do you let your conure up on your shoulder?

[jewels04]

I searched this question and couldn't find a really good answer. JJ constantly wants on our shoulders and she will keep fighting her way up even if we remove her she will keep climbing until she can get up. I spent a good hour trying to get her to stop yesterday but the only times she is still and behaves is when she is up on our shoulders. Is sitting on my shoulder bad? And if so what else besides constantly removing her can I do? And if I remove her she won't step down on anything. It's kinda funny i offer her my leg or her stand and she will just hang upside down off my finger. How do I teach her to step down on other things?

 

[Spiritbird]

Conures just love to be with you on shoulder, head or in your clothes. Many people feel it is a danger for you to be bitten if the bird is distracted. Personally, I think you are wasting you time trying to get JJ to stay off your shoulder. I am one of the few that believes it is ok for a small bird like a conure to be on your shoulder.

 

[mandolynn]

There are different ideas about birds on your shoulder. It can cause dominance issues, because they are up higher and at or above your eye level, but it depends on the bird. I usually train babies to snuggle on my chest, under my chin, instead of on the shoulder. This helps them bond with me and prevents them developing dominance issues. Larger parrots are more prone to this, but it can be an issue with any species. She probably developed the habit, but you can break it by only allowing her below eye level.
As far as stepping down goes, this is something they learn through practice just like stepping up. Try practice laddering and perching on your finger alot, and when you want her to step down lower her so her her backwards so her feet are close to the surface of where you want her to go, while saying step down. Sunnys love being upside down so shes probably just trying to play, and should learn with practice.

 

[jewels04]

Conures just love to be with you on shoulder, head or in your clothes. Many people feel it is a danger for you to be bitten if the bird is distracted. Personally, I think you are wasting you time trying to get JJ to stay off your shoulder. I am one of the few that believes it is ok for a small bird like a conure to be on your shoulder.

Thanks! I know the breeder allowed them up there, and like I said I spent an hour keeping her off my shoulder yesterday and she wasn't having it. I just didn't know because people always like to say if their on your shoulder they will think they are more dominant. Just checking what others allowed their conures to do.

 

[lexx510]

Currently, Guava is not allowed on my shoudler because she bit my ear. The problem is that once they are on your shoulder, it is going to be very difficult to avoid a bite or get them off after they bite. I usually don't have problems with her on my shoulder, but I suspend that privilage if she is to ever bite.
A few days ago, I came home from work in the morning and, as usual, began putting fresh pellets into her food bowl. She happily jumped up on my finger, then suddenly ran up to my shoulder and bit my ear REALLY hard. She's done the exact same thing once before, when I took her out in the morning and was pouring myself a bowl of cereal. She only does this once in a blue moon, but it really hurts. I'm still working on figuring out the trigger for these bites.

 

[FutureDVM]

I do allow Penny to sit on my shoulder. She LOVES being up there and will sometimes fly up to my shoulder as soon as I get her out of her cage. I really haven't had any issues, so I will continue to let her sit on my shoulder. Of course there is always the chance that she could bite me, but I trust her enough to feel confident she won't bite. She loves to preen and nibble at my ears and neck though, but she's very gentle and knows not to bite too hard.

 

[echoskybound]

I'm not sure if being on the shoulder is a matter of dominance to the bird. Birds pretty much see you on their level. They feel safer being higher up, though. The problem is that they need to learn that you aren't a human playgym, and that they can only be on your shoulder by permission and if they willingly step up and down.

When I first got my conure, he would NOT stay off of our heads, and he would get angry if we tried to take him off. My solution was clicker training and target training (if you're not familiar with either one, let me know and I can point you towards some great resources!) I could get him to step down anywhere by putting the target somewhere that would require him to step off my hand. I started by clicking+rewarding if my conure was on my hand, then I rewarded him if he stayed on my hand a little longer, then I slowly increased that time until he would patiently sit on my hand.

The problem is that your shoulder is her favorite place to be, and there's no incentive for her not to be there - you need to give her a reason, like a reward for being on your hand instead. I can get my bird to go almost anywhere to reach the target. It's a very great tool for shaping a lot of behaviors.

Sometimes my conure still wants to be on my head, mostly because it's a good landing spot and it makes him feel comfortable, but he never gets rewarded for being on my head. I do, however, let him on my shoulder all the time, but he steps up when I ask him to because he knows he will probably be rewarded for it.

 

[lexx510]

I'm not sure if being on the shoulder is a matter of dominance to the bird. Birds pretty much see you on their level. They feel safer being higher up, though. The problem is that they need to learn that you aren't a human playgym, and that they can only be on your shoulder by permission and if they willingly step up and down.

