advice on next steps.....

[dan4]

I've had my Cockatoo for a week now and I've accomplished quite a lot already with regards to taming however I'm not entirely sure where to head next because she's so different to my irn

So far I can get her to step up/pull her foot up and she climbs on. I can hold her feet to stop her flying off or using me as a climbing frame. She's perfectly happy with this

I can inspect her fully and open her wings out etc

She's never once attempted to bite or shown any aggressiveness whatsoever, she loves to cuddle and chew my chain

I'm totally shocked how good this bird is but I'm lost as to where to go next! I've spent 2 years on stuey to touch him, this is too easy so far....

I've not even worked out treats for her yet which is a given for reward training

[marie83]

If you only had your too for a week then I would keep doing what your doing with tons of positive reinforcement before moving on. Not saying this definitely is the case but very few birds settle in so quick and he may just actually be letting you do these things because he's unsure about things still. He might be more than comfortable with it but if he is merely tolerating it then you might run in to problems later. Be 100% sure before you try moving on. Don't forget that they live so long it really is pointless to run through teaching them things too quickly or you risk running out of new things to teach.

[dan4]

Good point however I also did this with her when she was at the shop. I'm enjoying it for sure just a learning curve for me also with a bird that is not really phased by anything

[truvixxen]

I really hope your not neglecting your irn now that you've gotten a friendlier bird. And do not think that cockatoos are all roses and a piece of cake. They can become as difficult as any other bird. And if they bite it will hurt a lot worse than an irn can do. My irn drives me nuts andis difficult but I would never put him through what you did with yours. And they still need love, time and training as well .. even if they are a difficult bird to handle.

[dan4]

My irn is so much more comfortable now, they don't get on at all however having another bird in the room occupies them both. There's always time for both as my irn is a lively soul at night whereas the cockatoo is sleepy by 8ish

My irn has been a bit of an achievement considering his dodgy background!

[BirdyMomma]

Hi Dan,
I'm BirdyMomma, and I found your post interesting for two reasons.
First, I am the new mom to a four month old, male Lilac Crowned Amazon, named Bacci. My experience with him is quite similar to yours. The day after I had him home, he was stepping up to me, and my boyfriend. In the first week he could target, wave, and spin round on his perch. He is a joy to be around, and I consider myself very lucky to have such an awesome bird. I do sometimes wonder what to teach him next, but I found Michaels(Parrot Wizard) videos a great source of ideas.
Secondly, at a recent visit to the breeder (where my Bacci comes from) I met an absolutely spectacular six month old, female Lesser Sulpher Crested Cockatoo, and fell in love with her. I would love to take her home, but aside from your post, I have found very few people with positive things to say about them. It would seem that for most people, living with a cockatoo is a dreadful ordeal. It has really discouraged me.
Could we both just be very lucky with well adjusted birds? I don't know. I will try and check for more updates on your bird before I make any descisions. I hope things stay as good with her as they are right now.

[Polarn]

Now I absolutely adore toos and love playing/cuddle with them. I do not own a too but have several around me on a weekly basis. However some is really well adjusted and "functional" as pets, while some is a bit too unpredictable to be trusted with anyone. Now as far as waiting for updates on this thread in order to make your descition, you would have to wait something like 4-6 years to see how this particular bird evolve. Baby 2's I'd say has a 99% chance to be absolutely adorable and total cuddle bugs. The problems arrive when they hit sexual maturity and develops under a couple of years. If at any time they are under stimulated they do turn into total nightmares. Never the less I absolutely love the 2s and if it wernt for the dust (I'm somewhat sensitive to dust due to asthma) I would probably have adopted one that has passed through the quarantine here. But 2s and greys are easy for me to pass on since I know it would just be a matter of time anyways before I get too sick.

[dan4]

I've noticed the dust in the house but it hasn't affected me, guess I'm lucky. My Luna is still great but there are problems which I'd like to solve, they are to me weird problems as she is such a cuddly loving bird....

Luna is reluctant to leave me to investigate unless she's on the top of her cage. I tried to get her to step into floor/various areas but she cuddles into me or puts her head under my arm like she's shy. It's cute but she's missing out on a world of new things she can destroy/play with

Keeping her attention is difficult I'm finding, this makes any training difficult. She's more interested in pruning me or tickles

Luna is the greatest decision ever, even though I don't think I have enough time for both her and Stuey both seem happy and contented with life regularly talking to eachother across the room and never displaying any sign of distress or discomfort. Stuey had begun to rub his head on the bars during the day but has since stopped since the arrival of Luna and the radio on all day