Help! I'm new at this...

[gig]

It's probably time for a new thread, but I just had to announce to all of you out there who have been so nice in helping me with my prep dilemmas, "HE'S HERE!"
Pick up went smoothly and he is chilling out in his new home. I will take some pictures tomorrow (he's going sleepy bird right now). :smile015::smile015:

 

[roxynoodle]

Oh, glad to hear he is home Sorry I kept calling him "her" in your other thread. For some reason I had it in my head you were getting a female, oops!

 

[gig]

Him, her - whatever. We're not breeding so it doesn't really matter anyway! I got him to step up onto a hand held perch, but the minute I get it out of the cage, he tries to fly away - which he can't. He makes a soft landing on the floor and proceeds to walk away from me. I got down onto his level and waited until he stopped moving and was just looking at me. Then I ended up toweling him (which he doesn't seem to mind much - I think that's how he was probably handled at the breeders) and put him back in his cage. Went through this routine twice. Any suggestions for keeping him on the hand held perch? Oh, he doesn't seem to want any treats! I tried sunflower seeds, cheerios and even a nutriberry! That will make him very hard to train, won't it?

 

[MickeysMom]

Oh he's so sweet! He will probably like treats once he settles in, good luck with him.

 

[gig]

Thank you! I'm hoping the treat thing is just temporary excitement. He picks them up out of my hand and tosses them!
After I wrote the last post, I heard a squeal from his room so I ran in and I think he just wanted to see me! He was right up against the front wall of the cage sitting up nice and tall - a whole new posture I hadn't seen before, and his whole attitude seemed more upbeat, if that's possible. I think the squeal was like an announcement that he's feeling a bit more comfortable in his new surroundings! I made "happy talk" and had him step up onto the little perch and then just turned it around and he stepped back onto the cage perch. I awarded this with "Yay Bowie!!!" smiling and dancing around (thank goodness no one else was around to see me!) and then we did that 3 or 4 more times! He's a genius!

 

[roxynoodle]

It's a he The females don't have the red on the breast.

Birds love dancing. I suggest you keep doing it and not worry about being seen

 

[gmkielbasa]

after seeing how bright red yours is, makes me think dexter is really a "she" rather than a he...

 

[mnkeastman]

Love the pictures