begging to be on my shoulder

[MrsBridenstine]

My grey is now 6 months old and he loves me and only me. He will put up with my 8 yr old daughter but not my husband. My question is this. As soon as he steps up and has a chance he walks quickly up my arm to my shoulder. If I am on the couch and want to hold him he isnt happy on my arm or finger he always wants to be on my shoulder. Because of his desire to be on my shoulder he is always trying to get there. Now he started to try to fly from my arm to my shoulder because its faster. I have tried to keep putting him back where I had him- and then I tried putting him on or in his cage when he tried but neither seems to make a difference.

 

Not sure if there are any tricks out there to keep them from trying to go to your shoulder all the time.

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Melanie

[pearllyn]

You are so lucky to be your grey's "chosen one"!

I know a lot of people don't allow their greys on their shoulders. Is there any reason in particular you don't want him there? Alfie is allowed on our shoulder when she is behaving, but loses her shoulder priveleges when she is in "that" mood! They go up there because it's where they feel safe - I don't know of any real tricks to keep them off - just perserverance, and a bit of luck that your will may be stronger than his!

[Luvparrots]

I don't allow Ana Grey on my shoulder and she has now pretty much given up the attempts to go there. I just shrug her off. She is flighted so she just flies to a perch. There are boings and hanging perches throughout the house so there is no need for her to be on my shoulder. I have taped newspaper over my computer screen top so she also likes to sit there. I guess the trick is to be consistent.

[MrsBridenstine]

He behaves himself all the time on my shoulder always beaking my face and preening my hair....my concern is he likes my earings and I had to fight him the other day because he pulled it out and I thought he was going to swallow it. Also, he cant seem to get a grip on my shoulder so I have to pretty much turn into a statue. If I could walk around or even just sit "normal" and he would leave my earings alone then I wouldnt have a problem with it. : )

 

I have tried to have him sit on my arm when Im on the couch or on my lap but that doesnt work either.

[pearllyn]

Boy do they love earrings!!

Alfie does and she can whip one out without my even knowing it!

Janet's right though, consistencey is the key - it may take a while but you'll get there in the end. Alf loves to sit on a knee of an eveing and just chillout with us!

[judygram]

I allow Josey to sit on my shoulder, it is just natural for them to want to go to a higher point and the shoulder provides that. If you do not want your bird there then you just have to keep removing him, using the other arm to block his path.

 

Josey behaves herself when she shoulder sits but she knows she will get some neck scratches when she goes up there. I do not wear any earrings when at home because that is the first thing they will go after and I don't want them ripped from my ear.:pinch:

 

Josey has somewhat gotten the balance down when sitting on my shoulder and I move around, I can't do any quick turning but she stays on while I walk around the house, yours will too as he ages.

[jessdecutie18]

Yoshi likes sitting on my shoulder, and now that she is pretty good with potty training I don't mind... but I don't wear earrings at home either, they are just too tempting lol...

 

Yoshi also used to be pretty wobbly on my shoulder, but now she has the hang of it. It just takes a little time

[judygram]

Now my sun conure is a pro at riding around on my shoulder, she holds on even if I bend over or turn around quickly, not wobbly at all.

[chezron]

I do not let Brutus sit on my shoulder because things could go really wrong and i have little control in this position. He is used to sitting in my lap and getting scratches. He will stay calmly for as long as pet him. He loves it! I think consistency is the key. Brutus just flies away if shake him off my shoulder.

[harmar]

I don't have a problem with Sasha sitting on my shoulder. but he isn't quite potty trained yet, so I always have to wear old shirts as he sometimes craps on them heh.

 

However the problem I am having is Sasha keeps trying to sit on my head!

I wear headphones when I am on my computer and he always tries to crawl up and sit on the band. At first I let him do it but don't want to anymore.. He stopped for a couple months, but in the last 2 weeks he has been trying again.

[DrTak]

This is pretty much the direction of a discussion under the "no-nos" thread. It seems to be depend on owner desire/bird temperament, IMHO.

 

Lulu has never ridden on a shoulder. She tried for a while, but was never rewarded with that perch. She seems happy on my hand, forearm, in my lap, doing flips, cuddled up against my chest. I think she would behave on a shoulder, but I had heard it wasn't advisable. If it is personal choice, I think no shoulders still works for me. My dog does not come up on bed or couch, so maybe that is just me.

[shanlung]

This might help folks to decide.

 

While written in Nov 2003, I think it is still valid now and in future.

 

Parrot on shoulder - being gentle

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wbeinggentle.html'>http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wbeinggentle.html

 

 

 

Warmest regards

 

 

 

Shanlung

 

山 龍

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9