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  |  case2552
Glider
 IN, USA
56 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 02:50:17 AM   |
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As I explained in my other question I've only had my glider for a few days and he rarely crabs at me and hes 6 months old. But I was wondering why he was biting. He doesn't seemed frightened or anything and he will even let me pet him but when i go to let him smell me he will try to nibble my finger and I heard you were supposed to "take the bite" and i did. At first it was a light nibble, then he bit harder, and then bit harder and latched on for a sec. But what i don't understand is he never seems angry and doesn't crab before he does that or freak out. Can you guys help me out?
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 | case2552
Glider
IN, USA
56 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 02:52:34 AM  |
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Also when I open the cage he will even run up to me as if he wants to see me.
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| TJones09
Fuzzy Wuzzy
1990 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 06:36:30 AM |
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Hey, you are a step ahead of me, I've been bit, but I mostly try to avoid being bit. I do move my hand away, then go right back and try petting or touching her again, I don't stop until I've had a chance to touch her without letting her bite me. It's probably not the right thing to do, but I just never know if she will bite real hard or not, she has drawn blood before.
Just hang in there, It takes time. I know it's hard, I want my girls to love & trust my husband and I so badly. We can't give up on them, it'll happen at least to some degree sooner or later. And just think of how exciting it will be when the breakthrough comes.
Try handling through fleece, if you have a pouch you can try using like glove, I've done this, but mostly i'll just gently rub them when they're in their sleep pouch while holding it.
Wish you best of luck.
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| LHill
Super Glider
 VA, USA
347 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 06:47:25 AM |
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He could be grooming which feels similar to them peeling bark from a tree. Mine will pick up a finger and lick then scrap her teeth and if I'm not quick enough it turns into a bark peeling grooming session. 
If the nibble turns to a bite try to distract with a treat, or use a tsk tsk type of sound but if he latches on and as a last resort because they really dislike it you can gently blow in his face he should let go.
I was told they lick three times before they decide if something tastes yummy so your best bet is to catch him before the bite occurs. 
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| Ee
Glider
AL, USA
50 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 11:01:40 AM |
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What kind of soap do you use on your hands? Because if it's food scented, that might factor in. It seems weird, but I noticed a marked increase in biting when I was (foolishly) using a coconut scented soap.
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| makalove
Joey
 39 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 03:16:56 PM |
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One of my rescues consistently did this even after she was obviously no longer scared of me. She came to me with month-old twin joeys, so i thought it might be simple mama protectiveness. But whatever the reason, watching her interactions with the joeys and her mate, i quickly deduced the sound she made when she was annoyed with being bitten or otherwise annoyed with something they were doing physically to her. So i started presenting my bent knuckle toward her nose first when interacting with her, much harder to sink teeth into! i would gently bump her nose with it when i saw her look like she was going for a bite - just a firmish press of my knuckle to her nose really - and do my best to imitate her "quit biting me!" sound. It took time, and she still reverts now and then (the person from whom i rescued her last fall told me that she had "never liked being held" and "never been very friendly") but is much less likely to actually *BITE* now, and she'll pull back from a bite if i give her my knuckle and make the sound.
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| lilangels
Super Glider
315 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 03:24:39 PM |
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When he bites is he wiggling his body on you at all? My glider does this little wiggle and bites me lightly then harder and harder. It's her way of marking me as hers.
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| case2552
Glider
IN, USA
56 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 05:30:32 PM |
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He doesn't wiggle when he does it but last night when he tried to do it again I made a psst noise everytime he tried to do it cause someone said it will stop them and keep them from doing it if you do the noise consistently but then it looked like he started hitting my finger with his hand or grabbing it lol so i left the little guy alone. And for the knuckle thing I'll give that a try ^^ and i don't believe our soap has a "foodish" smell to it but maybe he just doesn't like the smell?
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| apricot0205
Glider
 97 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 06:15:13 PM |
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My glider will mistaken my finger for a carrot... Maybe it doesnt understand that your finger is not food?
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| Ee
Glider
AL, USA
50 Posts
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Apr 25 2012 : 07:09:56 PM |
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Ha, one time I tried to handle my gliders just a few hours after making sugar cookies. Sadly, it took me a little bit to figure out why they were going after my fingers. What a painful experience that was.
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