jbsmomto1 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 So I have been working with Storm for months now trying to get him into an aviator harness, he won't even look at it, and if I hang it close to his cage he screams and yells and panics, when it was hung further way he was ok with it but as I brought it closer he loses his mind. He is pretty attached to me IN the house and doesn't leave me but outside is a pretty scary place, anything can startle him. I had hopes to have him out and about with me this spring (if spring ever comes) and summer but he will not have anything to do with the harness. So I am considering a foot/leg tether, I would make it on my own so that the cord can be line with sheepskin or something soft so it doesn't rub and.or cause pain and become painful. My fear though is that if he were to get spooked, he would/could possibly break one of his little legs, which is NOT what I want for him, I want him exposed to as many things as possible and being in the house all the time, isn't going to help me achieve that goal lol. What do i do? have him strictly indoors which isn't going to hurt him but it also is not going to allow him to be exposed to anything outside the home...foot/leg tether him and hope to god that I don't break his leg? Force him into the darn avaitor and risk him being traumatized for life (this is NOT an option in my opinion) but I do think if he would just try it he would see that good things CAN happen when he just wears the darn thing lol, but of course he sees it as total opposite. He has been asked to visit several classes at our public school this spring and I would rather be able to walk him across the street instead of stuffing him in a cage to go.....but I will do that as a last resort. But I am thinking he will remember getting his foot stuck in the barring that one time and he was so afraid, I don't think he will even get in that either lol. He loves to lave me use my thumb and index finger and go over his head in the o shape and rub him that way so I thought that harness would be similar but nope he can't even look at it without freaking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerial.2000 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I totally dont know the correct answer for you ... and I know it sounds like you are pretty frustrated but ... dont give up. Marco isnt always thrilled when I put her harness on BUT she knows that it'll get her outside and she likes that. And yes all the noises do spook them easily outside the leg tether to me sounds WAY to scarey to hurt them or their leg ... so Im sure someone with lots more experience will come along w/more advice. maybe try to make a game out of the harness so that Storm sees you playing with it and he then might get more inquisitive about it? gosh I dont know .. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Greycie had trouble with hers for the first week. I ended up hanging it from her play area and it was constantly hanging from my ear (she's allowed on my shoulder). After a while, since it was where she constantly wanted to be, she overrode her own fear of it. Took another two weeks of constantly just touching and laying it on her before she finally started to forget about it. Then I went to offering treats but only if she'd stick her head through the hole. Now it's just a matter of having peanuts handy to distract her while I take it on and off. Yes, she trained me well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Good work there Sterling! No help here since I don't use one. I am thinking of getting a pak-o-bird. Not the same I know but it would allow me to take Timber out more. He can sit on our screened porches (we have one front and back) and enjoys that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 So I have been working with Storm for months now trying to get him into an aviator harness, he won't even look at it, and if I hang it close to his cage he screams and yells and panics, when it was hung further way he was ok with it but as I brought it closer he loses his mind. He is pretty attached to me IN the house and doesn't leave me but outside is a pretty scary place, anything can startle him. I had hopes to have him out and about with me this spring (if spring ever comes) and summer but he will not have anything to do with the harness. So I am considering a foot/leg tether, I would make it on my own so that the cord can be line with sheepskin or something soft so it doesn't rub and.or cause pain and become painful. My fear though is that if he were to get spooked, he would/could possibly break one of his little legs, which is NOT what I want for him, I want him exposed to as many things as possible and being in the house all the time, isn't going to help me achieve that goal lol. What do i do? have him strictly indoors which isn't going to hurt him but it also is not going to allow him to be exposed to anything outside the home...foot/leg tether him and hope to god that I don't break his leg? Force him into the darn avaitor and risk him being traumatized for life (this is NOT an option in my opinion) but I do think if he would just try it he would see that good things CAN happen when he just wears the darn thing lol, but of course he sees it as total opposite. He has been asked to visit several classes at our public school this spring and I would rather be able to walk him across the street instead of stuffing him in a cage to go.....but I will do that as a last resort. But I am thinking he will remember getting his foot stuck in the barring that one time and he was so afraid, I don't think he will even get in that either lol. He loves to lave me use my thumb and index finger and go over his head in the o shape and rub him that way so I thought that harness would be similar but nope he can't even look at it without freaking out. The use of tethers and leg braces was discontinued on pet birds about 15 to 20 yrs ago. The only place they're now used is on predatory birds that are shown around the country. There's 2 types of birds---Flock birds and predatory birds. Predatory birds are loners and trained to stay with one person. Predatory birds don't spook as easily as flock type birds. They're trained to stay with the handlers until they're told to do certain things. Those certain things usually involve another person.They a;lways come back to the handlers. Flock birds are constantly aware of everything around them and will spook at the slightest thing the same way they do in the wild. Broken bones, broken toes are common. Vets discourage it. Many of the accidents can't be repaired. You may be having trouble with the harness DVD which tells me that two people need to be involved in putting it on. A video showing how easy it is to put on a bird means little if that bird is docile and has had the harness off and on many times. You're not the first person to have that trouble. Be inventive. Use 2 people on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 (edited) Once a bird dislikes the harness, it may be close to impossible to ever get it back on them. It is going to take a lot of time and patience as others have already so tightly stated. In very SMALL steps as the dvd shows. Of course first you just need to get the harness close enough to him to even think about touching him with it. In regards going outside and them being afraid of the outdoors. The harness is NOT what you should use to get them used to it. You would just end up with a bird flapping and dangling on the harness freaking out which would make both the harness and the outdoor adventure scary. Outside they see things not just in visible light like humans and also as they see them indoors devoid of UV (Unless you have a UV A and B outputting light). Just the sight of you and all things are shocking to them at first seeing in that fourth vision ability and as you know, changes in perception of objects suddenly scare them. The initial our door ventures should be short if they are afraid and in a carrier cage of some type. Just go out SLOWLY as you open the door and they start seeing all the odd and strange sights. Sit down with him and relax talking soothingly to your grey and tell them about what the can see like trees, flowers, grass and birds flying over for example. If they freak out take your grey in. That way he will know that you will respond to any frightful incident while he is outside with you by taking him in. Edited March 22, 2013 by danmcq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aw64 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I use a smaller cage that I can carry ( bigger than budge cage), Its been a real big help, use it for trips to vets, and can take Alfie into the garden knowing he is safe from flying off into a panic and he gets sun on his back (when we get some), has water and food dishes and fits lovely on to my garden bench where we can sit together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingy Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I have the pack-o-bird and highly recommend it. Jake can see the world and yet he is safe from things like little fingers or nosey pets while we are outside. I finally found a stroller base, one designed to hold infant car seats, that is flat enough to set the pack-o-bird on so once it warms up he can roll facing front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Neat idea with the stroller! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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