by Polarn » Fri Sep 20, 2013 1:47 pm
The thing is you kind of teach yourself to put the harness on as well as teaching the bird to accept having it put on. To be honest someone who has never put on a harness makes it messier and therefor harder to accept for the bird than someone who is used to put it on (now this is something you can not avoid, you have to learn sometimes) but like my brothers eclectus wouldn't accept him putting it on in but he would let me put it on, but then I put the harness on with one hand and when the bird is cuddling on my chest, so I got one hand to constantly cuddle it. After some time with me always putting the harness out he began climbing onto my chest when I brought the harness out because he knew he would then get to go outside meeting people or go to a bigger place to fly etcetera. But then I try to make sure that every time I put the harness on something really fun happens. Anyways, once he started to want to be in the harness my brother resumed the training of putting it on and it worked much better.. Now he had that luxery, I didn't with the first bird and probably you doesn't either. But it was with this first bird I learned to sneak the harness on during cuddles because I figured wearing it wasn't a problem, only putting it on. So the head loop goes on just the same way I just stroke the head without it with my left hand. Now you shouldn't do this with a bird that isn't confit or having the harness draped around it or comtible with you putting a loop around its he'd etcetera. But if the main issue is coming straight forward with the head loop trying to pin the head, this technique has worked well for me. Sure before we're at the point of second nature getting the harness on I look like a total fool laying down on the floor putting it on. Now I can have em sit on the back of a chair putting it on or off but when were in a crowded room or somewhere there is anything that may startle them and cause a tangle I still prefer laying on my back doing the cuddle thing while we put it on, simply beachside they are then feeling safe under my hands in case something startles them, and I can easily prevent them from flying off with the head loop on but nothing else causing a tangle.