Harness Training Setback

[harper97]

Hi. I have an 8-month-old Green Cheek named Keshet. He is darling, talks a little (tells me to "step up!" all day!), and knows a couple of tricks. For nearly 4 months I have been working on harness training with him, using the Aviator harness and following Michael's method from the video as closely as I can. He had gotten very good at putting his head through the collar portion, but clearly finds the removal part quite uncomfortable, though I do it as gently as I can. Quite a few times I have succeeded in getting straps under one or both wings, and at least twice got almost to the point of snugging up the chest strap, but he resists and complains a lot, then he fights while I remove it.

I tried backing up and just using the loose loop for head-through practice, and he will do it, but he's now dead-set against putting his head through the actual collar. The harness clearly fits, but it is obvious to me that the fit of this harness around the head is tighter than that on the harness designed for larger birds, and removing it has to be uncomfortable, especially when new pin feathers are growing in the neck area. I know a woman who once had a lovebird harness-trained, and she encouraged me not to give up, but I wonder if this is a losing battle. I certainly don't want to make him miserable, but I also want to be able to give him lots of safe, fun outings.

Thank you in advance for any insights/advice!

Sharon

[Wolf]

Since I have not yet had this problem, I don't know if this will help or not but I do remember reading that you might need to stretch the head opening a little. This might best be done by using a rounded stick that is slightly too large for the hole and forcing it into the head loop and letting it remain that way when not in use. I know that the material the harness is made from is woven and that does mean that it does have some give and that by remaining stretched it will gradually conform to the stretched state.

[harper97]

Thank you, Wolf. That does sound like a positive step. I just stuck the neck of an empty Listerine bottle in there. If that doesn't stretch it enough I have some other ideas. I just hope I haven't made him too sick of it to try again.

[Wolf]

Just be patient with him and don't force the issue and he will come around in time.

I was reading through some of Micheal's posts on removing the harness ant it appears that when he removes the harness from the parrots head that he allows the strps making the head loop to turn over to the other side while removing it and as long as it does not catch a pin feather in the process this single flipping over of the strap should also help with its removal, I don't know but what I would not put your birds head through the head loop while he has a lot of pin feathers as they are very painful to the bird if they are touched or moved in the wrong way, at least during this training stage.

[harper97]

Great advice. Thank you, Wolf.

I stretched the heck out of that collar section by dampening it and sliding it onto the tapered leg of a chair. I left it overnight and when I took it off it was much looser and more rounded. Keshet got his head through it a couple times today and while it is still obvious that it isn't his favorite thing to do, there was no squawking while I removed it. He got to play basketball and darts afterward; maybe that's why he still puts up with a little harness training. He is all boy. LOVES his sports.

The weather will soon be nice here in New England and our warm season is so short; I hate to think we'll miss spring outings, but I know patience is the key here. Thanks again for the tips.

[Chantilly]

Since I have not yet had this problem, I don't know if this will help or not but I do remember reading that you might need to stretch the head opening a little. This might best be done by using a rounded stick that is slightly too large for the hole and forcing it into the head loop and letting it remain that way when not in use. I know that the material the harness is made from is woven and that does mean that it does have some give and that by remaining stretched it will gradually conform to the stretched state.

That is great advice I recently bought Tilly an aviator harness and gosh, there is no way her head would fit through without hurting her.

[Wolf]

Aviator harnesses are sized by the weight of the bird for whom you get it for and if your bird is at the top end of the weight range for that harness you may need to go to the next size, but I would try stretching it first to see if that resolves the fitting issue.

If you stretch it to get it to fit, I would also put it back on the thing that was used to stretch it until it locks itself into the stretched condition, which may take several days or longer.

[harper97]

I got Keshet's harness stretched pretty well the first go. This morning we had another much easier training session. He did start demanding, "Step up, step up, step up", after the second time getting his head through, but we progressed to 3 treats, count of 18, and then no squawking upon removal! So it does look like this part of the problem is solved for Keshet.

When I stretched it I really pushed it onto the tapered chair leg as far as I could. If it needs it again, the chair is right here.

Good luck with yours, Chantilly.

[Chantilly]

Thankyou harper , and to you