I'm seriously struggling here//:

[DannyA93]

So I've been trying to tame my new sun conure. However I was making some progress with clicker training and target training however the next step I was trying to get passed was "step up" training. I was able to get him to touch the stick without biting it once. The issue is that when I have the stick in my hand he rips into it. If it's not in my hand he doesn't care about it. I was using the tactic of just holding the stick pretty far away from him and utilizing the target stick for him to come close to it on his own. However as soon as he would get about 3 inches from it and notices I'm holding it he completely forgets about the target stick, attacks and rips pieces out of the stick.

He also takes sunflower seeds from my hand then immediately runs to the far corner of his cage to eat it. If there's not a treat in my hands he tries to bite my fingers, even tries to reach through the cage bars to bite me. He seems to be petrified of hands and probably of just humans in general. He's also started screeching an extremely loud alarm call every time he sees me or my roommate. Whether we are close or far from him. If he can see us he's alarm calling until we leave. I tried a tactic that worked well with Kyro and that was showing him he wouldn't get attention if he screeched but how do you help a bird that doesn't want you're attention? If I turn my back hell screech, stop eventually. Then I try to reward him but as soon as he sees I'm turning around he starts up again so I can't even treat him because he's screeching again and I don't want to accidentally enforce that. I'm seriously getting discouraged )): I'm trying so hard and we are only moving backwards.

So I'm asking you're guys opinions about how I should go about helping my 4 MONTH OLD sun conure?

I did message the breeder to ask for advice as well and she told me I stopped using the towel too fast(she wanted me to wrap him in a towel every time he did something undesirable. Aka negative reinforcement) she was "in shock" and he was a sweet baby with her. Btw she couldn't take him out of the cage without a towel. But she also offered me to take him back and she would give me a baby that is younger and just about weaned. Should I trade or do you guys think I can work passed this baby's wild tendencies? Which I'm in shock still because this baby was completely different when I was visiting. Maybe because he saw she had the towel nearby the whole time? I'm so torn apart, literally and emotionally.

 

[Ann333]

So this baby did not have these issues with the breeder?

 

[Kalidasa]

just a question...are you working with him outside of the cage at all, or only inside? So many parrots are cage aggressive, and will continue to be so no matter what. Neutral ground outside the cage is usually optimal, especially with new birds. My conure is as sweet as sugar, but if he's in his cage and I stick my hand in I will be tending a bleeding wound, and that's been with most birds I've had. It's their space while within and we just have to deal with that in many cases. I would suggest coaxing him out with a treat, and working with him in another room from the cage. It's usually discouraging at first, but hang in there, these things have a way of smoothing out with time and patience.

 

[DannyA93]

This is what she said but she also told me the baby was much younger 2 months younger actually and when she tried to get them out for some interaction time they were flapping around and she ended up using the towel to get them out. The baby wasn't biting while I was there but every time he fluttered off the perches she swooped him up in a towel and "punished" him for flying off. When I got home I never even pulled out a towel thinking he would associate me with "punishment" and I want him to enjoy spending time with me. She was forcing him to step up with a perch which I didn't want to force him to do anything once again because I didn't want him to think every time I came over I would force him to do things. But I started trying to respect his boundaries and train using positive reinforcement but the issues are just kinda adding up. I know how to react to bites and I've done years of research and even helped friends with their birds but I can't seem to get through to this particular bird! I'm sure it's me but I've tried everything I can think of and I've been researching so much and trying new things but he just simply wants nothing to do with me or my roommate which btw doesn't even look at him. She's not a bird person. Which is leading me to think that once he was weaned he was thrown in an aviary and when I showed interest in a weaned baby instead of hand feeding she plucked him out, clipped him and now here we are. He's 4 months old and she never showed him how to step up. I'm willing to bet my paycheck she didn't interact with him for 2 months.

 

[DannyA93]

just a question...are you working with him outside of the cage at all, or only inside? So many parrots are cage aggressive, and will continue to be so no matter what. Neutral ground outside the cage is usually optimal, especially with new birds. My conure is as sweet as sugar, but if he's in his cage and I stick my hand in I will be tending a bleeding wound, and that's been with most birds I've had. It's their space while within and we just have to deal with that in many cases. I would suggest coaxing him out with a treat, and working with him in another room from the cage. It's usually discouraging at first, but hang in there, these things have a way of smoothing out with time and patience.

Thank you for your reply. He won't step up. I can't get him out of the cage, not even for treats, he'd rather scream then just give up and take his anger out y ripping massive chunks out of the toys in his cage. By the looks of his body language I'm sure he wishes with all his might that the toy is my finger. and I'm not sure how to get him out without it being a completely negative experience. So I've been touch training inside the cage.

 

[gracebowen]

Have you tried just leaving the cage open and letting him come out on his own. Maybe then he will get brave enough to come to you for a treat. Ive been doing that with my babies and it helps.

Also I dont know if it will help or not but my keet lets me rub her belly at night only while in the cage.

Edit my new keet Joy let me touch her tonight too.

