What do YOU want YOUR bird to do? - Page 4

12-19-2007, 06:55 AM

Oh yea Sarah, that's true.
It really depends, I believe. Whatever makes the bird safely and easily conditioned is what is important. Although they, like humans, have a lot in common, each bird is individual in what drives it.
Mark

12-19-2007, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parrotntn

Maybe somebody else can chime in on harness help. I have read where they let them play with the harness a lot, not all the time or it looses it's effectiveness. You never let a bird play with a prop that you use.
I'd let her just play with it and gradually acclimate her with it and obviously give her big special rewards and treats for each touch she has with it. If she runs from it, then I might try laying it down by a treat or putting the treat on it. When she touches it, use big immediate praise the second her beak touches it. And build on it from there. The holding it in your lap and you playing with it while she watches. carry it around so she she's it's ok with you. I had to carry a perch around in my hand a week, not even approaching Cleo with it where she would stop running away from the perch. She still does some but not as bad. Maybe sit her in your lap and the harness in the other hand.
Dunno, bottom line is the millisecond she even gets close or touches it, praise her, reward her. If you were clicker training, that'd be the time you clicked..the second she touches or does the desired thing.

I've tried all that. She doesn't mind playing with it at all. I can even get the straps over her head. It's when it goes around her wings that starts the problems. She just can't stand it. She screams and picks at it constantly. I just can't make myself leave it on her. She's never liked her wings messed with, which is why I'm glad I'm able to just leave her flighted!

12-19-2007, 09:51 AM

Have you tried approaching it from the point of conditioning her wings to be touched first? As I said, I know that Cleo hates the towel. But...just in the last two nites, I've started a Kleenex game and playing with it, she eats/bobs at it, we play tug of war on the tree beside the couch.
but, I work in actually laying the Kleenex across her head and I was amazed that at times, she sort of started to close her eyes and look like she enjoyed it.
So, maybe leaving the harness off and doing things that will make her more comfortable with having her wings touched first.
Mark

12-19-2007, 10:15 AM

I wonder if clicker training would help any? Eve has no problems with harness, I could basically tie him in a knot it wouldn't matter to eve, so I have no issues, but perhaps clicker training would help? I know someone who has done wonders with a toy phobic amazon who is in his 20's that in a week of clicker training will now play with anything weather he has seen it before or not. Just a thought.

12-21-2007, 05:54 AM

Camille, maybe you could clicker train Ollie into a harness. It would have to be ground up conditioning, like what I described in the clicker training primer. Click for touching the harness, etc. I bet she'd do it.