skmunson Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I had Benji on one of his perches in the kitchen tonight while were all eating dinner. He kept flying over to the table and immediately trying to snatch food. I returned him to his perch repeatedly until finally I gave up and put him back in his cage. He had already had his dinner. Did I handle this correctly? I really want to perch train him so he can hang out with us; but, only come when he's called so he doesn't get hurt or become too aggressive about his business of socializing. I'm so happy to have this forum. I hope you don't grow tired of my asking questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Thats what you have to do if you want him to remain on the perch and it will have to be repeated hundreds maybe thousands of times before he learns it. I feed Josey and Sunny on perches in the kitchen while I eat dinner, they usually have some of what I am eating but Benji thinks you are having something he isn't so thats why he comes over to snatch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skmunson Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Every time I get up to walk across the room, he flies from the perch and lands on me. It's like he's afraid I'm going to leave him. But I just keep putting him back. When I see him getting ready to fly off, I tried holding my hand out in a stop sign and say, "stop." I saw this in a book. He comes anyway. I guess it's all about consistency and repetition. I hate putting him back b/c I'm so happy he wants to come to me; but, I know in the long run it's in his best interest to be trained. On a good note, he has quit biting at my hands when I remove him from my head/shoulder when he lands there. If I feel him make the move I just firmly say no and he stops. If only my two and four year old DDs listened so well.lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhorje Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I always put my Grey in the cage during our lunch or dinner time. This is the only way we can have our meals peacefully. At the same time I'll give her some food while we are eating so that she doesn't feel left out. Koko too loves to follow us wherever we go in the house. My wife doesn't mind that but I do because I don't like her pooping on me. She would prefer stick with my wife longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Only one of my greys sits and eats with us, he just flies straight in which I dont mind. If you want him to eat with you, do him a seperate dish with food in, he will soon learn whats his ( and maybe some table manners as well lol) If it becomes to much of a problem though maybe he will have to go away just while you are eating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane08 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 What I did at the start was get up a few times and praise them for staying on the perch and give them something to eat. They learnt after sometime that flying to me meant in the cage and staying on the perch meant food that I was eating....not a hard choice for them to make. I then just cut down on the getting up until gradually I didn't have to do it anymore they just stayed there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skmunson Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 I like that idea, Jane. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 That sounds like a plan Jane, thanks for sharing that with us. Josey used to eat off my plate but table manners were lacking, nothing like a bird foot right into the middle of your plate and she would get into something she wasn't supposed to have so now she eats on a perch from her own bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myafricanqueen Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Thats right... I place dalia on her playstand and give her, her own helpings of what we are eating. She usually is fine to sit there and eat...when she runs outta food thats when she tries sometimes to fly over but she gives the clear warning before she ducks down low and puts up her wings a little and I know what she is about to do so I have to get up and give her somethin else to do or place her in her cage. Just takes time and repetition to have them learn. Cristen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 I must be lucky or something my birds don't try to eat off my plate. I just make sure I give them some of what I'm eating in their dish show them that they have the same thing and they stay put. mind you Tyco always gobbles hers down before I finish and stares at me beggingly and tells me it all gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamsDad Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 I've had similar problems in the past with an univited grey dinner guest. I changed the way we handled dinner. Instead of having my tag Nelson join us for dinner on his stand, I brought him in on his stand to help fix dinner. His playstand had food dishes and I'd put pieces of veggies, pasta or whatever in the dish, or handed a sample to him to chew on. When it came to doing the actual cooking on the stovetop, I'd return him to the cage so there wan't a chance of him taking flight and landing on the stove. When dinner was ready, I'd alway make sure to fix him a small dish and bring it to him in his cage. The times he was too excited to stay on his stand while I fixed dinner, I'd put him in his cage and bring him samples, following up with his own portion of dinner when it as time for us all to eat. This routine worked great and Nelson quickly learned to anticiapte this nightly event. As soon as I started getting things out of the refrigerator he'd get excited and would start banging on his cage bars. When it was time to eat, he could watch us from his cage, and had his own dish at the same time so it fulfilled his need for a social meal with the flock. The rest of the "flock" was happier not having a bird landing in the middle of thier mashed potatoes, or walking from plate to plate dragging tasty morsels off onto the table, or worse yet onto the floor or lap! The bonus side effect to this routine was, he greatly expanded his acceptance of different and new foods. If the flock was eating it, he HAD to have some too! So much so, I began refering to him as "The pig" or "Mister piggy" or "The Dog". And the nights we went out for dinner? Weeelllll... that's what's why restaurants will provide you with a "birdy bag"! :laugh: With some modification of your dinner routine, Benji can eat with the flock without turning your dinner table into a forage disaster zone. No more "Mom, Dad, Benji just pooped in the green beans!!!!" :sick: Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 SamsDad wrote: .No more "Mom, Dad, Benji just pooped in the green beans!!!!" :sick: That conjures up a fantastic picture in my mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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