Using empathy for painful nipping?

[kiwiS]

Hi All!!

When preening, Kiwi would sometimes get a little excited and chew/nip a little too hard. I would try all the methods I read about, putting her down, in her cage etc. but it didn't seem to work.

I noticed when I rub her feathers the wrong way she'd give out this shrill shriek. Well today she nibbled on my finger too hard and I used that same shriek but made it sound really really pathetic.

She stopped immediately, and looked right at me, as if to say "I'm sorry, did I just hurt you?" Then she went back to her task but much gentler. Every time she got too pinchy I'd make that same sad noise, and she'd stop right away. What a sweetheart

I'm so glad I got through to her, and all I had to do was be a ham!!!

 

[JadeC]

I do this with dogs too. When a puppy gets too rough with one of its litter mates, they will let each other know by letting out some kind of squeal. That's a good idea for parrots, too!! I'm glad it's working!!

 

[Julianna]

Good idea! My caique has been doing that...I'm going to try it with her, because the taking fingers away and setting down isn't working for me either. Hopefully it works for caiques too!

 

[JadeC]

I just hold my caique's beak shut and he just looks at me with his little eye like "what?" Haha