Macaws and harness training

[Kevinlunde]

It seems that I am not the only the world that finds harness training a macaw hard, but it sure feels like that sometimes.

I have two BG macaws, and I would love to be able to take them with me everywhere, and of course the best would be to just let them be free, but thats not an option, since i don´t want to loose them.

So I have bought the Aviator harness and I really try all the tricks in the book to at least see some progress.

Both birds accept that i hold the harness in my hand, but if I come to close, they freak out. On a good day, they will tolerate that I touch them with the harness material, but not more...

Does anyone have a trick up their sleeve on what I could do to get a step further?
The best thing would be if the bird understood that harness on means he get to go outside, but that would be kind of a miracle=)

.Kevin

 

[Buzz2537]

Hi Kevin. Maybe, because Hahnna is young, just 14 weeks and because she is a mini / Hahn's Macaw, I have been pretty lucky. I too use the Aviator harness. I use a target word when I put it on her ( park) after that is where we go, with one of my Yorkies to walk. She loves it there so over time she has associated the word, the harness and the place and will allow me to put it on her. I won't say that she enjoys having the harness put on, bit she accepts it now. She use to pick it up the leash and bite it while it was on, but again I used a target word/phrase (leave it) now she will pick it up, go to bite it and drop it herself and say "leave it." I started her very young though, seven weeks old when I brought her home. I home so I am sure that helped a lot. Idk. The Parrot Wizard swears any bird can be trained at any age. I am still trying to get Hahnna to bring it to me like his Senegal does, and nothing yet. LOL. Good Luck with the harness training. i am sure overtime it will work,just go slow and be patient.

 

[ShellyBorg]

I feed shelled sunflowers as a treat. She must reach through the loop to get the treat. I hold that loop still until there is no hesitation in her reach to get the treat. Once we are there I offer the treats in a cup so she has to reach through then down to reach them. Again I keep this up until there is no fear. It is a slow job, but very worth it.

 

[doakota1]

I took the harness and put it on the bed and placed a toy on it, then I put Lucy on the bed and started pulling both away from her. After she grabbed it, that's when I started playing tug of war for just a minute, when she got it in her mouth i gently started taking it out of her mouth, and setting it on her back, after acouple of days of that she got real used to it, then it just got easier and easier.

 

[Kevinlunde]

Thank you guys for your replies I have probably watched every video about harnesstraining, and I still feel that my training is not progressing.
Both birds will stick their heads in the loop, but only for a fraction of a second.
Guess I have to continue with this until it will last for maybe 2 whole seconds

Winter is coming up, so I'll have plenty of time
And I will try with treats in a cup! That sounds like the next step for us

.Kevin