First "training/taming" day with Jovie.

[pchela]

Sorry if I missed the answer to this but what happens if you simply leave the cage door open for her and walk away? Or even sit close by with the cage door open with treats in hand, just waiting for her to come out and claim them?

So here's a story and I think it might apply to Entranceds situation as well. When I worked at the pet store we had a Blue Throated Macaw come in who was a rehome. He was taken from a terrible situation and would only allow one employee in the store to handle him (a male). He would not come out of his cage, let alone step up for anybody else and was especially wary of women. He was a lunger and professional intimidator and would bite if provoked. So, one of our customers offered to work with him. She works with Barbara Heidenreich and writes articles for her magazine so I completely trusted her. She showed me how to train this Macaw as she was doing it and it was so simple. She brought pine nuts, out of the shell but really, any treat would work. Anyway, she offered them through the cage bars. She would just sit there with her fingers slightly in the bars of the cage holding a pine nut and talked gently to the bird. Eventually he came over and took the nut. She established "good bird" as her bridge rather than a clicker. She kept doing this until he seemed comfortable and then she opened the cage door and did the same thing through the cage door. She had him stepping up and walking around the store with her within three visits to the store. She also got him to step up for me... she just gave me a handful of pine nuts and I talked to him and offered the nuts until he stepped from her arm to mine (I say arm because this is a Macaw we're talking about). All it took was some patience and gentleness. After that, I was able to handle him. It was an amazing turn around. This was a 15 year old bird with 15 years worth of negative experience behind him. I was amazed. So, I really think that you two can work out your issues with your birds. Oh, and by talking gently to him I mean she just talked to him, told him how pretty he was, asked him what toys he liked etc. I bet singing to them would work as well, especially Jovie. When I sing to my birds they stop what they are doing and just look at me... but that could be because my singing is so bad. So, I know this is similar to target training, but it's much less formal and clinical in my opinion. I also highly recommend anything by Barbara Heidenreich. Her website has a ton of useful information on it and she has a faq that addresses common issues specifically that might help your individual cases. I think her website is goodbirdinc.com but I'm not positive. Anyway, there is my two cents on what you should try Azure and possibly Entranced.

[Azure Hanyo]

Marlies- that book sounds great! I will see if I can't find a copy at the library.

Pcela- I LOVE that idea. That sounds brilliant in Jovie's case. I will employ that as my method, it sounds just like what she needs.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I understand your concern about pushing her too hard, but if she is totally comfortable interacting with you through the bars with the door closed, it may be possible that you can bootstrap her confidence by doing some gentle, very positive training with the door closed.

[Azure Hanyo]

Oh very true Entranced. I just need to get her other cage set up for her so she can actually move around.

[Azure Hanyo]

Today with Jovie went so much better. Before I tried working with her I made sure the house was quiet- I took Jovie to the kitchen (quietest place in the house! haha) and her whole cage and sat it right on the table. My husband wasn't home and my daughters were in bed, so the whole house was nice and peaceful.

I started out by giving her a treat through the bars. She seemed happy, so I opened the cage. No negative reaction, and she even climbed right over and watched me. Completely stumped, I tried to figure out what could have possibly set her off last time I opened her cage...and concluded that it must have been my husband's presence. Nothing else was different (my daughters had been in bed the last time I opened her cage too.)

She did not want to come out of the cage, so I left her there with my hand in the cage and gave her a few more treats, which she accepted right from my hand and very gently. Her beak even touched my finger a few times, she made no attempt at all to bite.

So...either she HATES my husband, or she has calmed down more? I don't know. I will see her reaction to him tomorrow, but my theory doesn't seem ridiculous. If she really doesn't like him, then it will be much like the relationship he has with Galileo, she we won't be missing much, haha!

[Azure Hanyo]

Hey hey I am super annoying! After hearing Natacha's telling of Piper being able to do anything, even though he has a splayed leg, today I put Joves into Gal's old cage... And she perches!!!



This didn't come out too great, but you can see her little splayed leg on the right there. She took a minute to notice she had a perch and then grabbed right on. Aaaah! I am so proud of Jovie! And she let me pet her today on the chest, nipped me a little but nothing bad.

[pchela]

Awwww... so cute! She is going to be just fine!

[Natacha]

Birds are tougher than we give them credit for

Shade's brother, Nemo, as a baby had both legs sticking backwards. They were really badly splayed and one had even been cut and had an infection. No one, vet included, thought this little guy would ever be able to perch. But guess what...he did. Mind you, the vet did a great job trying to minimize the damage and with enough love and "physiotherapy", he did manage to perch. And still does...and loves to go after my mom's bigger birds (namely the cockatoos) which, in theory, should be able to run away from him much faster yet he still manages to terrify them.

[Azure Hanyo]

Birds are tougher than we give them credit for

Yes indeed! I need to pretend she is just like any other parrot. She has no clue her foot's splayed! Oh she is so much happier in her new cage. She has fallen though, once so far, so I padded the bottom with a blanket. I think when she becomes more acclimated then she won't fall anymore.

[GooseBlossom]

Yes! Little Jovie is HOME!