Trust Barrier

[NancyJ]

I can get Curly (my dad's bird) to go anywhere around his cage (if its a far one I sometimes I have to show him the treat and then move it towards where I'm holding the target) but as soon as my hand goes near him the head goes down and stays down until I move it away.

[NancyJ]

I didn't flinch or take my finger away when he bit me today, he bit twice then flapped his wings and flew right out of the cage. Which really upset the other one so I had to let him out too but something is concerning me. After his little flight he was exhausted and just waddled around the floor with his mouth open. Then he started doing something odd that I've never seen him do before. I took video of it . In addition to the headshaking, his waddle seems more pronounced than usual - could he be sick? Should I try to get a vet to visit? (I didn't bring and cash with me or my checkbook)
This is a slightly better video

[Michael]

I don't know Galahs too well, but I'd say that it's a mating solicitation by attempted regurgitation.

The bird probably got exhausted from just a little flying because of muscle atrophy from being in the cage so much.

[NancyJ]

Thanks - I showed the video to a vet and he suggest he had something stuck in his caw so same deal, just less sexual Under the circumstances I don't think it was a mating thing (long zoom lens, I wasn't nearly as close as I looked)

Both birds have been out of the cage most of the day. Curly went in of his own accord - I tried targeting him there but he's not that stupid I got him close but as soon as the target was far enough into the cage that he couldn't just lean, he stopped playing. But it wasn't long before he went in himself and he didn't make a fuss when I closed it up, unfortunately my soothing 'good boy's and treats were disturbed by a squirrel throwing himself at the window, startling Smeg, sending him screeching across the room which mean Curly flew off to the other side of his cage. I put some peanuts in his dish and later we did some easy targets. He's very sensitive though - I think he doesn't like my shirt, or maybe its long sleeves. Yesterday I was petting him inside his cage, this morning he runs away if I go near the cage (before I let him out). He still bangs on the bars and bobs up and down wanting me to come over but when I do he backs off or flys to the back of the cage.

Thanks for the apple tip, its mostly working a treat with Smeg (Curly had one small bite then took the whole piece on the next turn). He's occasionally snatching but it seems the closer I hold the treat the less he snatches. Sometimes when I offer the treat he'll puff up and open his beak but not go for the treat, usually that's followed by me getting bit but if I move the apple piece closer he'll take a gentle nibble. He sat on my shoulder earlier in the day but Curly flew over and scared him off. Later in the day he came and sat on the sofa with me and ate my notes - I offered him nuts and he threw them on the floor, he attacked the apple and was uninterested in the toilet roll tube or cuttlefish, my work notes were what he wanted

I've found he has a thing for chicken wings. When I had my dinner he came over and actually sat on my knee. I offered him a bone but he just put his head down for scratches. When he'd had enough of that he chewed a little bit of chicken bone then tried to go to sleep on my foot (but my foot was going to sleep so I had to move him)

This evening I've had him touching the target with my arm just below my feet. It seemed to be going well but he attacked my arm... and the not flinching thing is still a work in progress.

Seems to be the same story with both of them, no problems trusting if you've got something they really want I know every flinch is a setback but its so hard.

[NancyJ]

My week is nearly up and we're no closer to a step up. I'm a little disappointed but I'm spending my last 2 days just playing and having fun with them. They're both pretty bored of the target training I think... they've gone backwards in progress there. Although Curly still seems excited when he sees the clicker, he's reluctant to go as far for his treats - I think that might have something to do with trying to finish on a positive, ie. if they've refused to do something, I give them an easier one and then we stop... the refusal rate seems to have gone up. Smeg wont go further than a stretch anymore and frequently just turns his back when I approach with the clicker (I tried taking their food bowls away over night but that just seemed to make them cranky and no less motivated) so I'm giving him a total training break now, I think his limit was pushed too much too often. He still loves me and gives cuddles, so long as he's safely behind bars.

I did manage to have a little fun with Curly by working with his natural instincts. Firstly I found a pretty fool proof way to get him to come to me. I found that if I went over to Smeg's cage and gave him lots of attention then when I sat back down again he would fly over and sit on the back of the sofa. From there we devised a little game that he seemed to find quite fun - he picked up on it really quickly (initially with only "good boy" and no clicker or treat) and he would carry on playing even when treats were intermittent.

[Michael]

Sounds like the bird did a good job training you

[NancyJ]

Hehe, yeah. That's often how it goes with pets