Gentle Beak techniqueThe first thing you have to do is get the bird to associate the words "Gentle Beak" with a gentle touch to (or from) the beak. How I did this was to very slowly and gently reach out and touch their beaks, all the while saying "Gentle Beak" in a very soft, sing-song voice, almost a whisper sometimes. Ever so gentle, ever so soft and slow. If you can do this while playing or giving skritchies, all the better as it is a positive reinforcement of the term "Gentle Beak" which they will very quickly begin to associate with gentle touches and strokes to their beak. That's just the reinforcement part to help drive home the meaning of the term and what's expected from it. Then, you also use it as reinforcement when they bite. So for instance, if the bird bites you, you immediately try and touch their beak gently and say "Gentle Beak". I would do this immediately after the bite. So instead of pulling back, and maybe taking the bird to a 'time out' cage, or whatever else you'd do, instead you sort of stop. Just freeze (after extricating your finger from the beak, or course). Just kind of hover your finger there in front of them, and stop, just freeze, and begin to softly chant "Gentle Beak". Begin to move the finger closer .... very slowly .... to their beak. If you go too fast, they may strike out and bite again. So you start over. Sometimes even if you go slow, they still try and bite again. But I've found that usually if you calm right down, just stop everything, and start VERY softly chanting "Gentle Beak", they calm down too. Your aim is to get the finger in to gently touch the beak and say the phrase. Now if you've been working with them when they were not biting, they will begin to recognize this chant, and see the incoming finger, and know that it is going to touch them gently. They calm right down. It is a diversion of sorts. Offer much praise if you can get a touch to their beak without them striking at you. No matter even if for just a split second. Now after a while, you will find that you can use it as a reprimand. They will get so used to the phrase, and the motions that go with it (the ever so gentle touch to the beak), that if they are in the midst of attacking you, you can very sternly and gruffly say "!!GENTLE BEAK!!" and as they become more familiar with what's expected, they suddenly will do an about face, calm right down, and touch your finger gently when just a minute ago they were biting (or were about to bite). Or they may gently touch your finger INSTEAD of biting. I've had my Cleo in attack mode .... I've yelled "!!GENTLE BEAK!!" at her like I was most displeased ..... and she will suddenly reach over and very gently touch the finger she just bit. It's freaky in that it almost appears to be an apology of sorts. Then of course, you give TONS of praise each and every time you are able to touch their beaks without them biting (or each time you yell it at them and they respond by gently touching your finger, instead of biting or immediately after biting). Even when doing reinforcement training during the fun times, always praise them when you are able to touch and they don't bite. It has worked wonders for me. Annette
I just got a male baby parrotlet - 7 weeks old. He's very sweet and he's already hand trained. He's active and comes out of the cage on his own. This is the 2nd day I've had him and he seems to know me. When he's on my hand or on my shoulder, he bites. It's only a pinch right now but I'm afraid that when he gets older, he will bite down harder. Any ideas how to stop the biting at this stage. I tried the step up ladder method and it works for a while but shortly after, the biting continues. Is ths common for a baby?
