Aviator harness? Too big or not tight enough?

[Sterling1113]

Hey, all- I have a question. Has anyone else gotten an aviator harness and then worried it was too big? Even if the size was correct for the species?

I recently got my order in which contained a few toys, a boing and two aviator harnesses. D ) in the DVD he demonstrates on a scarlet macaw. He said to leave enough room to put a finger under, but that varies with different birds. Pascal (white capped pionus) is NOT a scarlet macaw, so I tightened it enough to fit my pinky finger under the harness. It looks right, it sits on him fine, he doesn't bother it. But when he walks/step up he tries(and usually succeeds) at getting a toe or two around the harness. I'm afraid to get the smaller size because the package says the small size fits all pionus, but he's the smaller pionus species, and I fear getting the x-small will leave me with a head loop that is too small. Am I just being paranoid and not tightening it enough?

We haven't put Loki's harness on yet, I'll be working with Pascal more today (standing still while we lift his wings, rather than trying to step up on everything that comes close to him.) and if Pascal wears his harness without trouble, we'll put Loki's on and take them outside. I just don't want to get outside, and him get his foot caught and stress out. This is supposed to be fun, not terrifying. And if wearing a harness is stressful on him I'll be upset, he loves going outside.
Thanks for reading. Part of me keeps thinking I'm just too paranoid and I'm leaving it too loose.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Do you mean when he steps up he actually gets his foot caught in the "belt" part of the harness? That sounds like it is possibly too loose?
Gilbert wears the XS, and i tighten it pretty good actually. Did you buy a small and an Xsmall? The collar/head part is actually kind of snug when putting it on and off but it is fine once it is on.
Another random thing--i put my aviator harness on inside out. Gilbert didn't like how it sat on him, so i tried it 'backwards' and he likes it better. Once again, when i got the new one, same thing, he got really hot and bothered when i put it on, so i turned it inside out and he likes it that way.

 

[Sterling1113]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, that it's just too loose. I guess I just didn't want to squish him on my first try putting it on lol.
It's not like it hangs down, he CAN walk and step up without getting his foot on it, but I guess he feels it on his chest and tries to step up on the belt instead of the hand in front of him. We'll try again this evening and tighten it more an see how it goes. He's quite accepting of the harness, he just has no idea what to do with it. Lol.

 

[Anansi]

Hey, Ashley. You probably just need to make it more snug with your adjustment. Just be careful not to make it too tight. It's very easy to cut off their air supply around the chest region. But it's highly unlikely that you'd need a smaller harness.
Also, note that in the dvd the guy actually addresses the whole toe in the harness thing. It's apparently something that they all have to adjust to and teach themselves not to do. But, that said, if it's happening very often, you might want to tug it a wee bit tighter.
Let us know how it all goes!