 

[DannyA93]

Have you tried just leaving the cage open and letting him come out on his own. Maybe then he will get brave enough to come to you for a treat. Ive been doing that with my babies and it helps.

Also I dont know if it will help or not but my keet lets me rub her belly at night only while in the cage.

Edit my new keet Joy let me touch her tonight too.

Yay! Congrats with the success! as for your question I leave it open all the time. Just trying to give him options. He's been in quarantine from my cockatiel(which his training is coming along nicely!) so the only attention he gets is from people. He hates it though.

In an effort to lighten the mood Lusa on the other hand has become a lot more comfortable with my hands! Still a bit shy but loves doing step up on a short perch! He took very well to clicker training and is very cooperative! He will step up from inside the cage and I can then bring him out without fuss I'm planning to phase out the perch within the week and have him step up on my finger comfortably!

 

[DannyA93]

Anyone have tips for me? I'm not making progress here despite all my efforts. I just don't understand what's going on?? I've tamed birds before and I can't seem to get through to this guy... My confidence is shattered. I even caught myself questioning if I was even the right person to own birds. I just don't know...

 

[wrench13]

Toweling? really? THis breeder seems to have some seriously out moded ( to say the least) notions of how to make companion birds. I feel really bad for you, one can sense the frustration. Conquer thru the belly. Most birdys are slaves to their eating, so I would approach it like that. Patience, if you've worked with birds before you know the right steps to take, this little one has just been negatively conditioned with this towel nonsense. Hang in there!

 

[Anansi]

I agree with Wrench, here. There's a lot of debate between old school adherents and students of the positive behavioral approach as regards the use of toweling, but I think most on both sides would agree that the breeder is overusing the technique, here. Most who do use it do so as a last resort. Like if the bird is in the process of attempting to eat your face or something. (Unless we're talking people who like to use "flooding" to the exclusion of all else.)

Toweling a fledging bird for flying is every bit as silly as it sounds. Kind of like tackling and swaddling a toddler every time he/she tries to walk. A bird at that age is SUPPOSED to be testing his wings! Why punish him for it?

So I believe you were right to try and approach this with a different method, but the dramatic shift in boundaries might've thrown him for a massive loop.

Or maybe you're right about his not having been handled over a period of two months. Basically, either way you're attempting to undo the damage done in his prior situation.

So don't be discouraged. It's just going to take longer to get through to him is all. I think you'll need to focus on earning his trust before anything else.

My advice? Start with the little things and work your way up. Sit down at the closest distance you can without triggering his freak out response. Then try reading to him. Or talking to him. Soft, reassuring tones. Don't stare, as he might mistake your attentions as predatory. After a few days of this (or earlier if he has a breakthrough), try moving a wee bit closer. And then closer yet. Each time moving closer in the smallest of increments. Eventually you might be able to sit right next to his cage without protest.

Also, I wouldn't free feed. I say this because if you bring food at each distinct mealtime, he'll come to associate you with the satisfaction of his hunger. You want to capitalize on every possible positive association. (Just to be clear, here, I am not advocating withholding food. Just distinct mealtimes rather than free feeding.)

Building on this, find his favorite food and bribe him every so often.

Chris/Kalidasa also made a good point. He may be cage territorial. So once you've built enough trust to do so, I'd suggest getting him to step up onto a stick and taking him out of the room with his cage for further training. He might seem a different bird entirely once out of sight of his cage.

It might be weeks or even months before he catches up with your cockatiel, but I do think he can get there. Just use patience and consistency. Earn his trust, and the rest should follow.

 

[AllBeaksParrotPlace]

Hello,
WOW!! Your bird lacks confidence, a bird that is not allowed to fly will lose their confidence. Lack of confidence in a bird leads to aggression. Are the wings clipped, and if they are, are they done correctly? It is going to be a slow process, if you choose to keep the sun. If you want help, I am more than willing to walk you through. My name is Shawn and I am a certified Avian Specialist, and Avian Behaviorist.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Using sticks and towels to train Skittles would never work. LOL. He LOVES to chew on sticks and roll around in towels, so that would be a non-starter for me.

There are two things I'd like to share. One, you can't rush training or taming. You can't do it at your own pace or speed, you have to do it at your birds pace. Two, You have to be persistent in setting limits and boundaries. You can't slack off on the training at any point.

The first couple of years I had Skittles, he was a living, breathing nightmare and there wasn't a day I didn't want to strangle him (though I never would).

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I finally figured him out and found ways to communicate with him and set limits. He still 'tests' me and pitches a fit, now and then, but it's like night and day with him.

What I'm trying to say is just be patient. If you put in the time and effort and go at the right pace, it will pay off in the end. Sometimes it takes longer with some birds than others. They are all individual beings and there is no one set way or method.

On an additional note, I agree with Shawn about the flying. Skittles is free-flighted and it makes a WORLD of difference. I'll wake him up between 10a-11a and he flies around throughout the day and lets off all that excess energy. By 7:30-8p, he's ready for bed and lets me know it!