Parrotlet became un-hand-trained

[CatherineB]

Hi everyone! Sorry if this is a common post but I am new and looking for advice about my parrotlet! I thought I'd post it here since you are all used to dealing with these feisty little birds.

I hand-trained Walter when he was a baby about ten years ago and it went pretty well, especially for my first time doing it. However, some years back we went on a trip and when we came back, Walter was suddenly (extra) grouchy and was very bitey and territorial. It wasn't his first time being left with a housesitter, but it was the first time his behaviour had changed like that. I was a teenager and too scared of his biting to put much effort into retraining him (I tried but was too disappointed and inexperienced to really keep up with it and around that time, our town no longer had wing-clipping services and Walter liked to fly into walls or blinds).

I'm now at a place where I really want to bond with him more and get him used to being handled again. At this point, he either won't go near me or will immediately start biting if I put my hand near him. He also won't stay in one place/perch and will move around or try to get out of the door if my hand stays in the cage for more than a few seconds. I'm not sure where to start with re-training him and would love any advice!

Thank you

 

[Zara]

Welcome to Avian Avenue!

Sometimes it can be helpful to just go back to the beginning. Feeding treats through the cage bars to start building trust again.
Here is a helpful thread;

Some things to do with a new bird....

So many people come on here with new birds asking what they should and shouldn't do that I thought I would put a short list together of things that owners of new birds could do to build a good relationship with their bird. These things can be done with all new rehomes, rescues or baby birds...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Pixiebeak]

Aww .. things can happen to break trust, and that's sounds like what happened.

It isn't about controlling the body , it cutting wings. It's about influence their mind .

I 100% believe you can earn back trust and rebuild relationships!!!! why, because myself and others have worked with rescue and rehomed birdies , and I have broken the trust with my gcc in the past and worked my way back into her good graces .

I'm a big believer that magic doesn't take place inside the cage , and prefer to work with them outside of the cage .

But to start things off, how big is the cage? Is it time for an upgrade? Where is the cage ?

I put lots of perches on the outside of the cage , especially on on the outside right by the door . Adits of perches on the outside top of cage . It's much easier for the to move around on perches the walk across the bars. And that gives them more confidence and freedom. It gives them the choice to retreat, and allows you to positively reinforce moving toward you. Allowing baby steps and shaping.

I myself don't use the stick hand in cage way. ... some people do, so it's good to hear different techniques .

Instead I put a small treat only dish right inside cage door , ( if they don't come to take treats from hand yet) then I walk up to cage say hi " bird name" show them the seed, I use safflower seeds, and drop in treat dish . I step far enough back thst they come and take treat. As soon as they take treat I tell them what a good birdie they are , and walk away..I do that many many times a day, always linked with good birdie . . Then as part of shaping behavior, and shaping behavior in small steps is very successful, I walk up say hi , show seed and wait til they take one step towards treat dish , then I drop treat in back up one step and wait till take and praise..I'm flexible to how they respond, but I'm slowly or fast depending, working on holding the trear t till they come all the way to dish before dropping in..so this may take shaping in one step or 2 or halfway I'm working up with how fast a d reliable I have them moving towards me and treat dish in a timely fashion. When they are the point they come right away to the dish as soon as I come up and say hi. Then I see if I can hand off treat directly to them .

It usually takes a few days to reach that point, but it can take longer . Make sure which ever place you are you are reinforcing several t times a day , before asking them to come closer reinforce success several times , before even closer to get treat.

Or if I feel comfortable that they can come out and go back in cage. Then I do this with a treat dish on the outside of the cage next to a perch . Or if I need to I start in cage. Then move to doing out of cage but much the same ame way. Then I work on moveing them around the out of cage perches much the same way. I will tap the perch right by door on outside, show seed ask to come out. Hand seed. The will tap a higher perch show seed and get the to climb up to thst perch. Be sure to always link Good birdie to treat taking.

If I'm starting outside of the cage and working on having them move towards me . Which is very powerful, having them choose to move towards you for reward.. I start on opposite side of where they choose to perch, I put the seed halfway between us , far enough away thst they don't move away from me putting seed down. I tap next to seed and say come here , and I back far enough away they do come and get. Praise when take . Work on backing away less, and moving seed closer to me in opposite side of them .


Sorry I don't know how to share in less words ...but this shaping is very successful, it goes slow or fast depending on them , confidence, trust being predictable, they tend to catch on fast .

Then if they are afraid of hands , I do the same thing. I put one hand down flat and I don't move it. Then I work with treats having the vine closer and closer to that hand . Sr dine pint they are taking treats standing next to hand. Then I have them step up and over jsd for treats