I need suggestions!

[harleybaby]

Einstein is driving me crazy!!!!

I need some suggestions, he has always been good at staying on his playstand well, up until now.:hammer: He's driving me nuts! It wouldn't be abig deal if he wasn't acting like a chainsaw to everything in his path but it looks like he's discovered he can semi fly again and is just well, everywhere! On my floor chewing on my new baseboards, on my kitchen table and chairs(new too) and yep chewing those but the biggest problem of all, I can't keep him off my couch(new too) and he has decided the most fun thing in the world right now is to snip the threads that are holding it together. He could be on my couch all he wanted if he wasn't trying to eat it. I pick him up put him back on his playstand by the time I turn around he's there again and we continue on and on and on until I just end up putting him in his cage because I don't know what else to do with him. Then I feel bad because I am very anti cage and he has never ever had to be caged. I want him to have his freedom but I also don't want him to destroy everything I own because of it. What can I do? :help: PLease! Leah

[Jean]

Oh boy, I've had days like that before. My best defense is new toy or wooden and paper chew toys, piñatas, anything to shred and tear, along with hiding nuts and treats to fledge for. Sometimes a little cuddling then a fun shower, or a walk outside can do wonders and totally change his train of thought so he can enjoy something new. I also rotate Elvie's toys on a regular basis, about every week, to keep him from becoming bored with them.

Good Luck!

[parrotgirl]

Bucc has managed to unpick all the stitching on one of my chairs, and what I did for him was get a scrap piece of material and stitch it all over, then on another piece of material I did the same thing but added a few bits, a favourite key of his, some paper, and anything else that I knew he liked this seems to have stopped him for a while. Not sure what will happen when he gets bored with these things, but at the moment he has left my chairs alone thankfully. I did make the material as different as possible from my chairs so that he didn't associate the material with the chairs. Good Luck with Einstein

[amazing greys]

Both great suggestions :thumbup: Sounds like he does need a change up of toys and such on his stand. Maybe add new plastic chains to climb around or hang from.


Or he could also be testing his boundaries, and becoming a bit rebellous :funny: Distract him immediately when you see him doing something undesired, like clapping your hands, snapping your fingers, or something. When he stops, immediately tell him 'good boy' and give him something neat to play w/that he hasn't had before. As far as getting down, btdt, and you can't have him running around on the floor like that due to dangers. I would suggest when he gets down, to put him back on the stand/cage whatever, tell him to 'stay there'. (If he does stay, praise him immediately and tell him what a good boy he is for staying put, give him a toy for distraction) if he does it again, do put him in his cage for some play time by himself. He needs to realize what you are asking of him and that he must follow your lead. Try giving him something else to play with when you put him back so it's not like his cage is bad. You need to break that before it turns into a habbit and he thinks he can do whatever he wants. Just like a child, they need some boundaries to keep them safe, and you need to take the means to do so in a positive way.

Maybe he needs a bit more of a wing clip, too. :p

Let us know how it goes...

[harleybaby]

Thank you everyone! I have to run out but Peta that sounds like a great idea! Thank you!


Barb, rebellious is right! Crazy bird!

Jean I think I may try that too although I have noticed that he seems to be affectionate mostly at night.

I think he just likes his freedom and wants to be apart of things but gets distracted along the way. It's when he's not with me that he gets into everything but I can't be with him 24/7 . I really don't want to clip him because he's not fully flighted just semi and it makes me happy to see him fly a little bit instead of waddling everywhere.


Thanks again! Leah

[Jim]

Hi Leah

Your last sentence "I want him to have his freedom but I also don't want him to destroy everything I own because of it." Boy do I know that one! Then you ask "What can I do?" I believe all behavior can be changed if we understand it's function. I also believe you can do this, it's the same basic principals as step up. More complex but once broken down it may not look so difficult.

What has been suggested and others have done to change the behavior are all on the mark. IMO I think I remember you saying you know the ABC's of behavior, right? Anyway, before the destroying starts they have changed the antecedents(A) with postive reinforcers (R+). Excellent! Sometimes that thread or woodwork becomes a greater R+ so that leaves us with changing the consequences.(C) (For others that my be wondering, in ABC, B=behavior) Consequences can be a little trickier if we want them to behave without total supervision. We can look at our own lives and see many examples of this. Sometimes we behave only when supervised because there will be adverse consequences for improper behavior. Sometimes we behave, from learning in a positive manner, there will be R+ consequence for proper behavior. Generally the second type of learning needs less supervision, and becomes a way of life. It's more enjoyable for both parties concerned. IMO

Back to my statement "it's the same basic principals as step up". What I mean is, most of our birds have stepped up thousands of times. We say something like up, then "good" or smile and it has been a R+ experience. Ah... repetition and consistency, what great learning tools. Personally I say the birds name, pause, and say up. This has taught them there name and saying their name works as Barb said, like clapping or snapping your fingers to get their attention.

