Help with clingy CAG

[Raphael]

Hello, I have an AG that has been with me for 2 weeks now. It is one year old. The problem is that every time it comes out the cage, it flies straight onto me. I do not avoid it at all, I have been giving it much attention daily. When its time to leave the room, I put it on the cage/stand, as soon as I start to walk away, it flies back onto me. What can I do?

[judygram]

Raphael, why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us some more about you and your bird for we need to know some more information before we can help you with your problem.

[danmcq]

Welcome Raphael!!

 

Your grey is evidently flighted and used to flying to it's previous owners to go with them, wherever they go. Right now there is only one thing you can do to stop him from flying to your shoulder when your walking away and that is to put him in his cage. Then go where you were going. Let him out when you done.

 

The second thing to do, which will require a lot of time and patience. Is to train your grey to stay on the perch when given the "Stay" command. It will take a thousand trips back and forth to place him back on the stand and using the word "Stay" a long with using a treat as a positive reinforcing reward when he does stay, even for the first 5 seconds as you walk away. But, as I say again, this will take time and patience.

 

Please do introduce yourself and your new Grey in t1he welcome room as Judy suggested. This will let others know we have a new member and give more background on your grey to help us, help you. :-)

[Tracey]

Hey I have a 5 month CAG and he is very clingy! I seem to have the same problem with Dex that Raphael is having. Dex will bite my husband and son and wont go to neither of them, but quite happily comes to me and wont leave my shoulder. I would love it if Dex would socialise with my family as they try and are quite patient with him, but he wont budge... Please help

[judygram]

Tracey, why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us some more about you and Dex.

[JillyBeanz]

Harvey's the same - as soon as I move he's onto me - I do understand why though (good looks, wit, humour.....!)

 

I've been trying this "stay" business - he looks at me like I'm stupid, lets me go to where I was going, and then comes after me anyway! I've tried this for MONTHS now - and he's still insolent!

 

Tracey - Harvey isn't too happy with my husband and kids nowadays - and we are really trying to overcome this (with minimal results)! Keep persevering like we are and one day we may live in harmony

[particle77]

JillyBeanz,

You may already be doing this, but in case you aren't. The goal with teaching Stay, is to get Harvey to recognize that by staying he will get a reward. If he is consistently flying to you then he won't be getting rewarded frequently enough to make the connection. You'll want to train yourself to know how far you can go before Harvey will fly to you. Tell him to stay, and then go exactly that far. then come back and reward him(it can be praise or a treat). After doing that successfully several times you can start moving a bit further. If he flies to you, just put him back and try again. If he keeps flying to you, don't move quite so far away.

 

another suggestions: Its good to use both a verbal and visual cue. I've found Earl actually learns to respond to hand signals MUCH faster than vocal commands, which he still confuses.<br><br>Post edited by: particle77, at: 2009/10/12 20:13

[Luvparrots]

My grey likes to be with me also. I have boings and different small playstands and perches throughout the house. I just put my grey on these places so she can see me. Sometimes I just tell her "I'll be right back" and she has now learned what this means and will wait patiently for me if I am not gone too long. You have to remember, greys are flock animals and you are now your grey's flock. What is your grey's name?

[Tracey]

Ah sorry for late reply Jillybeans. Am still trying with Dex, but he doesn't do the "stay" thingie well, I have to stand so close to his play stand and almost push him till he has to get onto the play stand and that how I get him off me! I put him on my hand so that its easier to place him on the play stand, but he just runs (I mean runs... super fast) up my arm till he is on my shoulder, then he is in charge again, cos its almost impossible to get him off me and no one else can get him off me cos he bites.

 

He is slowly learning that my husband is not a threat and will go to him if its to take him off the cage in his room and Dex knows he will come to the living room where we all are. When Dex is on my knee he will also get off me and walk along the couch to my husband if he has something interesting in his hand, like a remote control or cell phone, but he still wont go to my son and if I put him on my sons shoulder he bites my sons ear (Dex is not to happy about that one?). Will keep trying though! But have more battles on my hands with trying to get Dex to bath grrrrr! He doesn't like this thing we call bathing or showering<br><br>Post edited by: Tracey, at: 2009/10/26 12:18