TwoGreenFids
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 1/5/19
- Messages
- 40
- Real Name
- Jewels
A success story to keep you motivated
I don't know who needs to hear this, but you can stop pressuring yourself to have tricks and training accomplished within a certain time period. You are not a bad owner. Training depends as much on the individual bird as it does on your support and guidance. While baseline trust and boundaries should be established as soon as possible, and you'll need some simple commands earlier than others, remember that you have their entire life to learn and grow. There's no rush!! Training never stops.
I had a wonderful moment with my female IRN that I wanted to share to reassure you when you feel frustrated and incompetent. Popsicle was a ferral IRN that we rescued, and she has always been afraid of hands. Since day one we worked on this, getting her to touch her beak to my palm or fist for a treat, and even just laying my hands out in front of her to inspect and test with her beak. If properly motivated (ie. TREATS!!) Pop will reliably fly to me from a perch. But she won't land on my hand- instead she had always just landed on my head because that's where she feels safe. From there we progressed to her stepping onto my hand after flying to and landing on my head. But every time I call her to me, I raise my hand out just in case she changes her mind. Two days ago she started landing directly on my hand. I couldn't tell you what changed! I guess she just decided she was ready. Then today she flew to the hand of a visiting friend!!! My jaw hit the floor. We have been working on this for THREE YEARS. Honestly I had just accepted that this was who she was, and that while I'd keep working to ease her stress around hands, I didn't blame either of us for her odd head-to-hand quirk. It turns out she just needed time.
So I'll say it again. Your little feathered person is unique and the length of time it takes to train them is not a reflection on either of you. It just is. Honour the little accomplishments between you and know that everyone on this forum is rooting for you and your fid.
There's no time limit
I don't know who needs to hear this, but you can stop pressuring yourself to have tricks and training accomplished within a certain time period. You are not a bad owner. Training depends as much on the individual bird as it does on your support and guidance. While baseline trust and boundaries should be established as soon as possible, and you'll need some simple commands earlier than others, remember that you have their entire life to learn and grow. There's no rush!! Training never stops.
I had a wonderful moment with my female IRN that I wanted to share to reassure you when you feel frustrated and incompetent. Popsicle was a ferral IRN that we rescued, and she has always been afraid of hands. Since day one we worked on this, getting her to touch her beak to my palm or fist for a treat, and even just laying my hands out in front of her to inspect and test with her beak. If properly motivated (ie. TREATS!!) Pop will reliably fly to me from a perch. But she won't land on my hand- instead she had always just landed on my head because that's where she feels safe. From there we progressed to her stepping onto my hand after flying to and landing on my head. But every time I call her to me, I raise my hand out just in case she changes her mind. Two days ago she started landing directly on my hand. I couldn't tell you what changed! I guess she just decided she was ready. Then today she flew to the hand of a visiting friend!!! My jaw hit the floor. We have been working on this for THREE YEARS. Honestly I had just accepted that this was who she was, and that while I'd keep working to ease her stress around hands, I didn't blame either of us for her odd head-to-hand quirk. It turns out she just needed time.
So I'll say it again. Your little feathered person is unique and the length of time it takes to train them is not a reflection on either of you. It just is. Honour the little accomplishments between you and know that everyone on this forum is rooting for you and your fid.
There's no time limit