Having some trouble with the taming!

[stlcausntrbl]

I have read all of the taming tips, I have searched the forum, but I am still missing something. I left my new baby grey flighted. she is sweet, doesnt bite, and I finally got her to touch the target stick and take sunflower seeds from my hand. The problem is that when I try to tame her to let me touch her all over I followed the video and tried the hand on her back treated when she is comfortable, but when she doesnt want me to touch her, she just flies away to another perch. This appears to be making taming very difficult. Is there something I am missing here?

[coolhady13]

when you touch here before she fly away click and give her a treat so that she would know that by she letting you touching here is a good think and that it will get a treat .after awhile it will let you touch her a little longer . make sure you watch all Michael's taming videos . the harness taming , the towel taming all this stuff

[Michael]

Sounds like you are doing things right and it could just take more time. Keep in mind that the bird may not like being touched/handled like that. It doesn't mean we can't train them to overcome that (for instance zoos and aquariums teach their animals to voluntarily allow blood samples to be taken), but since it is unpleasant, their natural desire is to flee it. This means that either you better stop doing it or make it sooo rewarding that the reward outweighs the discomfort.

There are two ways to make the reward outweigh the discomfort. First of all, make the discomfort requirements much much less. For example, the bird does not like wing opened. Well, don't even touch the wing. Just hover your hand 6 inches away without touching. If this makes the bird fly away, try 12 inches next time. If it does work, hold it there for a little bit and then reward by giving food and taking the hand away. Then work your way closer and closer. Sneak a touch in. Apply more and more pressure and/or increase duration as it gets better.

The second aspect is to up the reward. Make sure the bird is reasonably hungry and that the treats are worth enduring being handled for. Once you can break past the trust and touch barrier, things will get much better. Eventually the bird will learn to enjoy beak and head scratches so it will gladly let you do them. But until it knows that it's a good thing, you will have to use these taming techniques.

Be happy that the parrot flies away. Sure beats biting. And it is clearly telling you its limits. Practice by staying just at or below those limits and slowly trick the bird into pushing those limits a little more and a little more until you achieve your goal. Here are some articles that help illustrate the points:

http://TrainedParrot.com/Taming
http://trainedparrot.com/index.php?bid= ... New+Parrot
http://trainedparrot.com/index.php?bid= ... ching+Beak
http://trainedparrot.com/Toweling