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HI i have a blue and gold whos almost 4 recently acquired about 4 months ago and he still is a biter getting better though trying to train and want suggestions on a good treat have been using walnuts,crackers unsalted,banana chips,cherios and other small things just wondering about other ideas to do were working on stepping up wothout biting and being petted on the back and head without biting thanks

A lot of people use pine nuts (shelled I think). A good thing for you is to train your bird to step up to a dowel or t-stick. That way anytime you can get him to step up even when mad or hormonal.

Why don't you go to www.behaviorworks.org and read some of the articles there? Biting is not a natural behaviour for a bird, humans teach them to bite. You give your bird choices just like you like to make choices about what you do. The more positive interactions you have with your macaw, the better the relationship. And 4 months is not a lot of time. Took me 3 years to have a wonderful relationship with my rehomed Timneh. I didn't push her, respected the fact that she did not want me to touch her stuff and rewarded her often. I used pine nuts, almonds and for a treat to be really valuable it must only be used as the consequence for a wanted behaviour. Works like this.

Antecedent: Bev asks Gypsy to step up
Behaviour: Gypsy steps up
Consequence: Bev gives Gypsy a pine nut

Possible Future Behaviour: Gypsy will step up more often to get a pine nut.

And Gypsy only gets pine nuts as a reward. They are not in her usual diet.

Always remember. Behaviour has function. When you ask and I do mean ask your bird to do something, ask yourself this "what is my bird getting out of it". If he/she is not getting anything out of your request, why should they do it. Just because we say so? That's how we get bitten, because we push too far. We demand good behaviour when we really need to earn it.

Bev

I would also keep the petting to the head and neck areas. Petting birds on the back and under the wings can sexually stimulate them. This can become problematic, especially when the bird hits maturity.

Don't get discouraged. My Triton Cockatoo was a rehomed bird. It was probably a year or year and a half before we became really close.

Praise can also work for some birds. I tell my birds, "good boy" or "good girl" in a happy excited voice. My two Greys say it exactly the same way.

No im not getting discouraged he is a rehomed macaw and used to other people and i understand that i also have a rehomed meyers and it took me well over a year to get him where hes at hes great now i can touch him anywhere and do just about anything to him hes super sweet now and if im not paying attetion to him he comes over and nibbles my hair to get my attetion its funny i was just trying to get something he really likes so he will strp in perches and stands better and give him a treat i do praise him alot with good boy he came from a not so great place i have had other birds but hes my first macaw.And im taking it slow just getting to know him and have him trust me taking treats from me and my husband without biting was a good start.