Skateboarding

[ExtraterrestrialGuy]

I'm trying to teach Heimdall to skate down a small Tech Deck ramp as some budgies on YouTube do.
At the moment he perches on the board happily so long as I'm holding on to one end.

He'll let me put the board on a flat surface, but the moment it happens he gets off.

I don't want to just slide him down a ramp without him being comfortable on the board first. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep him on there? He doesn't take treats when perching, only when he's sitting relaxed on his cage. I use to put seeds on the board and have him eat from it to get him comfortable enough to perch on it in the first place, but there's no way he'll take treats when he's on the board, so it's hard to reward any desired behaviour.

 

[Kalidasa]

I love those pics! Just looking from this angle, it looks like the board might be a little small/low. If you put bigger wheels so it's higher maybe his nails won't touch the floor, unless I'm seeing it wrong. And if he likes scratches you could use that as a motivator. He's awfully cute!

 

[tab_xo]

Hmmm, its difficult trying to teach him to stay on if he wont eat treats while hes on the board! Is there a reason why he doesnt want to, is he scared, so doesnt want to concentrate on eating?

I have a skateboard for Fargo, i just never got around to teaching him to sit on it!

I just went and got it, at first he was scared, i put his treats on the board, he ate them off it, then i hand him on my arm, and held the board, then my hand infront with treats, so he had to step onto the board to get the treats..

Then i placed him on the ground, and let him eat treats from my hand...
Then i asked him to just step up onto it.. gave him a treat.. and waited until he sat on it for a few seconds.. and rewarded again...

I drag the duration out each time!

So after about 2 minutes, he was sitting on it!

What you could do, is attach a little perch onto the board, going horizontal across the board, so when it goes forward, he will be facing forward.. and he can hold onto it easier, i think i will do that with Fargos!

Like Kalidasa said, you could use scratches as a motivator, just keep patting him while hes on the board so he wants to stay on it! Lots of praise!
Just keep practicing, he will figure out quickly!

Just took some snaps while i was doing it, dont mean to take the thread away from you! haha

Dont mind the mess in the background, he has just been turning wood into splinters

Eating from my hand, keeping him on the board


Sitting on it for a few seconds


Then he walked to the back and did a wheelie haha

 

[Lindylou277]

I'm so impressed. Where did you get the skate boards?

 

[ExtraterrestrialGuy]

Kalidasa-- His nails don't touch the floor but they may touch the wheels. A general rule is that your toes or heels shouldn't hang off a deck so a wider one would make more sense. Thanks. :53:

Tab-- Fargo looks awesome on that board.
Heimdall doesn't take treats when perching on your hands because he's always distracted! Unless he's in front of his mirror he's always looking to get away to the highest spot. Unfortunately, he doesn't like being touched on the head either, so I can't scratch him. The breeder and the vet told us that he'll be turned off the mirror once his ring develops and he realises it's a male parrot, but I'm not so sure.

The perch idea sounds good. I think I've come across a skateboard made specifically for parrots, but they look more like scooters. Maybe I should train him on one of those first.

Lindy-- I'm not sure which skateboard you're referring to, but Heimdall's are Tech Deck toys meant for fingerboarding. They're quite cheap. I think Fargo's board is for people to do stationary tricks on, but it seems the perfect size for macaws.

 

[tab_xo]

Yes there are those scooters which they can hold their beak onto the little thing at the front, which might make them feel more secure because their beak is like their 3rd hand

Definitely try the customized perch, he might feel like he has more of a natural perch and wont want to get off it!

Thats a tough one though hey! No treats, no scratches! I think just keep trying, from your pictures you can see he isnt upset and terrified, he just isnt sure what you want!

And my parents got the board for Fargo as a gift one day, it was just from one of those cheap shops which sell everything I think it was 5 dollars!

 

[haleybird]

I think we need to see more pictures of Fargo on his skateboard....I'm just waiting for him to hang ten (or should I say, for macaws, hang eight?? haha) with his tongue sticking out!