New parrot.. Needs work

[GoofproofHippo]

So, I just recently acquired a double yellow-headed amazon that is supposed to be about seven months old. He is extremely aggressive and afraid of my hands. I honestly don't know too much about birds, but ended up with this one somehow. (I'm still not quite sure how) From what I've read, he seems to be showing signs of bluffing behavior, as well as not having been handfed. What are the best ways to deal with this? From what I understand, the bluffing will make it way harder to train/tame him.. Any tips or info you guys have would be greatly appreciated

[Michael]

http://TrainedParrot.com/Taming

[entrancedbymyGCC]

How DID you acquire him? He sounds a bit like a handfull for a first bird. Be patient, don't try to build Rome in a day! And good luck!

[captwest]

Hey, check out some of the threads, let us know how it goes and if you have any question just ask, Amazons can be strong willed and need a steadfast routine when training , be careful he dosn't train you!!!! You're lucky to have a young bird to work with, now you can have a great pet for a long time, good luck and let us know how it goes.

[GoofproofHippo]

I appreciate the answers from you guys. Michael, I read your guide before I stumbled across this forum and it was definitely the most comprehensive thing I'd come across. My previous post was in the context of having read your guide, I was more looking for information on how to deal with the bird's bluffing behavior.

Anyhow, I just got a few clickers and have been trying to familiarize my bird with the device. My only question, one that isn't covered in your guide, is should I show him the treat in my hand before I click? Or should I hold the treat behind my back or something, only bringing it out to offer to my bird right after I click?

[Michael]

I don't think the bluffing behavior should be too much of a concern if you are target training because in the early stages you get to keep your hands at a safer distance. The treat can be shown but it should not be so direct that the parrot reaches straight for it. If the parrot is distracted by the treat, definitely hide it. However, if it is beginning to catch onto targeting behavior, it is sometimes beneficial to make it slightly visible so that it knows it is doing targeting to earn the treat. So basically the answer is it really depends. Once the parrot is good at targeting (and/or other tricks) it is best to hide the treat and not offer it until the behavior was offered simply on cue.

[GoofproofHippo]

Michael, your guide is definitely the best thing I could have come across for being in the situation I am in with this bird. I only introduced the targeting stick to my bird yesterday, and I've already got him targeting all over his cage. It may not sound like much, but he is already a far cry from the bird that I brought home two weeks ago. Thank you for sharing your experience with the rest of us in such a comprehensive format. I've been following your guide very closely and I have to say that it definitely delivers.
Thank you guys for the words of advice. I'll try to post a video of Lucky and I working on some more targeting soon.