This brings me to time out (TO), which is time out from the "reinforcer". (the thread chewing) This should be a short TO, removal from the reinforcer, even if it's on your arm or a close perch. This you will have to judge for your bird, but I start with maybe 5 -10 seconds and put the bird back and give him a chance to get it right. Again repetition and consistency are key. I have never had to put my birds in there room (cage) for bad behavior. I've been lucky enough to find something else for them to do. I would suggest that if you do need to put him in his cage, as Jean and Barb said, make it fun. I just want to add I would do something prier to putting him in the cage like walk around the house, singing, looking in a mirror, something. This way there is less chance of the cage becoming an aversive.

Almost done... I suggest looking at the "behavior" and not thinking of the whys like rebellious. It's a natural reaction in us humans to be a little aggressive or dominant if we think the subject is being defiant. I like to look at it as a mistake and something that needs changed or learned.

I just know you can do this if it's really what you want for you and Einstein. It's been my experience that once R+ learning gets a good start, it becomes fun and easy for both bird and human.

[harleybaby]

Thank you Jim, that was awesome!


I'm very glad you took the time to go into detail. I understand what you are saying and I ma going to work with him more on it. You're right about the "rebellious" but truthfully I don't see what he is doing as wrong or bad at all. I know he's just doing it because he likes it and probably can't understand what the problem is. LOL When I would put him in his cage I wouldn't do it out of anger, but actually with a sense of remorse, kinda like "I'm sorry I am doing this to you" because I absolutely hate to cage my birds.



Thnaks again for the wonderful advice.:D Leah

Oh,I'm just curious though about Peta's suggestion. The best way to avoid a certain behavior is to avoid them being in that situation to begin with right? like no access to my couch, but what if I did as Peta suggested and make him his own cover that he can pull the threads on or would that just make it worse?


We are gonna start today, I'll let you know how it goes:thanx:

[harleybaby]

Oh Jim, never mind me I just woke up. I think I worded it wrong in that as far as him not being with me, I mean physically with me spending time with me. If I am in a seperate room he stays on his playstand. It's when he can see me that he gets into trouble. For example last night I was out on my patio talking to my mom and here comes einstein hanging on the curtains that overlook the patio then running around on the windowsill and then chewing on the windowsill. I go inside put him back on the playstand by the time I get back outside he is there again. After doing some soul searching I realize I created the couch problem because my couch is gold to my birds that is where we do most of our one on one time and they know when I bring them there we are gonna have some serious cuddle time. I think along the way he just realized that chewing on the threads is a whole lot of fun.LOL


I do need time for myself though to relax and wind down. Ok I'm rambling I just wanted to clarify that one thing. Thanks again

[parrotgirl]

Leah I can certainly see what you mean, maybe it works for Bucc as he is still young and we are able to distract him (at the moment), give it a few months and I could be screaming. He will only get his chewing cloth if he hasn't had a go at the sofa, and only ever on his playstand. I can only say that maybe if I had thought longer about it I may not have done it, but for him it seems to have worked, but watch this space, I may have made the situation worse I hope not:doh: I really do hope you find something that works for Einstein, let us know how you get on, will be thinking of you.

[Jim]

Leah, Yes what Peta did is IMO a very good thing.:agree: Setting the stage for them to succeed. Whether you want him on the couch or not would, in my mind, depend on what is Okay with you and if he learns not to chew it. IF - THEN is a simple understanding all creatures grasp. Behavior has Function, If I do this(behavior) - I receive that.(consequence)

It's hard with the written word to explain things - let me try again.:scratchch Most of us have taught our birds to kiss us. I doubt kissing us was that rewarding to bird at first but it sure is to us. We want it - so we work on it. From my perspective we teach a kiss with P- (short TO for biting) and R+ for kissing easy. If we want other behaviors as bad as we want kisses we can teach them too. Granted not chewing the couch is not as rewarding to "us" as a kiss is. Again from my perspective, maybe if it was we could teach it easier and faster in a positive manner. Hope that makes more since about the trainer keeping a positive frame of mind.

Not to drag Shirley into this but she has some good posts about teaching turn around with clicker training. I'll bet she was so into teaching it at the time that is why she did it so easy and quickly.:shrug:

We all need our time and I think it's better for the bird to be in their cage or room than us getting discussed. Personally I don't try to stop them from wanting to be with me when they are not in their room. If they get outside or when I used to let them fly unharnessed, I wanted them to come to me first and for most. When I go out I either move a chair close to the window for them to perch on or the little potty perch.

I don't really think you created the couch problem, he's probably just exploring or maybe wanting you to come cuddle him. As above I think he can learn not to chew the threads.