I’m BAAACK… and I paid for it

I have a male african timeth grey who is scared, I have learned to let him get out of the cage on his own to the top, I try to give him the up command but, he rather bite lol, but then I thought of a soda cap * plastic* that he eyed and I got it and he looked as if wanting to get it, so I held it up over his head and moved my hand to his chest and told him to step up and he did, now when I want him to get on my hand I use the pop cap trick. I keep doing it hoping he will just get on my hand without wanting to take a chunk out of me…
Linda

Chet, I’m so happy to see that you have adopted in an abused bird and are lovingly trying to help him. I will be sure to check in on his progress. I do have a question for you about his cage….what brand is it and can they be purchased through the internet? Thanks!

Chet, I’m so glad to see you have ventured into the world of rescue birds. I’ve never had anything else, so the training videos, although helpful, didn’t address the issues we deal with in my home. And there’s a part of me that’s a little glad that you can’t work the Womach magic on this one and get such quick results. We have a frightened, abused double yellow Amazon now. I’m really glad you can empathize with it.
Thank you!

I have a 7 year old (female I believe) African Grey Congo.
She screams when she has no fresh water or food, (she is very picky) no complaints on that, lol. Problem is that even though she knows that every morning she will get her fruits, she MUST be the one to be served first! or else she starts screaming till I get annoyed and give in to her demands… What can I do about teaching her patience?

Thanks in advance!
Valerie

I have an ring-necked, called Cherry but boy do she scream as well.
She’s about 2 years now and knows very well when we’re in the kitchen because she knows its fun in there and she starts screaming. I can here when she just wants attention or when she is “crying”. And when I practice violin she “cry” screams, when I stop she stops and when I play she screams. I thought maybe it hurts her hears so I practice in another room far from where she is but its still the same.

Pleas Help I don’t want Cherry to be unhappy

I,” think a cd of shorts, would be ok? I FIND CHANEL 11 GOOD! AND LEAVING THE HOUSE, WORKS! IF WEATHER PERMITTING! I FOUND WITH TV, THAT IF IT MAKE THE SOUNDS THAT ARE CALLS, OF OTHER BIRDS SHE LOVE THAT AND WILL MIMIC IT ! THE ANIMAL PLANET OR TRAVEL CHANEL OR CHANEL 11 FOR KIDS SHE REAL LIKE THAT SO I PUT MY IN SITE IN! SEE IF YOU CAN COME UP WITH A BIRDS FROM A AVE AIRY SITE LIKE THE ZOO THERE ONE THERE SO GO FROM THERE!!!THANK YOU LOTS OF BLESSINGS

THIS IS PATTY, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS EXTRA CAGES?? I HAVE 8 BIRDS AND LOVE THEM, THEIR A BLESSING AND A LOT OF WORK! THEY GIVE SO MUCH BACK IF YOU LET THEM! I NEED A STACKABLE KIND, I HAVE LOVE BIRDS AND SHE JUST GAVE BIRTH TO 6 BABIES LOVE BIRDS! AND DOING GREAT FOR THE FIRST TIME! AND A YELLOW AND GOLD AND THE REST ARE MY PARAKEETS! AND LIKE TO TAKE IN BIRDS THAT NEED A SWEET AND GOOD HOME! THANK YOU AND BLESS YOU PATTY PS. OR ONE LARGE CAGE AND THE REST CAN BE MED. AND OH A CANARY, THAT SINGS LOVE SONGS TO ME AND HUBBIE ALL DAY!

I have a 20 year old Blue & Gold Macaw named Walter. He was a hand fed and papered bird for 17years of his life. He would allow everyone to handle him- and he was the only Macaw that the vet allowed folks to put on their shoulders when we had our visits because he was so loveable and trusting. Then we had a house fire. Walter and his cage were shoved out of the house quickly, and left in the front yard. He freaked. Fire engines, strange people, water, smoke. He was left by himself in the cage because we were trying to save the other animals as well and find out what was going on- it was a crisis for all family members. Then he was taken to the vet for a week, and then to a bird ‘hotel’ for about 2 months. After that, he was brought to a temporary home where I was staying. After about 11 months, he came back to the rebuild home. There were a lot of changes for him, he was away from me for a long time- I would visit with him 4-5 times a week, as I could, but he got quite hard to handle- and worse by the day when he was at the boarding facility. My other bird, Harry, did great there- he loved it and talked more when he came home than before he left.
Anyway, since then, Walter has been hard to handle, screams a lot, tries to bite people when they come in- and has bitten me a few times as well. So I do not handle him as much, and now have to use a pole for him to step up on – to move him around and get him out of the cage. There is some petting, which he likes- however, he almost immediately regurgitates when I pet his head or even come over to him. I know that is a sign of love, however, with the biting it sort of ruins it for me, and with his screaming. I cannot let him stay in my home office as much because he is too loud during phone calls.

