I’m BAAACK… and I paid for it
It’s amazing how much momentum you loose when you take a week of of training an African Grey rescue like Bean.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a choice, as my travels took me to sunny southern California for business… oh well. So after spending a week and a half building up my Grey’s confidence to be strong enough to target over my hand, and up the side of his cage… I spent the last few days since i got back from California just getting him back to where he was when I left.
I have been trying very hard to get bean to target onto my hand… but his phobias are keeping him from being willing to do so… even after 3 days.
I’ve got him to put weight on my hand with one foot, and that was a fun experience. It involved really trying to make the training fun for him. He goes into an ‘OVER EXITED’ mode where his phobias seem to vanish after several minutes of training. He looses focus during this time, but he soaks up the attention as well. Figuring out how to make these happen more often might be key for him.
I’m also noticing that I have to watch my temperament and not push for too much progress in each training session — an African Grey can burn out on training if it’s too much work, and not enough play.
Which brings me to another problem I’m running into…
I can get Bean, with a 95% success rate to reach far across my hand to target an object. (this is HUGE since he’s afraid of the hand) But it’s causing problems as he’d really rather reach than step up onto the hand. So I’m thinking about retraining a targeting behavior, but this time train it to Bean’s foot, so he’s trained to target objects by touching them with his foot. This will require a separate object for him to target so as not to confuse him, but might be much more helpful in getting him to overcome his fear of the hand.
I plan on starting some training today where I get him to touch objects with his foot… but it might take a few days, or up to a week to train, depending on how scared of the object he is… and will probably have to resort to finding the least possible scary object to target — maybe even stickers placed on his perches, as wooden dowels seem to scare him right now, and he’s not willing to step up onto them.
Training this type of behavior is sort of an incompatible replacement behavior as it makes it impossible for him to resort to reaching for an object, because we take his beak OUT of the situation.
If that doesn’t work than I’m going to have to resort to possibly teaching some natural behaviors on cue, like wing flapping, or head bobbing etc. This often gets birds to start to enjoy training a LOT more, and can lead to easier progress when behavior training is resumed.
That’s the update for now.
Cheers!
Chet Womach
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:12 am
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
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:00 pm
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!
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
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!
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:52 pm
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
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
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
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
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
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:44 am
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!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
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….
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
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
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
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
April 24th, 2008 at 6:19 am
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
April 27th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
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
April 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
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.