CRYROLFE Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 We want to teach Tesla to go to his perch so that one day we can open his door with him on the perch to get him to come out of his cage. This is the 2nd step really....it took him awhile to take a treat from me, and he will only take the BEST things (unfortunately this is Cheezits and cheese). From this step I hope to get him to take other foods that are better for him. P.S. That is Keegan in the background....he is clicker trained a bit and is jealous. He is trying to make quiet noise since that's when he gets treats....not for screaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 (edited) Once again, no Cheeze-it's, Cheeto's, salt.... You don't know your birds tolerances for salt, it can and will kill him...Sorry I'm so blunt...In that short video, you gave him 3 days worth of harmful treats... There's plenty of safe treats you can give, keep buying and trying till you find one he likes.....Jayd Edited October 6, 2010 by Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 (edited) Nice video of Tesla's clicker training session. The cheese you are giving is fine and much healthier than cheeze-its. Kudos to you for switching the reward. Your patience and the clicker training seems like it is going to work out well for you and him. The happy sound of your voice and use of "Good Job" is a great way to build his confidence and trust with you. A couple of observances, if you don't mind. In your behaviorist visit thread, you mentioned what you are going to do when the beak or nails need trimming. My recommendation would be NOT to have this done. His beak is fine and from what I can see of his nails, they are fine as well and perhaps clipped a little too short. To keep nails and beak in tip top shape and also provide him with some good activities, I would recommend including almonds in the shell for him to crack open and also placing toys made of wooden blocks he can chew to pieces. This will keep his beak in good working order and provide the natural way of keeping it up. The nails will stay at a good and proper length by simply adding some cement perches where you know he will frequent and stay on most the time. The perch mounted on the door would be the first place I would install one since you are working with him on using that perch in training and as his outside of cage preferred perch until he gets more settled into the new surroundings and used to all the new people and pets. I commend you for going to such lengths in trying the various avenues of helping him gain trust in humans. This will only be done with time, patience and love. You do not need a behaviorist to come over and add more stress to the mix as others have commented on. Just the way you are working with him is already showing he is willing to interact. But only in his own timing and space he is comfortable with keeping you and he apart until he is confident he can trust you and especially those hands that have been the "Pain Inflicter" he has known them as all his life. Those snatch and grabs in to a towel he experienced to only constrain and do what he considers torcherous things to him, namely wing clipping, nail trimming and beak trimming. His view of hands is the mean torture. With this thought in mind, I think you can understand why he is leery of hands completely. With your path set in the clicker training, with loving energy and patience, I guarantee he will come around to trusting the evil hands in time. The key is time and patience as I have probably worn out by know in this comment. Edited October 6, 2010 by danmcq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Cricket our blue front has a door perch that she will go to when we take her out when we tap the perch she comes over and sit on it and than we open the door and she will step up to our hand. when we first got her she was cage aggressive but she is ok now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 My guys are crazy for cherries, nuts, particularly walnuts & dried banana chips. I have 2 old plastic cocoa container I keep the nuts & banana chips in. If they even see me reach for one they start begging. Maybe you could try using these for bribery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRYROLFE Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 @Ray.....that is EXACTELY my goal for Tesla. I am going to switch his normal perch for a Sandy perch when they come in. I have tons of treats to try now but nothing so far.....lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdnut Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 My birds respond well to cashew pieces and pine nuts as treats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 My reward treat is a safflower seed(s) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I too have to echo what Dan said, it will be a long road to gaining Tesla's trust and it must be earned so be very patient and don't try to rush things, it will happen when he feels comfortable with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRYROLFE Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 (edited) Well I found out tonight that he will eat off of a spoon! He saw Keegan (my Hahns) nibbling a bit of yogurt and so he did too! He was sitting on his porch at the time. So then (since he was in the mood) I got him to take some cooked carrot and some corn pieces. This was a good night since he has NEVER taken food off of a spoon (I thought that he'd be afraid of it) and the veggies were really tiny. So now I'm going to try various nuts and seeds. Also, thanks so much Dan for all of the advice !! Edited October 8, 2010 by CRYROLFE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRYROLFE Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Well, now I got Tesla a brand spankin' new Sandy Perch....it's a blue one and I attached it to the door of his cage. Unfortunately now he won't have anything to do with the new perch and is a bit freaked about it. He's still talking and such but won't go near it. So now it's back to step one w/ training which is at a standstill until he gets near the perch again. Ideas?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Every bird is different so sometimes I think it is trial and error. I got two of the sandy perches. I put one all the way in the back corner of the cage and higher than any other perch. For the first day Neo ignored it. The second day he started using if for his sleeping perch. Two days later I put the other one on the door so that it is an inside perch when the door is closed and an outside perch when the door is open. He shied away from it for a day but now uses it to stand on and play with a nearby toy and sometimes as a daytime sleeping perch. Neo is only 4 months old so he may be a little faster in terms of getting used to new things. One day has been pretty consistent for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Barbara's methodology of introducing new and different colored perches is good. Most Greys are leery of even a new perch if it looks different. Especially an older bird. Just a little time and patience will resolve new items like that. One question, did Tesla Growl at it or screech at all when you first put it in? If so, you may need to move it out of the cage and attache it on the outside for a day or two for Tesla to get used to it at a little more of a distance. If the reaction was not as I described, then it won't be long before he walks right on to it to get the treats he loves so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 My grey does not like blue in any shape size or form. She does not freek out but will not go near anything blue. She will isolate any of her blue toys from the rest.(spoiled) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRYROLFE Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 He didn't growl or anything like that....just stayed to the back of the cage. I was planning on getting another one too for the back of the cage for him to sleep on....soo now I guess I'll just wait until he gets used to this one and maybe get a yellow one ....ugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 The one that I have in the door is blue. (You can see it in the picture of Neo in my banner below.) The one in the back is green. So much of that depends on the individual bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Isn't it funny how they all have different color preferences? Dayo used to dislike bright red, now he is over that. Makes me wonder how he could stand his bright red tail or perhaps run circles trying to get away from it. Since he just distanced himself from that new perch, your fine and it will not be long before he will get on it for a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRYROLFE Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Well, I was worried that he might not eat as much, so now it's on the outside of his cage for awhile. I want to order another one...but maybe not blue. Also, what size is the one that Neo has? The one I got says size Med. and says it's for Greys and Amazons....but yours looks a lot smaller. Sandiperch-Med Mine looks a lot bigger than that photo on the site also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 (edited) Well, I was worried that he might not eat as much, so now it's on the outside of his cage for awhile.I want to order another one...but maybe not blue. Also, what size is the one that Neo has? The one I got says size Med. and says it's for Greys and Amazons....but yours looks a lot smaller. Sandiperch-Med Mine looks a lot bigger than that photo on the site also. The one that I have is actually called a Safety Perch. I got it from Drs. Foster & Smith. I got the size recommended for a Timneh. The Congo gets the next size up. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=5872 Actually I think the Congo would get the medium size also which is what I got for Neo. Edited October 15, 2010 by Barbara2 added link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRYROLFE Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 Alirighty....I am ordering one of those as well....found it on Amazon. I like the shape of it too. I'm getting a new one for Keegan my Hahns as well (only smaller). Who knows what color I'll get....doesn't really give me the option. Safety Perch-Medium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara2 Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Alirighty....I am ordering one of those as well....found it on Amazon. I like the shape of it too.I'm getting a new one for Keegan my Hahns as well (only smaller). Who knows what color I'll get....doesn't really give me the option. Safety Perch-Medium Yeah, I didn't get an option to choose a color. I was hoping it wouldn't be pink like the one in the picture. They sent me one blue and one green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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