is my sun conure untrainable?

[djdancer]

Hi All. I've had my sun conure since the second week in December. I started doing clicker training with him but he really seems untrainable. I can touch him once in a while but mostly he'll get on my arm and not my hand and squawks when he doesn't like something (which is a lot of the time). I've even tried to just talk to him and say his name (Dewey) over and over again but he doesn't want to talk either. I have to get his wings clipped again because I do not want to have a bird who once he gets on me he doesn't want to step up to get off of me and just hides down my back. I do know that he prefers to be with me because if someone else has him he always finds his way back to me.

Thanks!

 

[legal_eagle]

It's kind of difficult to tell from your post what your training goals are. If you want a sweet companion bird, I would clip its wings, forget the clicker, and just spend time with him in which you let him call some of the shots. Try to avoid the power struggles. About the only thing to be worked on for companionship at the moment is stepping up, which should come fairly readily if you are consistent.

 

[djdancer]

Hello legal eagle. Yes, we are working on stepping up. He does sort of step but not once he's on me. If I want to get him back in his cage then it really is a struggle. He's all over me to avoid going back in even if I show him the treat and just leave my hand in one place so he steps up on it. Stepping up works to a degree. He'll step up on my hand from the cage but not directly on my hand. He goes around to step on the back of my wrist to run up my arm.

Not sure what happened to him at his last home but he is very obnoxious compared to my Jenday. I inherited my Jenday from my mom when she passed. He's 18 years old and pretty set in his ways but not obnoxious. The Sun conure is 1 1/2 years old so not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[legal_eagle]

Hello legal eagle. Yes, we are working on stepping up. He does sort of step but not once he's on me. If I want to get him back in his cage then it really is a struggle. He's all over me to avoid going back in even if I show him the treat and just leave my hand in one place so he steps up on it. Stepping up works to a degree. He'll step up on my hand from the cage but not directly on my hand. He goes around to step on the back of my wrist to run up my arm.

Not sure what happened to him at his last home but he is very obnoxious compared to my Jenday. I inherited my Jenday from my mom when she passed. He's 18 years old and pretty set in his ways but not obnoxious. The Sun conure is 1 1/2 years old so not sure if that makes a difference.

It sounds like he's going to need to unlearn certain behaviors and learn new ones, which will require calm persistence. If I were in your situation, I would make sure his wings are clipped (sorry if I'm repeating myself) and be consistent and patient. I don't think you should need to bribe him with a treat when it's time to go back into his cage. And I would eliminate the situations where he can make things difficult for your to respond. For example, I wouldn't let him crawl all over me if I couldn't get him off easily. I would let him hang out on his cage and pick him up and put him back down repeatedly--if he tries to climb on the back of your hand withdraw it and then try again. He should get the picture eventually, and depending on how long or if he ever does be patient and accepting of his individual quirks. Thinking of him as untrainable probably heightens your frustration.

 

[djdancer]

Thanks!! I am going to keep his wings clipped. I have children and know that they don't rule my house if I don't let them. If I don't clip his wings then he will be running the house. I can see him up on my ceiling fan when I'm trying to get him back in the cage. Nope that not going to happen. My husband thinks I'm cruel by clipping them and I think it would be cruel to the bird at this point if we don't keep them clipped. It would stress him out too if he had to be chased all of the time.

I like the suggestion about not letting him run all over me. I'm surprised that he hasn't picked up some good behaviors from our Jenday. He's even mean to him. lol He wants to mate and the Jenday doesn't want any part of him so he starts to peck at him. We don't allow them to be together all that much but their cages are close to one another so they can still talk.

I'll give it a shot and if you can think of anything else, please let me know. I really do hope that he'll calm down a bit.

Thanks!!

 

[MonicaMc]

It sounds like you haven't found your sun's favorite treat.

What is the current diet, and what are you using as rewards?

 

[Eclipse]

I want you to know: No birds are untrainable!!! It's just like a dog. You need: patience, understanding, and consistancy. Some conures learn faster than others and this one sounds like it is going to take longer. Be patient and aim for a goal and try to achieve it. Good Luck!!!

 

[djdancer]

He's on an all seed diet. He does have fruits and veges offered every day in a dish. They both love them. I picked up some sun flower kernels (out of the shell). I broke them in 4 pieces each so that it doesn't take him too long to want another and it doesn't take him long to eat it. I got this tip from the youtube videos. I'm not sure what he's been through before but for the most part hands are a no-no except mine once in a while. He's not calm at all. My Jenday is calm and trained. I know that Sun's have a lot more energy but the squawking goes right though you when it's all day long.

I have lots of patience and don't plan on getting rid of him or anything like that but would like to be able to work with him.

 

[MonicaMc]

Might I suggest switching him to a pelleted diet then? And using seeds as a training tool?

 

[djdancer]

I originally started to use the pellets but then the Jenday wouldn't eat at all. He's 18 years old and very used to the seeds. I also buy the Kaytee on discount. I also take the seeds away for a couple of hours before trying to work with him. It worked on the Jenday to get him paper trained but so far the Sun just doesn't want to be trained. Even if I want the squawking to stop a bit that would be good but I also hope to get him to let me touch him. I can pick the Jenday up and lay him on his back. Lift him up while he's holding on to my finger and much more. The Jenday actually hated me before mom passed and I'd have to stop, drop and roll when I went to her house because he would attack me.

 

[MonicaMc]

This thread may help on converting them.

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html


It may work best first thing in the morning before they've had a chance to eat to try training them. Take all food out at night once they go to sleep, first thing in the morning when they wake up, start the training.

 

[djdancer]

Hi thanks that's what I've been doing is training first thing in the morning then later again in the afternoon.

As far as the pellet feeding I don't think I really want to do that. I have a med condition that allows me to only have 12 grams of fat per day (which is basically 1 cracker with cream cheese) and I'll tell you that you do get used to it but I still miss french fries and potato chips.

 

[MonicaMc]

As far as the pellet feeding I don't think I really want to do that. I have a med condition that allows me to only have 12 grams of fat per day (which is basically 1 cracker with cream cheese) and I'll tell you that you do get used to it but I still miss french fries and potato chips.

That's backwards thinking.... A seed diet is not nearly as healthy as a pelleted diet is. Seeds are incomplete in nutrients and vitamins. Birds on a seed diet are more prone to obesity, malnutrition and liver failure.

Pellets aren't perfect, but they are a far deal better than seeds! Seeds can be equated to your french fries, potato chips and cheeseburgers. Not healthy in the long run! Pellets are meant to be a complete, healthy diet (not that they really are), and medium/large birds on pelleted diets suffer far less from liver failure and malnutrition.

Pellets, generally speaking, are lower in fat than seed diets are as well.