Help! GC Conure attacks me!

[TShea]

Hey everyone!

I am a new member here, and I am hoping someone might be able to help me solve my problem. A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I bought a beautiful Green Cheek Conure, we names her Yoshi after the Nintendo charter because she acts like a miniature dinosaur. Anyway things were all fine and dandy for a while. She was hand trained when we got her, and she is about 4 months old. Very smart and adventurous. But it seems the honeymoon phase is over, and now we are running into some problems.

As of last weekend Yoshi was starting to go through a nippy stage, which we know is completely normal. She would get very nippy and bite hard if we took away things she wanted, or if we tried to move her when she didn't want to be moved. So an example is she likes to try to chew moles, if we move her she bites. We tried substituting objects since conures like chewing, but once she's got her sights on something she does not give up! Now unfortunately for me it has turned into straight up attacking me! It's gotten to the point where I can't pick her up out of her cage without gloves on because she tries to maul my hand. I don't think it is a trust thing, I actually think it's her being territorial. When she is around her cage or my boyfriend she is super aggressive towards me. I have been doing things lately as to "regain" my dominance, such as not allowing her on my shoulder anymore, or the couch when I am on it. But I am just not sure about her attacking me. It's gotten to the point where I get nervous picking her up, and I think she knows it too. The gloves work, but she is clever and has learned when I have gloves on biting doesn't work, so she doesn't try to bite...that is unless she sees skin then she goes for it. If I don't have the gloves on she goes nuts! How do I fix this? I read every where not to react to her biting because she may be looking for a reaction but she bites so hard she draws blood, I can't help but react to it because obviously it hurts. My had is covered in cuts and blisters from her biting and pinching my skin so hard. I have tried so many techniques to work with her. I take her into another room where she is not familiar, and take the gloves off. Once she bites me I put her on the floor and walk away. She usually tries to follow me or climb up my leg if I don't leave the room, because she doesn't like being alone. Every time she stepped onto my finger without chomping me I would praise her and give her a treat. So after a while that started helping to where I can practice doing the ladder and "step up" with out being mauled. But it hasn't helped the cage/boyfriend territory problem.

What do I do? I want to be with my bird... but I am afraid she just doesn't like me!

T

[ilovemyblueberry]

hi i had that problem what you need to do is leave her in the cage for a bit talk to her and give her
space . toys . when you eat your meals open cage let her feel part of family share you food and then she will open up to you . there very loyal loving birds i had one a green cheek my self ex left door open and she got out i named her xander short for Alexandra