>I own a 3 year old Blue-fronted Amazon, Rita.  She has one habit
>that bothers me, though; Rita is very oral.  She responds well to the
>"up" command, hops aboard and proceeds to chew on me.  She gets
>increasingly feisty, sometimes to the point of biting.
Hi, Ryan, and welcome to Parrots. I'm the moderator. I'd suggest keeping
chew toys handy when you have Rita out with you. Things like craft
sticks, balsa wood blocks, or undyed leather strips are good choices.
When Rita reaches for YOU, pop a chew toy into her beak. Praise her
joyously when she takes it instead of biting you. Also, give her tons of
chewable toys in her cage, so she can get out some chewing frustration
BEFORE you play with her.
If she DOES manage to grab you, just tell her "no", and put her down
someplace. If she's like most birds, she wants to be ON her person.
Doing something unacceptable should get her put off onto a t-stand or
even sat on the floor for a minute. Then pick her up and try again. Be
consistent--don't let her chew on you one time, and not the next time.
Good luck with Rita, and welcome aboard!
--Kathy
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