>Okay, is there anybosy out there that would tell me how to break my
>cockatiel of her habit of biting? I've had for a year, and she's agood
>bird, except that she has a thing about biting people. She'll bite
>anyone that she meets,except for me, but she will bite any member of
>family that isn;t me.
How do you respond when she bites someone? Does she seem to bite people
just so she can get off of them and back to you quicker? Or does she
just bite anyone who approaches her, even when she's not on YOU at the
time?
What worked for me with my first Jenday conure was to pop the bird into
a nearby carrier or cardboard box for about 5 minutes whenever the bird
bit someone. Don't speak, don't do anything except take the bird and put
it IMMEDIATELY into the carrier. Don't talk to or look at the bird while
it's in there; this is "jail time". Don't put any toys or treats in the
"jail", either. A dish of water is about all you want in there, IF that
(the bird isn't supposed to be in there for more than a 'cooling off'
period). Cover the "jail" while the bird is inside. After 5 minutes
(watch the clock so you don't forget she's in there), take her out and
try again. If she bites again, back to jail she goes. Do this
CONSISTENTLY every time she tries to bite anybody.
This method took our first conure about 2 weeks to figure out, and she
hasn't bitten anybody (except during nesting and nail clipping, which
don't count ) for 8 years.
--Kathy
 * SLMR 2.1a * 
--- Silver Xpress Mail System       
---------------