Break through and a question

[Savannah]

Hello

Not sure if this should be in the behavior forum or the macaw one, but thought I would start here first.

Willow has been home with me for two days. She has been stepping up really good and is stepping up for the entire family. I saw the breeder touch her all over and lay her in her back but I didn't want to push things and hadn't patted her yet. Well, tonight she was on the tree stand and saying "up","up". I went to get her and she practically dove into my neck and was begging to be pet. So I started touching her all over and she loved it!!!!! I was in heaven.

But now every time I put her on her tree stand or play top, she flies to me. I don't say anything, and I put her back on whatever she flew off.

Is there a trick to teaching her to stay put? It is my fault as I sat in the rocking chair and cuddled her for over an hour. I am trying so hard not to make any mistakes. I want to be a good bird mom

Thanks
Alice and Willow

 

[goalerjones]

Remember that you are in it for the long haul. Any behaviors you reinforce now will remain. Disciplining yourself is part of the deal. You want boundaries, but Willow will not. Willow will look to you as pack leader and take her cues from you.

 

[Savannah]

I know that.... What I don't know is the best way to keep her on the tree stand. Do I just keep putting her back on it? It's not bad to cuddle with her for awhile is it? She has gone to bed for the night now.

Thanks for your help.

Alice

 

[goalerjones]

When Hahnzel flies off his perch to me I have to place him back there. After a few minutes of letting him sit there I go back and have him step up and spend time with him.

 

[Shayne]

Mine just sits on top of his cage all the time. Doesn't sit on his perch as its not as high. He starts flapping his wings when he wants a fuss and I have to go over to him to cuddle. I'm slowly working on the opposite. Getting him to stay with me for a cuddle. He'll stay with me a lot longer if I don't sit down. He just likes to be at height. I'm thinking of buying some sort of high up chair to sit on with him.

 

[Grinder]

Our Military Macaw also flew to me practically all the time. From 20 feet away or even a foot away. She always wanted to be on my shoulder. At first I thought it was wonderful, but realized I was creating a bad habit. So When I wanted her to fly to me I would praise her quite a bit. But if she flew to me when I didn't want her too I used a simple phrase. "Not now" and put her back from where she flew. It took about a week and a half of being pesistant about it, but she learned quickly.

A word about cuddling - I personally will cuddle with her for a few minutes, but not too long. Not to say I don't pet her or play with her, but the pure cuddling I keep short because some Macaws will become screamers if you cuddle with them so much that they become lonely when you set them on or in their cage.

I've had one person tell me not to cuddle at all, but just to pet the top of the head because it creates behavioral issues. I decided to learn boundaries rather than create ridiculous 'absolute' rules like she was preaching.

Good luck with your Willow

 

[Savannah]

Thanks everyone...she is a smarty and is staying on her cage better today. She is a great bird....So glad I found her. I think I have been bitten by the macaw bug

Alice

 

[noblemacaw]

I cuddle my RFM Valentino but only during a certain time every day. He understands when "momma time" is and that is the time for nurturing and cuddles our one on one time. During the day he is in his cage while I am working in my office. He is in the cage about 6 hours a day while I work.

In the morning before I feed him his fresh foods I fly him and work with training. Valentino is then put back in his cage to eat and I am to go upstairs to work. Early evening I go back downstairs to take care of my dog then I take out Valentino for more flying and training. Sometimes before I cook dinner I will sit down with him and watch the news. He will normally take come one on one for a few mins then will fly to his Java tree to play. I put him back in his cage before I begin to cook dinner. Depending what we have for dinner I will allow him to eat at the table with us. He will get his own plate and will eat veggies, yams or what ever I have he is allowed to eat. If I have a meal with any no no parrot foods he has to stay in cage and eat with us from his own food in cage.

After dinner is relax time for me and Momma time for him. I take him back out of cage and this is the time he will expect his cuddle time. I preen him, talk to him he will lay on me on his side and preen himself. Valentino has been with us a little over 3 months and he has adapted to this schedule pretty quickly. I will mix it up so that he will not "ingrain" himself to a rigid schedule and I want him to be flexiable. Soon the weather will be warm enough where I can harness him and begin to take him outside. He will then begin to accompany me on errands so I can socialize him more.

Remember Willow is still a baby and will probably need some more nurturing. She is beginning to bond to your family. This is also the window to being her training so that she can learn to learn from you. It took Valentino a couple of weeks to really settle in and begin to accept us as his new family. Also don't forget to teach her how to fly down to you from a height above. I will admit I though a parrot had this skill naturally but they do not. This has to be learned and will be a valuable skill in case she ever escapes the house and goes outside and lands in a tree way above you. If she has the skill to not be afraid or clueless of how to fly down to you when you call her she won't be able to do it efficiently and will be harder to recover her. Don't forget recall training also. Recall and flying skills will be very valuable in case she ever escapes.

Also I forgot to mention that Lupe also has her own time with Valentino. This is when I am not present in the room so they can have their own bonding.

 

[goalerjones]

I have my cage on rollers. If I want my own body space and still want Hahnzels company I close him nto the cage then just roll the cage over near where I am. He seems to be okay with that setup, and if I refrain from making continued eye contact he is content to keep the setup that way.