Aviator Harness - Success!

[Elizebird]

About a week before I brought my cockatoo home, I decided to buy an aviator harness. I had always really wanted to get one, and with a cockatoo, I thought I might have the chance to finally use one! This is pretty presumptuous, I would argue that most birds would be uncomfortable / not suited for a harness, but I had finally found the right size at an out-of-town store and bought it on impulse.

Recently I've been feeling a lot more bonded to my bird, hard work finally paying off, and I today I especially felt a level of trust. So I broke out the harness.

Pan has been introduced to the harness a few times before: I once petted him with it on my wrist, tried running the leash on his back, and let him taste it a tiny bit. I didn't leave it in his cage, though, as reccomended, since he'd definitely consider it a chew toy, which it is way too expensive to be.

Either way today I was able to slip on the harness with no trouble - he was hestitant about getting his head through, but some treats helped him out.

We went outside since it's one of the last warm days here, and he was very amazed. When he got bored and began picking at his harness we sat in the sun and I gave him lots of treats and scritches. I took him in after that (we were only out for around 25 min, but I wanted to keep it short and sweet.) Taking the harness off was a BREEZE. I could not be more proud of him! There was no struggle, he waited patiently and didn't even accept my treats as I messed around with the thing, he even lowered his head to make it easier to fit his crest out of the head piece.

Right now he's sleeping next to me as I type this, my 'tiel on my shoulder.

What an awesome day. I'm excited to use the harness in the future.

Best of the luck with your birdies!

[Wayne361]

Congrats....my harness training is still in progress.

[marie83]

Well done, hopefully your 'too will accept it well from now on.

Can't wait to start Ollies training again, just waiting for the feathers under his wings to grow a little more so the fabric isn't sitting directly on the skin.

[Elizebird]

Best of luck, Wayne!

Marie, yep, I was actually waiting for a little more than down to grow there as well. Then again, if the skin isn't raw, the material is really soft I don't think it should irritate the skin so much. My aviator harness doesn't sit directly in the arm pit either, more around the belly.

They really do have that thing down to a science. (I watched the 2hr video first...lol)

[marie83]

True but Ollie was pulling the feathers there for some time so I don't want to draw his attention to the area again if you know what I mean. I don't think the pulling was a behavioural issue for various reasons but at the same time I am very very keen to forget that he was ever sore around there so although I get what your saying about how the harness sits I think I will leave it a bit longer since its too cold to take him outside now (approaching winter).

[LPolliard]

It may take some time but he will eventually look forward to your time outside and will help by slipping his head through the harness. It was a great surprise when Chico did this for the first time.

[Elizebird]

LPolliard, hopefully.

I'm very impressed with him either way. Cockatoos apparently can become very phobic, but he's never had an issue with a new toy or material, and within a few minutes he was right at home outside.