It was not like this before the fire- and I am not sure what I can do to make it go back to that loveable bird that everyone can handle….

my cockato screems when she cant see me we tell her to shut up but she does not do so i know she knows it wrong because she tells the native ones to shut up when they screem anne

Got your training Video and I must say it ACTUALLY REALLY WORKS,,I recuse a green winged Macaw two years ago and he’s ok and then I just rescued a Blue and gold Macaw and a Very troubled wonderful girl (Umbrella Cockatoo) She has been Abused and now I have her.Although through out her life she’s been tossed around she’s actually very sweet, Using your techniques I am able to go near both Macaws more easily.As for the Cackatoo I can get her anytime I want As I said she is the sweetest little girl.Once again Thanks for your help

Chet:

My Amazon Parrot screams when I leave the room for any length of time. But, before screaming, he will call me, in Spanish (someone else owned him before me), and tell me to come, then, hurry. After 3 or 4 repeats of that, he will scream, then whistle, as loud as he can!

I think that he was abused by the people who owned him before me, as he cowers whenever anyone moves quickly anywhere near him, or when someone moves their hand near him.

Thanks!

Jim
Panama City, Republic of Panama

hi this is Maddie nice to talk to you again!! I have 3 amazing birds!! My bird Petey is a talking bird!! He loves to do this, but whenever i eat he goes bilistic! I do not no why please help me with this problem.
Sincerly,
Maddie McMahon

Hi, I had an african gray that was afraid of men in hats!
They all have such great personalities, they are worth all the time and love you can give them!

I have a peachfaced lovebird right now that I love to death, but
he’s attached to my beagle, and everytime she, Molly, leaves the room the bird cries til she comes back. He also doesn’t like to be in an empty room, he makes “connection” ? can’t remember the real name right now.–calls untill someone either comes back, or whistles to him. He just wants to know where
we are. He is soooooo nosy!! I love him to death and enjoy every minute with him.
Keep up the good work. Kathy Meyers.

Hi Chet:
I have just adopted an 18 month old Congo Grey names Ashye. It has taken her several weeks to be comfortable and happy in her new environment. Her owner hand raised her and has now left her to go back to Paris. She started plucking feathers, but I seem to have diminished that behavior by giving her lots of love and toys. I can pet her int he cage, but when she is out of the cage it gets tricky. Her previous owner apparently taught her to fly by having her on his hand and throwing her int he air. This means that the only time I can get her to step up is if she has flown and hard landed somewher. As soon as she steps up, she takes off again. My questions are: should I have her clipped? and how do I get her to step up and not fly off.
Thanks,
Peg

Hey Chet,

I’m wondering if you’ll be updating dear ol’ Bean’s tale and get us up to date on how his training’s gone and if he’s stopped plucking. I expect that 9 months past his last update he’s probably a wonderful, warm and friendly bird by now but I’m still really curious to see what happened, how you got him to begin trusting, some of the “aha!” moments you undoubtedly ran across as he taught you a few new “how to train” trick too.

Yours and patiently waiting for my Training package to make it across the border,
Paul in Ontario, Canada

For all of you who have adopted abused birds, and they are very nervous and difficult to handle, I am a dog behaviorist who trains abused dogs and have many adopted animals. The word for this is ,”TIME!”

Before initiating any form of training, just let the bird be! Feed it, clean the cage and spend time in the room doing things around it, but don’t try and get it to love you or do anything other than just, “BE!” This could be a period of weeks, or months

If you do that, it will become interested in you. If an abused animal or bird does not want to come to you, do not try and make it come, as you will only make it more afraid. Any animal or bird will want to come to a person who just lets it be who it is without venturing into any training. That does not mean not talking to it, and being near it.

Your bird needs to feel that it is safe and that you are not going to expect things from it.

One day, in a few months, it will venture closer and closer, but do not take this as an OK to touch it, or you will have lost all those months.

While cleaning it’s cage and feeding it, one day it may approach your hand, and touch it. allow it to do this without touching it back, it will not be ready for that, and you will lose all those months, even if it puts it’s head down for a scratch.

It will soon want to just get on your hand, as if it were a perch. Leave your hand where it is and don’t move it out of the cage. Let the bird explore your hand on it’s own. Soon it will come onto your hand quite often, and it is then that when it gets on your hand you can do the , “step up,”

Just as it is enjoying this, place it back onto it’s perch and take your hand out of the cage. Do not do this again that day. Continue this for a week or so, and when it is getting on and off your hand in the cage, you might try a little touch to one of it’s feet. If it allows this continue this for a few weeks until you can stroke it’s feet without it being upset.