When I first got my conure, he would NOT stay off of our heads, and he would get angry if we tried to take him off. My solution was clicker training and target training (if you're not familiar with either one, let me know and I can point you towards some great resources!) I could get him to step down anywhere by putting the target somewhere that would require him to step off my hand. I started by clicking+rewarding if my conure was on my hand, then I rewarded him if he stayed on my hand a little longer, then I slowly increased that time until he would patiently sit on my hand.

The problem is that your shoulder is her favorite place to be, and there's no incentive for her not to be there - you need to give her a reason, like a reward for being on your hand instead. I can get my bird to go almost anywhere to reach the target. It's a very great tool for shaping a lot of behaviors.

Sometimes my conure still wants to be on my head, mostly because it's a good landing spot and it makes him feel comfortable, but he never gets rewarded for being on my head. I do, however, let him on my shoulder all the time, but he steps up when I ask him to because he knows he will probably be rewarded for it.

Excellent advice!

 

[JensFlock]

I've heard many different opinions about that too. Two of my birds will sit there and not bite, and cuddle up against my neck, so I let them do it.
My quaker is iffy with the biting, so he's not allowed on the shoulders.

 

[jewels04]

so far when she does go up there she just sits, sometimes plays with my hair and sometimes grooms my neck. She hasn't given me any problems so far but I would like to teach her that she needs permission to go up there. Usually while I hold her it's a fight to keep her off my shoulder and I am constantly chasing her off my arm.

 

[Scotty T]

I've been around birds all my life big and little. I don't feel that the bird on your shoulder is such a bad thing over him being on your head. It's seems my reading over the years says a bird dominates you when he/she is on your head. This can lead to problems.

I love having my baby on my shoulder, she nibbles my ear and make little noises to me. But damn it scares the heck out of me when she rips out a happy scream in my ear, damn!!!

 

[Sulphiria]

Currently, Guava is not allowed on my shoudler because she bit my ear. The problem is that once they are on your shoulder, it is going to be very difficult to avoid a bite or get them off after they bite. I usually don't have problems with her on my shoulder, but I suspend that privilage if she is to ever bite.
A few days ago, I came home from work in the morning and, as usual, began putting fresh pellets into her food bowl. She happily jumped up on my finger, then suddenly ran up to my shoulder and bit my ear REALLY hard. She's done the exact same thing once before, when I took her out in the morning and was pouring myself a bowl of cereal. She only does this once in a blue moon, but it really hurts. I'm still working on figuring out the trigger for these bites.

Sounds like it could be the sound of something falling. We have some metal food bowls and when their food hits the bowl it can be pretty loud, might be the same if you have glass or similar for cereal, its the noise it makes.

 

[Pnp26]

I recently got my GCC, Monkey, and I allow him on my shoulder mainly because he is missing some toes and nails and has very poor balance, poor thing, and feels more stable on my shoulder when I wear the appropriate sweatshirt so he has a hood he can grasp, and other times I will feel him holding onto my hair with his beak, so cute. He is such a sweetie but I was bit in the ear once when my husband tried to kiss me, Monkey hates men or him and thought he was biting him not me, I could tell he felt bad, lol

 

[mandolynn]

I let birds that I know well on my shoulder occasionally, but not consistently. It may not be a matter of dominance, but they are more likely to bite and less likely to step up on your finger to get off the shoulder. When birds are equal or higher than your eyes, I feel they get over excited, almost like they fey high from being high. Maybe this has something to do with them being prey animals or that they live in treetops in the wild. I don't know. If a bird is good on your shoulder and still listens, I don't see why she cant hang out there sometimes, just give her other places to be as well. I used to wear a hoodie every day just so I could put a bird in the hood to hang out.

 

[Lukask]

I let mine on my shoulder. She is only annoying when I have earrings in. The only time she bites my face is when she gets a little over excited about a 'kiss'. But even that isnt an actual bite. It's more of her not understanding how much pressure is ok. It's convenient for her to be on my shoulder, I think. She likes to cruz around as I vacuum the house and clean.

She used to land on my head all the time. I didnt care a ton as long as she didnt stay up there long. Then one day she pooped on my head. The warm feeling of poop dripping down my scalp was enough to put an end to landing on my head forever...

 

[Remy]

My personal opinion is that if the bird behaves, it can be on the shoulder. If it gets aggressive or possessive, then you should remove it. I had to keep Puck off my shoulder for a while, because of this, but now he's (usually) fine.

 

[northernlights1]

clicker training, that sounds very interesting!