Earning his trust?

[Sc0tt]

It's been a week now since I've adopted Casper, my 14 month old Red Throated Conure.

We've come along way, he is VERY nibbly but he was BITING extremely hard but seems to be coming off of that a little bit (he is still pretty sporadic about doing it). I am wondering if there are any tricks to earning his trust? I talk to him a lot, we play a lot and his cage is in my room next to my bed so we're around each other quite a bit.

I've heard showering with your bird helps build a relationship and we've done that a couple times. He seems to love it, and lets me pet him all over and stuff in the shower, but once we're out it goes back to biting if I touch him anywhere (other than the top of his head).

So are there any 'secrets' behind earning his trust? Is there anything I can do to help show him I'm here to be his friend, not enemy? I know he hasn't been with me long, and I'm in no way trying to rush it, I'd just like for him to be able to trust me better. Thanks!

 

[tab_xo]

you could try sharing a meal with him- bird safe of course lol

 

[Sc0tt]

you could try sharing a meal with him- bird safe of course lol

I do! We often eat together and if I'm eating something not good for him I will hand feed him crackers or something that he can have.

 

[tab_xo]

thats good! then just keep doing what you are doing, talk to him, play with him, train him and in time he will trust you completely!

 

[Sc0tt]

thats good! then just keep doing what you are doing, talk to him, play with him, train him and in time he will trust you completely!

I hope so. Beautiful macaws by the way! I love B&G's!

 

[tab_xo]

aww thank you are you ever going to get one?
it took about a week before Fargo started trusting me, during the first week was when he was a little nippy and didnt like being told to step up/down
and now after almost 3 months i think he trusts me completely and doesn't nip at all, so in a few weeks you will see the progress with your little guy

 

[SandyBee]

Just keep doing what your doing, trust takes time.
Shower, meals together, head scritches, toys .......

My amazon is 35 and didn't trust, 2 months later we are getting there. I try and touch him as often as I can and when he lets me know not to I respect that and stop. I try and keep my hands close to him without touching him so he knows that they can be trusted.

 

[Sc0tt]

aww thank you are you ever going to get one?
it took about a week before Fargo started trusting me, during the first week was when he was a little nippy and didnt like being told to step up/down
and now after almost 3 months i think he trusts me completely and doesn't nip at all, so in a few weeks you will see the progress with your little guy

Possibly when I'm a little older! I'm a college student now, and still live with my parents so I was stretching it with a Parakeet and now Casper. A macaw will have to be a lot longer down the road!

 

[Sc0tt]

Just keep doing what your doing, trust takes time.
Shower, meals together, head scritches, toys .......

My amazon is 35 and didn't trust, 2 months later we are getting there. I try and touch him as often as I can and when he lets me know not to I respect that and stop. I try and keep my hands close to him without touching him so he knows that they can be trusted.

Thanks! I know patience is a virtue, especially in this case. I just get really disheartened when we're playing or he's on my hand and all is fine, and then out of no where he latches down on my and breaks skin. I understand they're nippy birds, but there's a big difference between his nip and his bite.

 

[tab_xo]

haha thats good! how long have you had your budgie?

i'm a college student and live with my parents too but still have Fargo

 

[Sc0tt]

haha thats good! how long have you had your budgie?

i'm a college student and live with my parents too but still have Fargo

I've had Zeus for two years. And LUCKY! They nearly killed me when I rescued Casper (They learned about him after I brought him home :x) but they would've went nuts if I'd brought home a Macaw lol..

 

[tab_xo]

aww did you rescue casper?

haha one day then!
my mum actually bought Fargo for me

 

[Sc0tt]

aww did you rescue casper?

haha one day then!
my mum actually bought Fargo for me

Yepp his previous owner passed away unexpectedly and he was given to a not-so-good home. I ran across his craigslist ad while just browsing at work, and she was 4 hours away from me and said that she had some kind of green parrot she inherited and either had to rehome it for 150$ or since his flight wings are nearly grown back in she was going to take it to a park and let it go (that part scared me the most and had me in a quick-acting mode). I drove down two days after I found it and got him, and got a big cage and everything else I needed on my way back home.

I was looking to get a baby parrot when I found his ad, and figured I had better save him rather than get one from a breeder that would surely have a good home regardless.

 

[tab_xo]

awww that's amazing! thank you for rescuing him!

 

[Sc0tt]

awww that's amazing! thank you for rescuing him!

Not a problem, I love the little guy, despite his vicious biting and temper tantrums.:10:

 

[DannyA93]

What i've learned is the trick to earning trust is exactly that! TRICKS! have lots of training sessions with him! just not too much maybe 3-4 sessions a day about 15-20 mins each depending on his attention span. when i was earning my birds trust we progressed the most during training. i guess because it envolves lots of treats and praise and fun!! haha i used to be able to cuddle my budgie just like most people cuddle their conures here!! so i'd say it works quite well

 

[Sc0tt]

What i've learned is the trick to earning trust is exactly that! TRICKS! have lots of training sessions with him! just not too much maybe 3-4 sessions a day about 15-20 mins each depending on his attention span. when i was earning my birds trust we progressed the most during training. i guess because it envolves lots of treats and praise and fun!! haha i used to be able to cuddle my budgie just like most people cuddle their conures here!! so i'd say it works quite well

Right on. We have been working quite a bit, it's kind've funny now because all we have been doing is step up in clicker training and he will do great at it. I always know when his attention span has run out because once he's tired of doing it he'll just stand around and repeat 'step up' very audibly to me. He's a little brat!

 

[DannyA93]

Haha he mocks you when he's done!! what a little booger! but thats why we love them isn't it

 

[Sc0tt]

Haha he mocks you when he's done!! what a little booger! but thats why we love them isn't it

Absolutely it's almost like he's done with his training and wants to start working on training me!

He is slowly coming accustomed to things I feel like, we just have to get over his vicious biting, as my mom or girlfriend want nothing to do with him anymore since he's given them both blood drawing bites.

 

[Abigal7]

What i've learned is the trick to earning trust is exactly that! TRICKS! have lots of training sessions with him! just not too much maybe 3-4 sessions a day about 15-20 mins each depending on his attention span. when i was earning my birds trust we progressed the most during training. i guess because it envolves lots of treats and praise and fun!! haha i used to be able to cuddle my budgie just like most people cuddle their conures here!! so i'd say it works quite well

Right on. We have been working quite a bit, it's kind've funny now because all we have been doing is step up in clicker training and he will do great at it. I always know when his attention span has run out because once he's tired of doing it he'll just stand around and repeat 'step up' very audibly to me. He's a little brat!

Sounds like a bird with a sense of humor. Trust me when I say you will notice him getting tamer. I had my GCC who is six monts old and was never hand feed for a couple of months and she is alot less nippy then when I first got her. She is sitting on my shoulder right now.