wkaxka
Sitting on the front steps
- Joined
- 7/1/19
- Messages
- 18
I'm also harness training my two new Quakers at the moment. I've also had them for just a month - one is a baby and I'm her first owner, while the other is coming to me from one long-term home and then a foster home (he's 1-2 years old).
I'm taking it reeeeally slowly. Just like you were, I'm super motivated to get it on them and get out into the open, however
we need to understand that it’s extremely unnatural to put something like this on a bird’s body. Of course they’ll be scared and hate it, any species would, but especially a prey animal which is designed to be light and free. The harness goes against their nature completely, but I’m sure it will be possible for you with enough patience and mutual trust.
You had the harness on her in only 10 days, and I understand your determination to do it as soon as possible, and I’m sure it was nice to let her enjoy the outside with you on that day, but to be honest the whole experience sounds quite traumatic for the bird overall. I understand why she doesn’t want anything to do with it. I think it’s not your fault - you mentioned that this is your first ever bird. Birds are very smart and curious, but also very easily spooked. It’s easy to hard to gain their trust but easy to lose it.
The first 7 days of your training sound perfect. You just made the mistake of doing too much, too soon. I’ve done it too on occasion. I harness trained my budgie a few years ago and definitely was too enthusiastic when she made a breakthrough, thinking she’s ready for the next step, but pushing her into that next step actually knocked us back to square one.
I recommend you start all over again, introducing her to the harness as if it’s a brand new scary thing, build back up to where you were, then slowly but surely advance to getting the whole thing on her. She sounds like she was pretty open to it, so I predict that you’ll have her calmly wearing it in a month or two. Like you said, you want to make her happy and have her free like the Birdtricks crew lol. I love that you have this ambition.
A month or so of patience is sooo worth it for a lifetime of freedom ! Or, uh, kind of freedom lol
(I’m mastering flight recall with my birds before I seriously start harness training. For the first month I just had it lying around when they’re playing, and sometimes did the same training you were talking about - treats for getting their head through the hole - once I have 100% recall, we’ll focus on the harness, cos I’m sure I’ll have to teach them to fly all over again with it on lol)
Good luck !
I'm taking it reeeeally slowly. Just like you were, I'm super motivated to get it on them and get out into the open, however
we need to understand that it’s extremely unnatural to put something like this on a bird’s body. Of course they’ll be scared and hate it, any species would, but especially a prey animal which is designed to be light and free. The harness goes against their nature completely, but I’m sure it will be possible for you with enough patience and mutual trust.
You had the harness on her in only 10 days, and I understand your determination to do it as soon as possible, and I’m sure it was nice to let her enjoy the outside with you on that day, but to be honest the whole experience sounds quite traumatic for the bird overall. I understand why she doesn’t want anything to do with it. I think it’s not your fault - you mentioned that this is your first ever bird. Birds are very smart and curious, but also very easily spooked. It’s easy to hard to gain their trust but easy to lose it.
The first 7 days of your training sound perfect. You just made the mistake of doing too much, too soon. I’ve done it too on occasion. I harness trained my budgie a few years ago and definitely was too enthusiastic when she made a breakthrough, thinking she’s ready for the next step, but pushing her into that next step actually knocked us back to square one.
I recommend you start all over again, introducing her to the harness as if it’s a brand new scary thing, build back up to where you were, then slowly but surely advance to getting the whole thing on her. She sounds like she was pretty open to it, so I predict that you’ll have her calmly wearing it in a month or two. Like you said, you want to make her happy and have her free like the Birdtricks crew lol. I love that you have this ambition.
A month or so of patience is sooo worth it for a lifetime of freedom ! Or, uh, kind of freedom lol
(I’m mastering flight recall with my birds before I seriously start harness training. For the first month I just had it lying around when they’re playing, and sometimes did the same training you were talking about - treats for getting their head through the hole - once I have 100% recall, we’ll focus on the harness, cos I’m sure I’ll have to teach them to fly all over again with it on lol)
Good luck !
