upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

(Shauna wrote:
Think about how you want her to behave and not about what she's doing wrong. Its easy to forget to praise when they're being good....so praise her for any behavior that you like...even just sitting on a perch.)



Shauna, Bingo has picked up a behavior that is very nerve racking. Whenever my husband leaves the room to go to the kitchen, the bathroom, the garage - wherever - Bingo starts to scream and he will scream for a long time. Finally he quiets down and then Pat will pass through and go somewhere else and he starts all over. Now when Pat leaves the house through the front door, passing the window where Bingo sees him, gets in his truck and drives away, Bingo doesn't scream at all.

I'm considering putting a bowl of almonds beside my husband's chair and having him give Bingo one as he leaves the room. Hopefully this will give Bingo something to do (open it) and a treat too, and distract him from the screaming behavior. Is this a good idea? I don't want to reward a bad behavior, but I'm hoping it might short circuit the bad behavior.

Hi Sue,

What's the payoff for Bingo....when he screams? that he sees Pat again maybe? Versus when Pat leaves the house Bingo knows that's it. And when Pat is in the room....no screaming? I should be asking you a bunch of questions to get a better idea....but

Are you sure its not a contact call? Sometimes if the person gone...answers back..the screaming will slow down...and over time may even stop. Some people use words that the bird might learn to associate with the situation such as ....I'll be right back, or bye bye if they aren't. Does Bingo make ANY OTHER sound...anything at all other than screaming when Pat isn't in the room? Is there any break in the screaming at all? or even a few seconds of quiet?

When Pat is in the room.....is there any interaction between him and Bingo? Or does he totally ignore him? Interaction.....looking at, chatting to, or anything else.

What's Bingo's favorite activity?

Shauna

Shauna wrote:Hi Sue,

What's the payoff for Bingo....when he screams? that he sees Pat again maybe? Versus when Pat leaves the house Bingo knows that's it. And when Pat is in the room....no screaming? I should be asking you a bunch of questions to get a better idea....but

Are you sure its not a contact call? Sometimes if the person gone...answers back..the screaming will slow down...and over time may even stop. Some people use words that the bird might learn to associate with the situation such as ....I'll be right back, or bye bye if they aren't. Does Bingo make ANY OTHER sound...anything at all other than screaming when Pat isn't in the room? Is there any break in the screaming at all? or even a few seconds of quiet?

When Pat is in the room.....is there any interaction between him and Bingo? Or does he totally ignore him? Interaction.....looking at, chatting to, or anything else.

What's Bingo's favorite activity?

Shauna

I don't see a payoff. I do think it is a contact call, repeated over and over with maybe a 3-4 second gap between them. If he can't hear Pat, after 5-8 minutes he slows down and stops, but if Pat then walks through the house but doesn't sit down and stay in the room, he starts over. And no, there's not any particular interaction between the two when he is in the room. In the mornings I prepare their bowls of sprouts and Pat puts them in their cages and that's pretty much the extent of his contact. He doesn't talk to Bingo a lot, mostly to Baggins. Bingo likes to play with the mechanical type toys in his cage the best.

I'll tell Pat to try telling him he will be back when he leaves the room too.

Hi Sue,

There HAS to be something that Bingo is getting out of the behavior. It may even be intrinsic......but rather doubtful.

I'm sorry to confuse things but telling a bird that you are leaving a room and coming back....works by the bird learning and then associating those words with you coming and going and can help in some cases but its learned...and learning takes time. I have my doubts that that is enough in this case to curb Bingo's screaming....I was just talking in general about what some people have set up.

When Pat is walking around the house....Bingo is quiet? If so THAT's the behavior you want to catch and PRAISE. Word praise and whatever his favorite treat or activity might be ..even rushing to the cage to praise praise praise but reinforcement the quiet behavior.

If Bingo makes ANY sort of sound other than screaming....at ANY time...and you can live with it easier than screaming....reinforce the dickin's out of it. Teach him that THAT sound gets your attention. Think of what you WANT Bingo to be doing...and reinforce those things. Some people teach their birds to ring bells to replace screaming.....personally its not something I want hear.

Another thought......what if Bingo could go with Pat? Is it possible to set up multiple perches in the house? would it be a problem for Bingo to tag along? sit on a perch in the room Pat is at?

If you think its a contact call...then it should be answered....if its isn't a contact all...don't answer it but reinforce other behaviors and sounds....that you WANT him to do more often or rather than screaming.

And......my lady....what do YOU do when he screams Could you be a reinforcer? Or what about Baggin's? Does he act any differently? There's something going on....you just haven't seen it yet.

Shauna

Bingo can't go with him. Pat's not really comfortable with him for one thing. But mostly it's because the dogs have access to the house except when the birds are out because they would definitely be at risk.

No, when Pat is walking around in the house, Bingo is calling. Only when Pat has been gone from the room for awhile and is not making any noise in another part of the house does he begin to get quiet. And then if Pat should walk back through the front part of the house where Bingo can hear or see him, but he doesn't come in and sit down, then Bingo starts in calling again. He is quiet as long as we are both seated in the room with him. Sometimes he screams a little if I leave but not nearly as often or for as long.

I do think Baggins is adding to the problem somewhat because he has started copying Bingo's scream. It's not as loud but I recognize it. So Bingo starts it and Baggins answers, and Bingo does it again, etc. It keeps it going longer. I can distract Baggins, though, into getting him to sing a song.

So you think just talking to Bingo more when he is quiet could help?

Hi Sue,

There's so much to discuss as I said initially. I'd be happy to send you a behavior questionaire if you like. Just e-mail me at shauna@thegabrielfoundation.org

If you fill it out it would give us a starting point and give me a clearer picture as well.

hugs,

Shauna

Thanks, Shauna. I just sent of the e-mail.

Hugs,

Sue