Update on Dexter, the "aggressive green cheek"; need more advice

[TmrMcc]

Hello!

So it's been about another month since I last posted about Dexter, my Green Cheek Conure. He still won't let me handle him, but he is definitely much fonder of me. I started with some basic training and he now is target trained, can say "pretty bird" (we think he was already taught this), knows to come here when I do a come here whistle (hard to describe with text), and knows how to spin on command! Anyway, he really enjoys interactions with me and calls to me when I leave the room etc. I am very happy with his change in attitude.

However, he is still very cage and hand aggressive, biting to draw blood every time. I've tried being stern and not flinching at the bites, planning to reward him when he finally steps up nicely, but he never does and after so many bites I put him away because it hurts too much. I've trained him to step up onto a perch nicely to transport him, and I've tried working with him in other rooms of the house to see how he reacts in neutral territory, but it's the same thing. I've also since gotten him a new cage and change around the toys every once in awhile but this seems to have no affect on his cage aggression.

Does anyone have anymore advice as to what I need to try next? Thanks!

 

[friedsoup]

Ok you've trained him to step-up on a perch Here is how to use that get a couple of wooden spoons put the ladle of the spoon in you palm see how the handle extends and looks like a finger? he bites that and it doesn't hurt you do Jacob's ladder with them and continue his step-up and step-back training and add petting him with the spoons from two sides at once until he stops biting at the spoons when this happens extend your index finger along the handle if he tries to bite rotate the handle so he gets only wood and go back to petting him until he ignores the spoons and try again .
Keep the training sessions down to 2 to 3 minutes and give a treat at the end of the session (so he associates the training with a good thing) repeat two to three times a day It should take about a week unless you boy is really hand wary, also do this away from his cage so he isn't thinking about how to get home away from you so he can play. Hope this helps and keep us posted on your progress. Oh and for the cage aggression try this setup his old cage in another room with toys and some food and change up which cage he goes back to so he doesn't know which cage he will be in after training. ( The logic behind this is he has too much space to try and claim as his. )