Lying on back

[dicky601]

I am now bonding with Herbie very well, he is becoming very trusting and seems to look forward to a cuddle after dinner. I have got to the point where he is happy for me to put my hands around him gently. But if I try and put him on his back he gets annoyed (although as soon as I stop he is back for another tickle). I'm not sure how I can get to the point of him lying on his back with upsetting him until he gets used to it. Is there a clever way to get him to do this without upsetting him - will he do it naturally when he trusts me enough??

[judygram]

I doubt it, I have been trying the same thing with Josey, and she is not cooperating, I guess she just does not enjoy being on her back. I guess some don't and if she doesn't want to lay that way I will have to accept it, but my sun conure will lay on her back in my hand, no problem.

[Tari]

If he don't like why make him? Being on their back is not natural for a grey.

Most conures like laying on their back and well do so on their own when playing in their cage. Caiques well too.<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2007/09/13 18:27

[Guest briansmum]

unfortunately some greys just do not appreciate being on their back. thats not to say dont stop trying, just dont push and dont be dissapointed if he never wants to do it.

 

i try with my grey and he only goes on his back when he feels like it, i know he trusts me to hold him as when he's really cuddly he will just roll off my shoulder and expect me to cath him on his back, but i can't put him on it if he doesn't want to. if he wants to he will either roll on me or grab my finger with his foot and lean right to the side, this is his sign for me to roll him and get his tummy.

 

watch out for signs your grey may want a bit of rough play or extra cuddling and keep trying to ensure him it is safe if he feels like it, but as already stated some just dont like being on their back.

[lovemyGreys]

I agree with Tari, it is very unnatural for a grey to lie on their back.The smaller conures seem to enjoy it.I wouldn't false it or keep trying,enjoy your grey

in other ways <br><br>Post edited by: lovemyGreys, at: 2007/09/13 19:04

[judygram]

Right Tracy, I just try once in a while and if she balks I don't try again for weeks, I don't want her to become uncomfortable with me because of it. I just go grab Sunny, she lets me put her on her back anytime and then I pick her up with one finger by her foot.

[Guest briansmum]

yeah i am the same with Brian, i try every now and then just as a trust building technique but he seems to enjoy flinging himself about sometimes i don't and never have forced him to go on his back.. i wouldn't get away with it! LOL

[Makena]

Makena goes and lays on his back on the bottom of the cage or in his food bowl when he wants to come out. He will lay there, feet sticking straight up in the air (I guess playing dead or helpless?) until we get him. The minute we go over to the cage he jumps up and is scratching at the door to get out.... very strange bird!! The first time he did it I was scared to death, but now I know it is just one of his quirks!

[judygram]

You got that right, she comes around with the beak when I try it so I back off, I don't want to join the Bite Me club just yet.

[danmcq]

Dayo will lay on his back for a while, so far he doesn't seem to mind it, as long as it is not over 30 seconds or so.

 

Judy - Your already a member of the "Bite Me ".....it is your destiny :evil:

[nevjoe]

Well Hemingway hated it, but with lots of trying he is real good about it now. He gave me some really bad bites but it was worth it. Now Serpico, hes is doing much better then Hemingway was. Since I have helped getting the two of them to like each other they seem to do a lot of thing alike. I even got them to share a cage together while I'm working in the shop.

 

These guys can do anything. GREYS RULE

 

Joe

[dicky601]

Thanks for all the advice, I certainly wont do anything that upsets Herbie so will let him be how he wants to be. He had a little snooze in bed with me for the first time this morning

[danmcq]

HI Dicky601,

 

Snoozing in bed with you is a very dangerous thing to do with your Grey. Just your leg by chance moving on to him could smoother or squash him.

 

I thought I would mention this, due to many people not even thinking of such a thing. :-)

[dicky601]

Good point, I should be clear that he was snoozing, I wasnt. I would be in fear of rolling over and crushing him (I'm not a small guy!!). He has also started exploring the house a lot more and enjoys going walk about, we are now being very careful to look where we are walking

[danmcq]

Thanks for making that clear. :-)

 

Yes, we have the same floor scanning caution with Dayo our Grey now also. I slightly nudged him when I turned around a week ago. He had snuck up behind me at the kitchen sink. I think it scared me more than him. :-)

 

Isn't all this a fun learning experience?

[greylover]

chico hates being on his back.I just dont know.But he is getting used to it now,i dont make him go on his back i mean he can get up if he want's to.:silly: :silly: :silly: :cheer: :cheer:

 

greyloverx

[DStanfill]

Katie will not stand for anyone even trying to put her on her back. Rudy will let my two boys put him on his back but if he sees me he will want me to rescue him. I don't try with either one of my greys they hang upside down enough in their cage playing with each other.

