GliderCENTRAL

He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap!

Posted By: Anonymous

He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/19/08 12:38 AM

I have had Milo for 2 weeks. I love him more than anything. He is very sweet and gentle. I am lucky I have found a glider like him. But I need advise. He thinks I am a tree and he climbs all around me looking for sap. He will nip me at various places looking for sap. I try cleaning my hands, body, hair to remove any and a fragrances or smells in hopes of discourage him from nipping me, but it does not seem to be working. His breeder said that he did this to her boyfriend but not her. It is not at all a aggressive act. He rarely crabs at all, ever! I can tell he tries to do it gently when he nips me. His nips are becoming softer but still as frequent. He starts off with just tiny bites than, if I stay motionless and do nothing, it will progress until blood drawing. Like I said, it is not a aggressive thing. He does not crab or act mean at all while doing it. He just thinks he is going to find food if he looks hard enough. So far, distracting him when he starts nipping seems to work the best with discouraging him from continuing to bite.

I know people say to take the bite. But I do not believe that works in this situation. I understand that that works for aggressive gliders that bite to get people to back off, but this is not the case. He just thinks I am food and I need to teach him that I am not food. I feed him BML and I always make sure he has a little left over in the morning so he is getting enough food.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/19/08 01:05 AM

One of my boys does this too but only on my hands. I try to keep my hands/fingers kind of balled up like a fist and if he continues to nip in the areas between my fingers or my knuckles, I say "NO". If saying no doesn't get his attention I lightly blow. It doesn't take much air to get them sidetracked and this usually works.

Not sure what you could do if he's on your back or some place you can't reach. Maybe try sitting against a wall until you find a method that works that way he can't get behind you. Find something to sidetrack him like licky treats, feather teasers, etc.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/19/08 03:45 AM

Yeah, I don't have a problem distracting him no matter where he is on my body, I just wanted to know some tips for decreasing the frequency of his nipping. I can get him to stop, but I would rather he not start to begin with. I realize that takes time, but I need a strategy to decrease the likelihood of him trying it to begin with. At this point, I have no ideas.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/19/08 05:58 PM

How old is Milo? I know that my girls went through a "teenage" stage where they liked to nip. Have you tried the Psst sound? That always worked for my girls. When they hear that, they know to stop what they are doing.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/19/08 10:12 PM

11 months. I will try the "ppsst" sound. Milo is a skittish glider though. It would probably scare him.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/19/08 10:30 PM

I'm sorry for butting in -- I have no useful advice -- but Milo just sounds so sweet!! smile I love that he thinks he'll find food if he just tries hard enough. LOL! I think my girls did this with my fingers for a while at first. I just love the mental image of your baby crawling all over you looking for food. Aaaawwwwww!

laugh

Anyway, I would second the "pssst" sound or blowing on him (if you can reach him). He'll come around. smile
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/20/08 02:45 AM

Oh, you are not butting-in. This is a open topic on a public forum.

Yes, I really got lucky with Milo. He is very gentle and sensitive. It is because he is so sensitive that I worry the blowing and "psst" may scare him and he might become afraid of me. But I guess I can try it a couple times and see how he reacts tonight.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/20/08 03:18 PM

Just remember, the psst noise is meant to get their attention. It is a noise their mother makes (I believe) so the noise is familiar to them. Just keep it at a normal sound level and I am sure you will be fine. Good luck!
Posted By: Bourbon

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/22/08 02:40 AM

start in a small area like the bathroom, take a shower with no soaps washes etc..

use a flannel or long sleeve sweat shirt that is thick enough he won't smell anything through it. Use that shirt for playtime. Let him mark it, etc..when playtime is over, place that shirt over his cage. Let it become his "familiar" use that shirt for each playtime, do not wash it for awhile, and when you do wash it, use just plain water.


if need be, pull the sleeves over your hands and keep him away from your neck or face area.

hey Sam, hows things going with your little biter? ready for a visit from Jack?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/22/08 02:48 AM

I will try that shirt thing. I do have this one thick woven shirt with a hood that I use during play time in the bathroom. He likes to go in the hood. Yeah, "shocking!"
Posted By: cbddallas

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/22/08 02:19 PM

My Bella is a toe-nibbler, and I was also afraid at first that the "pssst" would scare her - it doesn't! She's so busy trying to gnaw on my toenail that she usually doesn't even notice the first one and I have to do it louder!
Posted By: Bourbon

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sap! - 05/23/08 01:44 PM

dewdroppony??? how are things going?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sa - 05/26/08 05:50 PM

Actually B, things are going great! (thanks to a method a little bird told me) Hey, I miss old Jack! He will always have my finger...er...I mean heart!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sa - 05/26/08 05:58 PM

I look for them to bite, and I move my hand away. Usually they do not know what to do and they stop. I act like I am not reacting, just moving my hand. It works every time!
Posted By: Kiiru

Re: He thinks I am a tree and he is looking for sa - 05/26/08 06:56 PM

I don't think hissing would scare him. ^^ I hiss twice at my kids when they're doing something I don't like versus telling them "no." Hissing 2 times in a row, kind of angrily basically means "no!" in their language so that's why I do it. And, my kids almost instantly knock it off then come to me to see what I want.

Do gliders do little love nibbles? My male always nibbles the back of my neck once every tent time then comes and chatters in my ear. :S And he's started to get interested in marking me...which means trieing to bite down on me to hold on, me twitching, him running away and trying to find a new spot, etc. frown That's with wearing the same clothes for 4months without washing them too.
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