FieryPhoenix
Well-known member
- Jan 18, 2022
- 316
- 572
- Parrots
- I Sun Conure who hatched March 23. 2004. I adopted her on May 8, 2005
I had a Quaker Parrot named Nikki who lived for 19 years
I grew up with Budgerigars named Screech, Zoar and Blue Baby
For the past week or so my Sun Conure at some point in the day would start randomly flying and landing on me. She would either land on my chest or my shoulder. I don’t exactly love it when she does that because she starts goofing around like sticking her head inside my shirt and chewing the religious scapular I wear under my clothes.
I get her off of me by having her step up on my handheld T perch. She and my Quaker don’t respond to stepping on ti the hand from my shoulders or chest The perch is the quickest and most reliable. They have been using the T for 16 years so they are pretty familiar with it.
I thought it would be a good time to teach Sunny to land on my hand instead of my shoulders and chest. This morning after landing on my chest, stomach and of my shoulders she landed on my hand. Whenever she landed on the undesired body parts, I would lure her back into the standing perch with the millet. So she would only get reinforced for stepping to the standing perch or my handheld perch. She doesn’t yet fly back to the standing perch.
I just hope she doesn’t get too clingy. My goal was never for her to want to be all over me. I just wanted her to not bite when asked to step up LOL!
Obviously, she needs to work on stationing.
My question is it okay to be to continue training this? I ask because of the following thing I observed this morning. I was target training around the cage with the door open to get them both to come out onto the door perch. When it comes to targeting, they are only really good at doing it on a standing perch and I want them to be able to target in and around the cage as well. Sunny was really getting it and Nikki showed not too much interest. Sunny started flying to me again and I wanted to stick her head inside my shirt though. I didn't want her to just randomly fly to me and land on my shoulders and not want to get off. I kept luring her back to the door perch and giving her a treat when she would get onto it. It was not easy getting her to stay, though. I am guessing she just wanted to play and fool around.
Later, she was on the door perch and looking pretty chill and so I had a treat in my other hand and offered my hand to step up. She gave me a warning that she would bite so I removed my hand. Thanks be to God I didn't get bitten. I am not sure why she didn't want to step up. It could be because her sister was still in the cage. They often step up onto my hand from the door perch together. I just thought it was really interesting that one minute she came out of the cage, leaving her sister behind to fly onto my shoulder and stick her head inside my shirt but when I asked to step up, she wouldn't. I am guessing she finds more value in leaving her sister behind if she can good off inside my shirt.
If Sunny ever learns to recall to my hand, would that be a good alternative for stepping up if she doesn't want to step up? I mean are some birds more prone to do that behavior rather than stepping up onto a hand. Now, I will say, she does step up on my hand if she finds it worthwhile (wants the treat). I also use different treats for a step up. I have not tried them with getting her to step up from the door perch yet though. Maybe I should.
I get her off of me by having her step up on my handheld T perch. She and my Quaker don’t respond to stepping on ti the hand from my shoulders or chest The perch is the quickest and most reliable. They have been using the T for 16 years so they are pretty familiar with it.
I thought it would be a good time to teach Sunny to land on my hand instead of my shoulders and chest. This morning after landing on my chest, stomach and of my shoulders she landed on my hand. Whenever she landed on the undesired body parts, I would lure her back into the standing perch with the millet. So she would only get reinforced for stepping to the standing perch or my handheld perch. She doesn’t yet fly back to the standing perch.
I just hope she doesn’t get too clingy. My goal was never for her to want to be all over me. I just wanted her to not bite when asked to step up LOL!
Obviously, she needs to work on stationing.
My question is it okay to be to continue training this? I ask because of the following thing I observed this morning. I was target training around the cage with the door open to get them both to come out onto the door perch. When it comes to targeting, they are only really good at doing it on a standing perch and I want them to be able to target in and around the cage as well. Sunny was really getting it and Nikki showed not too much interest. Sunny started flying to me again and I wanted to stick her head inside my shirt though. I didn't want her to just randomly fly to me and land on my shoulders and not want to get off. I kept luring her back to the door perch and giving her a treat when she would get onto it. It was not easy getting her to stay, though. I am guessing she just wanted to play and fool around.
Later, she was on the door perch and looking pretty chill and so I had a treat in my other hand and offered my hand to step up. She gave me a warning that she would bite so I removed my hand. Thanks be to God I didn't get bitten. I am not sure why she didn't want to step up. It could be because her sister was still in the cage. They often step up onto my hand from the door perch together. I just thought it was really interesting that one minute she came out of the cage, leaving her sister behind to fly onto my shoulder and stick her head inside my shirt but when I asked to step up, she wouldn't. I am guessing she finds more value in leaving her sister behind if she can good off inside my shirt.
If Sunny ever learns to recall to my hand, would that be a good alternative for stepping up if she doesn't want to step up? I mean are some birds more prone to do that behavior rather than stepping up onto a hand. Now, I will say, she does step up on my hand if she finds it worthwhile (wants the treat). I also use different treats for a step up. I have not tried them with getting her to step up from the door perch yet though. Maybe I should.
