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The Travel Carrier training - getting past a training plateau

Kassiani

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I've been working with Opie to enter his travel carrier voluntarily. It's like the photo except the color is black. I have a folding table that I place next to his cage and put the carrier on top of that. I tie the door open so it doesn't swing and startle him.

First, I would target him to the cage top and cage top perch/handle (wrapped in vet wrap). Then I attached a perch to the inside of the door, and I began targeting him to that. He is always allowed to *not* want to train or step onto the cage. Next, I untied the door so that I could move it back and forth gently (just a couple of inches) to allow him to get used to the movement of the door while he was on the perch.

It took a while doing the above before I could actually close the door with him on the perch -- stuffing his face with treats while he sat there on the perch with the door closed, lol! I can now close the door, secure it, and take a few steps back from the cage while he munches his treats. He is never closed inside the carrier for more than about 30 or 40 seconds.

I'm not really sure how to advance this training from here. Should I put a toy and food dish inside and allow him to get used to that? Maybe once he tolerates the introduction of the new items then leave him in there for about 5 minutes at a time? I think it will be a while yet before I can move the cage without him having a meltdown. Thank you for any help!!!!
PawhutCage.jpg
 

expressmailtome

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Bump.
 

Pat H

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I must commend you for your patient and tenacious procedure to get him used to the travel cage!
I might suggest you only move it short distances at a time at first ...[after leaving him in it for awhile-- longer than 5min... ie: how long will the travel time last? ] …. But 1st:
Q-- is it on the floor when you put him in, or on a table? So change the location. You can't be timid when you 'offer' him the cage--- when you're in a different location [vets office], you won't have a choice, so he has to be used to going in and out, etc.
Talk to him happily but quietly as you move the cage.
I'd be afraid of fright attacks when the scenery changes from his viewpoint [since he's so exposed w/ open bars] ... so-
When I transport my guys, I usually cover the carrier w/ a sheet or large towel... and most of mine are the [mostly] enclosed fiberglass pet carriers--- not open bars. [Tho I use the open one when I plan on taking mine for a couple of days visiting... larger and more adaptable.

Keep up the good work!
 

Tazlima

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A few possible next steps:

- You could leave the cage open with treats inside so he goes in and out on his own periodically. This will solidify his comfort level of going in and out without you having to do a thing.

- Put the cage in a different places in the house and repeat the training. Training can be very literal. Go in the cage in the living room is a separate "trick" from go in the cage in the kitchen.

- Leave him in for incrementally longer periods of time. When he's really comfortable staying in there for a longish time (5-10 minutes), you might try putting him in there at bedtime and using it as a sleep cage. That way he's spending a LONG time in the cage without you having to worry that he's getting bored or stressed, since he's sleeping anyway, and you let him out when he wakes up.

- When he'll go into the cage wherever, I'd start moving it with him inside. Same as you're doing, take it slow. First just lift it slightly and put it right back down, then move a few inches and return to position, etc.

Sounds like you're doing a fantastic job! Keep up the good work!
 

GreenThing

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Following this because I'm trying to do the same!

I wasn't nearly so methodical, though... to get him somewhere new I hold him on my finger like a little budgie dowsing rod, with a treat held out in front-- if he starts to lean or look back we go back, if he leans forward toward the treat we go forward. :roflmao:

Moving the cage itself is going to be tough, though.
 

Pat H

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I always make sure I include a soft towel on the floor to give footing stability, especially when moving the carrier. I usually have the perch removed when I do this, but if staying inside for awhile in one spot, then I replace. Of course a bird in wing will make this more hazardous.
 

Elysian

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I second the suggestion to start letting him go on on his own.
Put some pellets in the bowl. Take a toy he is already familiar with and likes to play with (if there is one) and hang it in the back of the carrier.
Leave the carrier tied open and accessible to him the entire time he is out of his cage.

You can still do target training sessions to ask him to go in, and definitely start doing it in other locations/positions, but you also want him to start feeling like it is a piece of his home. Somewhere he is safe and comfy.

Once he has started going in and hanging out by his own choice, then start closing the door at random times and leaving him for increasing durations of time.

Then when you can close the door and walk away and he is comfy just napping and playing in the carrier, start with picking it up and putting it down again. Then picking it up and moving it a few inches. Eventually picking it up and moving to another room and leaving him for a bit.
 
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