually the bird will become used to you. Since you are his only source of interection he will finally become tolerant of you ,and will eventually begin to show interest in you. He may try to get closer to you in the cage, may sing or talk to you, or may show interst in you in other ways. At this point you have achieved your first goal of gaining acceptance by your bird.
Once you have been accepted, then try offerring small food treats to the bird through the bars such as fresh fruit pieces, unsalted crackers or chips, or anything that he likes. If he tries to bite or acts aggressively then simply take the treats and leave the room for several hours. Do *Not* leave the treat for the bird! He must understand that treats come as a result of good social behavior. Sooner or later he will take the treats from your hand. This accomplishes your second goal of breaking the aggression/biting cycle.
Your next step is to open the door of his cage and offer the treat at the door. Do *Not* put your hand in the cage, as this may be seen as an invasion of his territory. With time, he will come to the front of the cage for the treat. If he acts aggressively then respond as before by closing the cage and taking the treats away. During this stage, do not allow him out of the cage, only to come to the door for the treat. Once he accepts the treats well at the door you are ready for the final stage.
After giving him a treat at the open door, you then present your finger to him and say"Step Up!" Present your finger at the level of his lower tummy and gently touch the tummy with your extended index finger. He should step up onto your finger. If he tries to bite then take the treats and leave, as before. If he acts indifferent to your finger, then try gently stroking his tummy and chest to get him used to the idea. Eventually he will step up onto your finger, and finally he will learn to "Step UP" on command with no treat given. You have now gained his trust. If he misbehaves, simply make him do several repetitions of "Step Up" from one hand to the other. This shows him that you are in charge.
At this stage you can now take him out of the cage, and take him to other areas of the house. Then you should try to introduce him to others. Just bring in the other person and show them to him. If he acts aggresively, make him do several repetitions of "Step Up!" If he is uncontollably aggressive then put him back in his cage until he understands that he only gets to come out as long as he is sociable. Eventually , when he appears tolerant of others, you can have the other party give him some treats. When the treats are accepted readily, then have him "Step Up" onto the other person's finger. Initial training is complete at this point .Additional training is now possible , if desired.
During these sessions you must have patience, and must not reward him for attacking. If he bites you must not yell or pull your hand away. This is the result he is looking for, and is therefore a reward for biting! Instead, when he bites, try pushing your hand steadily back into his beak as he bites. This usually confuses them and makes them stop biting!! But you must be prepared for some nips while training.
This is the sort of training done for birds who have been rescued from abusive homes, although other methods are also used. This method has proven effective for me and my many rescued birds.
Good luck on your training.
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