Trained Parrot BlogParrot Wizard Online Parrot Toy StoreThe Parrot Forum

Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Pajarita » Thu May 23, 2019 8:49 am

You are very welcome and please do not hesitate to ask any questions you might have.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Maria M » Thu Jun 20, 2019 11:50 am

Hello again!
It's been almost a month since my last post,so i thought that maybe it's a good time to let you know that i'm trying to do everything correctly.
I followed all your suggestions about solar schedule, feeding and out-of-cage time.
I never forced Cookie into anything, i always try to be as calm and discreet as possible around her.
Whenever she fell off her cage i was there for her though she never attempted to climb on me or my hand(keep in mind that i offered my hand to climb on while i was keeping some distance from her, in order to give her the choice whether she trusts it or not). All of the times she fell off i managed to put her back to the cage top by using a wooden stick (in which she willingly climbed on).
Whenever she's on the floor she acts kinda weird; she's moving backwards sometimes, she lies on her back only for a sec and then tries to fly, etc. She seems like she is feeling lost,insecure and scared..
In general, looks like she's enjoying my company, she becomes really LOUD (with conure and ringneck calls)whenever i leave the room even for a minute,she even tried to reach my face sometimes with pinched eyes and rapidly moving beak(that amazing thing senegals do) but i'm still insecure about her intention..
On the other hand, whenever my hand is around her(p.e while i'm trying to reach something close to her - i avoid it but it happens), her body language tells me to step back (small launge) or she goes away from it.She even managed to bite me sometimes.
None of the above happens when my husband approaches her. Whenever she sees him she acts like crazy, she steps up for him (with small effort), she continually asks him for scritches, she even tries to "feed" him sometimes(i advised him not to reinforce such hormonal behaviour for her sake). She lets him walk her around the house on his hand and she often tries to fly towards him/his shoulder.
The fun thing is that my husband never really cared on having a pet parrot,and although he loves her,he doesn't have the will or the time to engage much further with her as i do..
I feel confused. I already love her and care about her sooo much but i still feel i'm doing everything wrong.
Is it a grudge?Is it a permanent condition?is she ever going to accept me?
Can you please advice me what should i do next in order to make her feel happy around me?
Maria M
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 9
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Pajarita » Fri Jun 21, 2019 11:05 am

My dear, you are doing everything right and all you can do is continue doing the same thing. Parrots have very loooong timetables, everything with them takes years... it's the way they are. My Zoey Senegal hated my husband on sight. Why we will never know but most likely it was because she was used to loving one human and hating the other (I met him and the wife and I don't blame her one bit for hating her). But Isis Redbelly loved him and hated me - also on sight. And although my husband is a kind man, he is NOT a parrot lover or somebody who has any of the attributes necessary to make a parrot happy (LOADS of patience, love of learning and the willingness to understand the why of some behaviors) plus he is hardly ever home so I've always told Isis that she chose the wrong human but even though she spends a grand total of maybe 2 hours a week with him, she still prefers him above all others (others being me who is ALWAYS here). It doesn't happen like that all the time but it does happen quite often and there is nothing you can do about their preferences because they are like people... some people we like almost instantly, some we dislike and some we are neither warm nor cold to them. But they are highly intelligent and when they are not overly hormonal (yours is and will be for a while yet), they can make deductions and reach a conclusion so even when they might love somebody else, they will become flock mates with all other people. And that's what happened with Zoey and my husband (she will step up for him, accept his head scratches and even fly to his shoulder for a little ride all on her own) and with Isis and me (she now even asks me for scritches when he is not here and we have this little routine every night when I say Good night to her and I scratch her head and cheeks for a little while). But both birds took over a year or so to get to this point - they were both hormonal for a long time because the longer the endocrine system has been screwed up, the longer it takes to get it back on track plus senegals breed in the fall so yours won't stop producing sexual hormones until late December or so.