[zandische]

Makena - Athena does the same thing! It is so cute. If she is in her cage she will go to the bottom and roll over on her back to get our attention. She pumps her little legs in the air and it looks just like someone doing the "bicycle." Of course we have laughed every time she does it, so now she knows it's a sure fire way to get our attention if she wants to be let out.

 

As far as teaching her lie on her back, she decided to do that on her own. She started with the bicycle trick, then started doing it on her big perch about 18" above the cage floor. She is more conure than grey in that respect though - she isn't terribly dexterous on two feet, but she is a wonderful little acrobat. One day I was holding her and stroking her back and she just flipped upside down on her own and laid back in my hand! She of course thought it was a terribly funny surprise for momma and couldn't get enough of my excited kisses and beak rubs.

 

She does it all the time now. She thinks it's a game. If she flips upside down, momma gets really excited and gives her lots of kisses. I have figured out it is one of her ways of saying "I want your attention," instead of just taking her for granted. She likes to hang upside down and also lay back in my hand. She even let me carry her around the house on her back the other day. And the other night she met our neighbor for the first time and had to show off by flipping over for him. Of course, there is a lot of trust between us so I would make sure if you try this with your grey that you do it in slow steps that don't scare her. The worst thing you can do is try to force her to learn a trick that breaks that bond. In my case, rather than flip her over without her consent, I would put her on the floor with me and roll over on my back to simulate how it was done. Every time I did it I would say "Roll Over!" and laugh myself silly to generate her excitement. Then I would give her lots of kisses. They are smart birds - they will figure out what you want them to do if you are patient and understanding! (And conversely, you should be willing to accept that they may just decide they don't want to learn your trick!)

[judygram]

What a wonderful relationship you have with your grey, Zandische, thanks for sharing this with us.

[Makena]

Thank you so much for sharing your story Zandische, I am glad to know I am not the only one with a crazy upside down grey !! I just snapped this pic a few minutes ago... He wanted to come out, so he laid upside down across his water dish and perch.

 

 

It is usually hard to get a pic because the minute I walk over there he usually jumps up and runs to the door! He is such a smart bird, he knows the minute he does that, I run over and open the door... I guess you could say he has me wrapped around his little talon!

[nevjoe]

Krista, I would say he is doing a good job of training YOU. Will he lay in your hand up side down?

That photo is GREAT of him over his bowl.

 

Jooe

[BMustee]

I have seen the training method for parrots to lie on their backs and it isn't too difficult.

 

First, get them comfortable with your hand on their backs...if this is already ok with the bird then skip.

 

Second, start to lean the bird back with him holding you finger...if it nips then go only as far as he wants, hold for a few seconds and reward with a treat. Keep going further back in tiny increments that the bird won't notice and do the same thing, hold and reward. Do not reward if the bird nips, so don't rush it because it can take longer in the end.

 

Third, once the bird can be held on it's back and hold for a few moments start to remove your finger. Reward for any improvements, not for setbacks.

 

Fourth, TAAADAAA!!! Your bird should be on his back for you!'

 

I would like to say though that not all birds will do all tricks and not to push if the bird wants nothing to do with it. You normally want to trick train a bird to do things that are already in their nature to do. You may want to start with a easier trick like waving HI or nodding yes and no.

[Guest briansmum]

great pick! very cute.

 

and yeah BMustee i'm sure it is easier with a slighty easier going bird like a cockatoo or macaw. i doubt it would be so simple with a grey :lol: unless of course THEY want to

[zandische]

Makena - your pic had me laughing so hard! That's such a great shot and that is just the look Athena gives me too!

 

Judy - yes, she is a wonderful little bird who has changed my life. I feel privileged that she picked me for her person

[BMustee]

Yes beccy you are right that it is easier to train a laid back bird than a stubborn one, but the trick to trick training is to go with the birds pace, not your own...and to give the bird a reward to make him want to do what you are asking of him. I'm sure that there is lots of birds that refuse to do this trick, but that could be due to ether the bird itself or the owners methods. Makena's bird pretty much taught itself and knows that it will get the attention reward that it got the first time he was on his back...but if you push a bird to do something to the point of freaking out it won't want to do it. I did write at the bottom of my post to not push the bird if he really does not want to do it and to start off with easy tricks…that way it knows what training is and won’t be as nervous.