| |
| Question about Pets:Need help traning my yellow naped amazon.? |
Before you can teach him to stop biting and do tricks, you must gain his trust. If you have actually had him for 4 years, and have let him bite all that time, he undoubtedly thinks that biting is acceptible behavior. This will make training very difficult.
Do you spend at least 1 to 2 hours with your bird each day, talking to him and showing him that you love him? This is an absolute requirement for Parrots. He needs to know that you love him. If you do not show him enough affection, he may get mean and aggressive. Sit by him, speak soothingly to him and praise him for being so pretty and big and strong! Watch TV with him, and talk to him about the program! Take a real interest in him. When he begins to trust you , you should notice the difference. He will try to get nearer to you, will try to talk or sing to you, and will appear interested in you.
At this time, try to offer him treats through the bars of his cage. If he tries to bite , take the treat, get up and leave the room for a couple of hours. Under no circumstances must you just give him the treat anyway! This will show him that he gets treats no matter how he acts!
Eventually the bird will come to onderstand that biting only results in him being ignored and left without treats. Sooner or later he will begin to take the treats from your hands through the bars.
Next try opening the cage and offerring the treat at the door of the cage. Do *Not* put your hand into the cage, which he will view as an intrusion into his territory. Treat any biting or aggression exactly as before, closing the cage and leaving him alone! Eventually he will come to the front of the cage to take the treat from your hand. When this is normal, then try giving him the treat and then presenting your finger to him while you say"Step Up!" If he acts aggressive, then react the same as before. If he seems mildly apprehensive, don't press the issue. Give him some time to get used to the idea. You can try gently stroking his chest or tummy before trying to get him to "Step Up" onto your hand. Eventually he will step up on command. This shows that you have his trust and that he acknowledges you as the boss.
In fact, "Step Up" can be used to correct a misbehaving bird! A few repititions fo "Step Up" from one hand to the other will show him that it is you who is in charge! This is normally all the correction a bird will need!
After "Step Up" has been achieved, then it should be much simpler to train him for other activities. Be advised , however, that this initial program can take weeks, months, or even longer. You must have patience! You must also expect to get nipped from time to time.
When he bites, do *Not* yell or pull your hand away. This is the reaction that he wants to see! If you yell or pull away your hand, you are actually rewarding him!! Instead , if he bites, push your hand that is being bitten firmly into his beak. This really confuses them, and biting will usually be stopped immediately!
If you would like to get lots of extra help, I can direct you to a yahoo group with a huge training library, and lots of helpful members to answer questions. Just E-mail me.
Good luck with your bird.
Injured dragonfly? (previous)
Sun Conure? (next) |
|
