Hello, everyone! I have just joined the site because I have many question about my green cheek conure, and how to properly train it. It started nine months ago, when I started researching green cheek conures for the pure intention of liking the species. Later that month it spiraled into actually getting one! I got my parrot from a crappy pet store where there were at least three green cheeks in the same cage that would normally fit one. I bought my bird and named him/her (don't know the gender) Oliver. I had researched the species before I had gotten it and I was sure I could handle it. Boy was I wrong! I read that green cheeks needed time to adjust to their new homes, so I waited a week or so, obviously refiling his water and food, without bothering him too much. Whenever I went to bed, I'd put a blanket on top of his cage and turn off the light. He screamed and squawked for the next couple of months. I bought him a couple of toys, but he is afraid of all of them! The only improvement I've made with my green cheek i that he accepts seeds from my fingers, but is still afraid of my hands and won't let touch him. It has gotten worse because Oliver became aggressive. My dad put his hand in Oliver's cage when I was at school and, naturally, my green cheek developed a grudge with my dad. I read that green cheeks are infamous for holding long grudges. I told my dad to not do that again, and he didn't. Oliver has bitten him twice already, and I had no idea what to do so I did not let him leave his cage for an hour. Oliver occasionally flutters down from his cage and wanders the house with his favorite toy, a long blue sting that had fallen from my old sweater. He loves to chew on it. When he is on the ground for a fair amount of time, I pick him up with my sweater sleeves because he bites with no mercy when I pick him up. So, to get back to the point of writing this, what are some training techniques to help with his bad behavior. Should I look for a new home for Oliver that has a more experienced bird owner. I'm sorry to all the bird owners who actually know what they're doing for reading this, because it must have been painful lol. Just keep in mind that this is my first time owning a bird! I appreciate your help everybody!
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I Have No Idea What I'm Doing With My Green Cheek Conure
- Thread starter Cherryy
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- Pearl
The pet store must not of handled him much and let him get afraid of humans.
I wouldn't rehome him, it just means you need to work a little harder to get him tame.
I'd recommend a clicker (like for clicker training), patience, and millet.
Keep training sessions short, and postitive. Everythings about positivity! Every time he looks at you, steps towards you, or touches your hand, click the clicker and give a treat. Slowly lengthen the training sessions until he's comfortable with being handled
he's probably still a baby, so you may be able to reverse the damage the pet store did
I wouldn't rehome him, it just means you need to work a little harder to get him tame.
I'd recommend a clicker (like for clicker training), patience, and millet.
Keep training sessions short, and postitive. Everythings about positivity! Every time he looks at you, steps towards you, or touches your hand, click the clicker and give a treat. Slowly lengthen the training sessions until he's comfortable with being handled
he's probably still a baby, so you may be able to reverse the damage the pet store did
Tiel Feathers
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Welcoming me to AA! I would try to train him to step onto a stick for a treat that he only gets when you are training him. I have a bird who does not like hands, but we have worked around this by having him step into my clothed arm. Despite not liking to be touched, we have developed a wonderful bond, and I love him to pieces and he loves me. We understand each other. I think you can work with your bird to develop your bond and make him less aggressive, and Ucdont think you should rehome him. Definitely no more hands from your dad! Have you looked at any Barbara Heidenreich training videos?
WendyN
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Sit by his cage, read to him, talk to him, keep safflower seeds (a favorite with my 2 GCC's and Senegal) close by. Every time he ventures close to investigate what you are doing, give him a seed. Drop a seed in his food bowl every time you walk by his cage, and your dad can do the same. This will let him know that neither of you are here to hurt him. Don't force the interactions. One of my GCC's took 2 years to trust us enough to start stepping up and want to be scritched, the other only a couple months. Time and patience will make difference. Make the interactions on his time line, not yours. He has to trust you and forcing interaction does not build trust.
Great idea coming here for advice - this forum can be a great resource!
My best advice: take. it. slow. He's a new-ish bird, and he has been "trained" by his past experience in a pet store that humans are unfriendly/unfamiliar - this can take a long time to teach him that you're not only a reliable source for food, but also a trustworthy companion.
Take the time to learn about his body language, as he can't communicate his feelings in ways that we typically understand. When introducing a new toy, introduce it slowly from a distance, let him get used to it. If his feathers are pressed against his body and he seems a little wary, take note and don't pressure him (or her
Welcome and good luck!
My best advice: take. it. slow. He's a new-ish bird, and he has been "trained" by his past experience in a pet store that humans are unfriendly/unfamiliar - this can take a long time to teach him that you're not only a reliable source for food, but also a trustworthy companion.
Take the time to learn about his body language, as he can't communicate his feelings in ways that we typically understand. When introducing a new toy, introduce it slowly from a distance, let him get used to it. If his feathers are pressed against his body and he seems a little wary, take note and don't pressure him (or her
Welcome and good luck!