Now leave it for a few days without doing this anymore, even if you are dying to do it again. You have to stop doing what it likes so that it is dying for you to do it again.

Next step is to do move in it’s cage, like moving things around and so it gets used to you doing things around it without touching it, as your bird must feel safe that even though you are in it’s cage that does not mean you are going to force it to do things. If it gets on your hand, gently put it back on it’s perch, and if it comes back, repeat this, so that your bird becomes desperate to get on your hand, your bird needs to feel close to you, but in it’s past life, it was mistreated by humans so it never felt safe.

The next step is to touch it’s head if it puts it down for a scratch, while on your hand. Then you can start moving it around the cage and placing it in different areas, and then doing this again and again.

Now leave it for a few days. Then let it get on your hand again and move it around for a few days and towards the door of the cage. Then take it out of the door and put it back into the cage. Continue this for a week or so until it is confident moving in and out of the cage on your hand or finger, but don’t place it on top of the cage.

Leave off for a few days, and try touching it’s chest, and head, and feet. Move it in and out of the cage. Leave off for a few days, and go back and repeat all these moves, and have it step up and down on command stop befor the bird wants to stop and leave off for a few days.

What this will do for your bird is build a real desire to have you handle it, as just as it is getting to enjoy this, you are stopping thus increasing the birds desire to be with you. When it follows commands well , stepping up and down and passing through the door and back. Six to eight months, your bird is ready for out of the cage, as it will feel very safe on your hand by this time, and you hand will become your birds safe harbour.It will also be used to you touching it on the feet chest and head, so if you do touch these areas while moving it in and out of the cage it won’t freak out, because your hand, instead of being some kind of weapon as it had been in it;s previous life, it will be the safe place now, the good place now.

Your bird is now ready to explore the out side of it’s cage for a few minutes. Then leave off just as it begins to enjoy this, as it will increase it’s desire.

This training is like great sex. You give it a taste and stop. Bad sex is when you are rushed into something you are not sure about, great sex is when you are denied the whole process for ages until you are so crazy for it you think of nothing else. This builds such a strong bond between you and your abused animal and so much trust, that your bird is ready to do anything you want.

All animals and humans share this. Most people do not understand this as no one has ever done this to them. They have always been rushed or felt rushed or done things to please others, and they have never been denied sex, by the man they have gone out with. Even the ugliest man on the planet can make a woman crazy for him with this method, and any animal who is allowed to go at it’s own pace will also respond to this kind of training, especially as it is just getting used to it, you stop. The stopping the the treat or training tool, is the key to trust. Without trust your bird will always wonder how far this is going to go, and draw back.

We as humans, want to move too fast, and if they give an inch, we want more. Never allow them to give an inch in the beginning, always stop before they even want to. Always stop play just as they are enjoying it, always stop training when they are enjoying it. Never, ever go as far as you want because you are making progress, that is the most important time to stop training.

As you go along with your bird, never train every day. training is going to be that special time you spend together, and special is not all the time. You have to keep desire going, by withdrawing all the time, just as they are loving it.

Good books, good music and good sex, have cliff hangers to draw you into it, and that is what training is all about, drawing your bird to a cliff hanger of pleasure and stopping.

I took three years to train my bird. She is an African Grey, she is not the slightest bit nervous about anything. She does everything with me now, takes her shower with me, and sleeps with me under the covers at night. She loves nothing more than to be close to me. She never screams, or is demanding, as she knows she will have plenty of time with me. Even f I am busy working in the day, she knows she will be sleeping with me, so she is quite satisfied.

Train for a life time together, not for a week or two. There is no rush, except the rush you put on yourself and your bird. My demonstration dogs take three years to train, and that is because I use the same method. I could train them in a year, but I choose to train for a life time of work, not a week or two, and that means training and stopping training and stopping. I do the same with horses, I train and then I leave them in a field for six months and I train again and leave off. If you want steady and a bird that feels no stress as training is incredibly stressful, and can make your bird sick from stress. GO SLOW. You are not in a competition, with anyone. Your bird is something you love, and if you love it, you will bring it along slowly, at it’s own pace. Your bird does not have to be a star. It may become a star, but only if you do things with it for pleasure and for mutual enjoyment.

Your goal should be a happy bird, not a bird to impress others. It is your bird, and you have it because you love it and you hope it will love you too. Love grows, and it takes time for that bond to become strong, even between humans. There is no such thing as instant love.