I know it's disappointing for you and I know it's hard to wait so long and that it seems as if the situation is never going to get any better but I promise you that if you persevere, it will happen. How do I know? Not only from personal experience (it took 5 years for the male Senegal to accept me) but also because I go by nature and I know birds are highly social and that they evolved to live surrounded by an extended family where they accept all individuals as flock mates (friends) even though their mate is only one. You might never become her 'chosen one' but you will become a flock member and how friendly she ends up being with you depends on the amount of time you allow her and your perseverance in wooing her so don't give up, keep on doing what you are doing and wait to see how she behaves once she stops producing sexual hormones.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Maria M » Fri Jun 21, 2019 4:49 pm

Believe it or not, you gave me much hope to carry on gaining her love and trust with your reply..
Even in her own terms,even if it takes me a lifetime, my goal is to show her how much i care for her while keeping her healthy and happy.
Thanks again so so much! For your time, your sharing, and for your always kind and sweet way to guide me..Wish you all the best!
Maria M
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 9
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Pajarita » Sat Jun 22, 2019 7:56 am

Thank you for your kind words and I also wish you and your bird the best. I forgot to add that you have something going for you: the gender and species of your bird. Because female senegals tend to be quite sweet-tempered and loving when not hormonal and are well cared for - it's the males that can be a holy terror. So hang in there because parrots NEED company and love (it's hard-wired into their genes) and are quite pragmatic about it - meaning, they do firmly believe in the 'If you are not with the one you love, love the one you are with' so even though she might still prefer your husband for the rest of her life (which is NOT etched in stone!), she will love you, too.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Maria M » Wed Oct 30, 2019 4:17 am

Hello again parronts!

Just thought it was a good idea to post again in order to keep you informed about our little feathered baby!
At first i would like to thank you all for your great tips and advices. Cookie was love at first sight for both me and my husband since the beginning.
But each and every day we live together we even love her more. As for my husband, he even started studying parrot tricks and info so he can provide her an even better, exciting and healthier life. He cares more deeply i might say. And of course, she still adores him..
As for me, well, i must tell that everything turned out great! She trusts me now, she loves me back. She could stay all day long on my shoulder while asking for headscritches. Sometimes she even tried to feed me (although i don't encourage that behaviour) while moving her beak rapidly.. She mimics plenty of words and phrases, ringneck, cockatiel and lovebird sounds(i guess she picked those up from the petstore we bought her from), my husband's whistle, and many more..
Also, during summer she has changed the most of her old, chopped out feathers, into some new shiny and long primary ones and she is now able to fly again!! Although she still has her old secondary ones so we try to encourage her to fly only in short distances at the time..
In about a month, we will take her to the avian vet for her check up and her dna test, so if i have any news or questions i'll post here again for suggestions..
I can't thank you enough for all your kind words and advices! You gave me hope to carry on.
Keep up the great work!!
Maria M
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 9
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Pajarita » Wed Oct 30, 2019 10:32 am

Hello, Maria and Sennie! I am SOOOOO glad that we were able to help you and your bird and even happier that you have come back to tell us about the happy end to the story! But, my dear, it is great that you are taking her to the vet for a check up (kudos to you for that! :thumbsup: ) there is no need to have her DNA'd, one can tell just from looking at them if they are a male or a female so don't pay for something that is not really needed.

And yes, the right diet makes a big difference in their plumage!
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Maria M » Sun Jun 07, 2020 5:02 am

Hello friends!! I wish you all to be always healthy, and a very happy summer! Stay safe everyone!

I am posting here again, only to thank you one more time for your amazing tips and advices! Our sennie, turned out to be a great feathered companion, for both of us. Also, after his last moulting, we found out that he is a male.
He's veery very talkative, very sweet -always asking for head scritches-, very social. He is still have a small preference for my husband, but i also have a place in his heart..
Recall training has been a piece of cake- even without the use of a treat-, and he is never pooping on us. He is flying over his cage and let go. Never taught him to do that. I guess he is a self-taught well mannered guy!!
He is now full feathered, with a beautiful iridescent plumage, a beautifully v-shaped green vest on his chest, and a fluo orange belly.. I'm in love!!!

I wish you all the best for you and your feathered friends!!
Maria M
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 9
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: Repair broken trust with a new Senegal parrot

Postby Pajarita » Sun Jun 07, 2020 10:34 am

AWWWWW, how VERY wonderful news! Thank you so very much for taking the time and putting the effort in coming back to let us know. We LOVE hearing that 'our' birds are doing great! And, to everybody else reading this, as you can see by this post, persistence, patience and love combined with the right husbandry always wins the day with parrots.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Previous

Return to Taming & Basic Training

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests

Parrot ForumArticles IndexTraining Step UpParrot Training BlogPoicephalus Parrot InformationParrot Wizard Store