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GCC Harness Training, Impossible to put wings through...

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

GCC Harness Training, Impossible to put wings through...

Postby tropicdragon » Fri Aug 02, 2019 6:56 pm

So this is my first post here. I have exhausted any ideas I have or anything I could research online so I decided it would probably be best to ask others! I have been training my one year old, greencheek conure, Gordi, to wear an aviator harness for almost 3 months now. At this point, my green cheek conure will successfully approach the harness on his own, and put his head through the headhole, and remain calm for up to two minutes (as long as there are treats around, basically). He also is pretty good about taking it off. However, I have been stuck at this step for weeks.

At first, while distracting him with a treat, I tried to put one of his wings through the wing hole. He didn't notice it very much at first, but once I had to take off the harness he freaked. I didn't try it again for the rest of the training session. In one of the next couple of training sessions, I tried doing this again except this time he freaked out and ended up getting himself tangled in the harness. This scared him for a bit, but I got him back to the point he was originally at (putting his head through the headhole and staying like that for at least a minute) with a little bit of coaxing and treats. Today, I tried a third time, but he was just not having it.

A couple of other things you should now about Gordi: He is totally fine with being touched and me lifting up his wings. He also knows how to follow a target.

I really don't want to give up especially since I feel like I am so close...Does anyone have any suggestions of how I should move forward? I would really appreciate it! :gcc:
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tropicdragon
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: Green Cheek Conure, Quaker Parrot
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Re: GCC Harness Training, Impossible to put wings through...

Postby Pajarita » Sat Aug 03, 2019 11:31 am

Welcome to the forum and don't worry, you've come to the right place! See here:

https://parrotwizard.com/Videos/?order=o&s=harness
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
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Flight: Yes

Re: GCC Harness Training, Impossible to put wings through...

Postby Michael » Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:19 pm

Sounds like you’re off to a great start. Just keep using the same technique and break down subsequent steps into smaller bits like putting the wing halfway in rather than all the way. Only move forward to the extent he bird is fully comfortable with and slowly build on that.
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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