Wasted money on a harness

[RioJPMP]

I thought it wouldn't be too hard to get a training harness on my 5 month old sun conure. Hes very antsy but he lets me hold him any which way I choose. Boy was I ever wrong. I tried using the training videos on youtube and nothing, once he sees it he goes running to a hiding place.

I finally got it around his head and he threw himself with it off the cage! I got so scared he wants NOTHING to do with it.

Any other suggestions? I tried leaving it in his cage, having him play with it and rewarding him when he does, but if he sees me put it anywhere near him he freaks out.

HELP! I would love to take my little one outside free of the cage and have him get some natural sunlight. Even though he is clipped I've heard too many tales of clipped birds flying away. Plus I plan to let him grow his flight wings again.

 

[ShellyBorg]

Working with my smaller birds I started putting hair bands around their necks. After a couple destroyed ones and lots of hissy fits they started to be pk with them as long as the treat kept coming. Once we where good with that I would put on the harness and get out side as soon as possible. The TAG yells like I am killing him when we harness up but as soon as we are out he is loving it.

 

[Julianna]

How long have you been trying to get him into it? Maybe you could just give him a few days playing near/with it and see if that helps him get used to it. Then you could try to put it on once he's comfortable being around it. He might just not like it because it's something new.

 

[RioJPMP]

Shellyborg - I will definitely attempt starting with hair ties.

Julianna - I bought the harness about a month ago. I have left it in his cage with him and he will not go near it. I have carried it around with me so he can see there's nothing to be scared of but he just goes nuts if he sees me pick it up and put it near him.

 

[Julianna]

Wow...he really doesn't like it! Guess you've already done what I said then

 

[SoCalWendy]

Shellyborg - I will definitely attempt starting with hair ties.

Julianna - I bought the harness about a month ago. I have left it in his cage with him and he will not go near it. I have carried it around with me so he can see there's nothing to be scared of but he just goes nuts if he sees me pick it up and put it near him.

Whatever you do DO NOT force it on him or you may end up with several serious bites, and having to cut it off of him, like we did. not really funny, but I can laugh about it now. However, she is still wary of my husband.

I am going to try the feather tether harness next. I like the hair ties idea too.

 

[Kalidasa]

Is the feather tether less complicated? Has anyone ever used it on here?

 

[SoCalWendy]

Is the feather tether less complicated? Has anyone ever used it on here?

I'm not really sure, but it fastens in the back instead of trying to adjust it in the front (aviator harness) that's when I got bit and my husband got bit. We got it on her (aviator harness) but then needed to tighten it, she was already upset and drew blood on my husband. She was looking for anything to bite really, she probably though she was biting the harness when I got bit, hard.

It took 3 cuts to get it off of her... I was so scared she was going to get cut. Not a good experience.

 

[Mayden]

Is the feather tether less complicated? Has anyone ever used it on here?

Less complicated, but more fastenings. So you can kind of 'clip it' on the bird, rather than putting wings through a ton of holes and stuff.

It's heavy and bulky and I don't like it so small birds... and what if he manages to get his beak around and open the clasp, eurg!

but it is 'easy' in comparison to the aviator.


Tough it out, give the bird more time, you'll get there.

 

[ShellyBorg]

I love my flight harness but for just trips out side the feather tether style works well. I did find a amazing harness by leather4feathers.com. She will custom fit your bird and great customer service. I love the one I have for my senegal.
Vary light weight!

 

[Kalidasa]

Is the feather tether less complicated? Has anyone ever used it on here?

I'm not really sure, but it fastens in the back instead of trying to adjust it in the front (aviator harness) that's when I got bit and my husband got bit. We got it on her (aviator harness) but then needed to tighten it, she was already upset and drew blood on my husband. She was looking for anything to bite really, she probably though she was biting the harness when I got bit, hard.

It took 3 cuts to get it off of her... I was so scared she was going to get cut. Not a good experience.

I had to cut mine off also with a few snips. They're just so wiggly! It's like trying to put a harness on an eel. I had trouble getting it off, which is where the scissors came in. Just took a look at it online....it's definately much cheaper than the aviator......thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try. I was under the assumption that aviator had a monopoly on bird harnesses.

 

[RioJPMP]

I will definitely check out the feather teather...Ive had my share of hard bites already.

Thanks!

 

[Nailztim]

I have no experience with them yet, but I have seen some of the flight suits that have a teather line you can attach to them. That might be a reasonable option. And it looks like it is just one peice of velcro that attaches it.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I love my flight harness but for just trips out side the feather tether style works well. I did find a amazing harness by leather4feathers.com. She will custom fit your bird and great customer service. I love the one I have for my senegal.
Vary light weight!

What I don't like about the Aviator Harness is the leash is attached to it. So you can't let them just wear it for a little while each day and get used to it. What I love about the Aviator Harness is its lightweight.

I want a harness I can put on her, let her get uses to it and then attach a leash to it so she doesn't get all caught up in the leash part.

On that website what size did you get for your Senegal?

 

[SoCalWendy]

I have no experience with them yet, but I have seen some of the flight suits that have a teather line you can attach to them. That might be a reasonable option. And it looks like it is just one peice of velcro that attaches it.

I have used this one before, they are good in that the poop gets collected. I don't care for the leash that comes with it. To attach it, it velcro's between the opening that you close, like a sandwich.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I had a good experience with the aviator and i started on my bird at 8 months old. We were doing the exercises with wing out, count to three, release, "good bird"....the other wing up, one two three, "good bird" and i would put my hand over his head and cover his eyes, "good bird". He fussed a little the first time i pulled it off his head, but he so enjoyed going outside. We did NO practice runs, but just the exercises first and the first time i got the harness on, he went outside and got to have fun and get rewarded.
I do think BCCs are a little less "nervous" or "jittery" than a lot of suns. I'm not sure how my Georgie would have taken to it right away. She would have required more training i'm pretty sure.
I am not crazy about the flight suit method. I bought one of them too. Gilbert doesn't like it at all. The aviator, once it's on, becomes almost "invisible" to the bird.
One trick is to get the bird on a surface it is easy for him to balance himself (Gilbert hates putting the harness on if he is perched. He likes to stand on the counter, a flat surface, and he squats for balance). And open the harness buckle to the maximum, as far as it opens, to slide the maximum amount of slack so the wing goes in easily, then pull that slack to the other side and get that wing in, and gently tighten down.
I know, easier said than done if the bird is scared. But i think once the bird "gets it" and makes the connection, it gets easier. Gil wears his pretty much each day and it goes on in seconds now.
Your bird may just need to move VERY VERY slowly. My sun was even very cautious around a new toy and would really shy away from anything new coming near her.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I had a good experience with the aviator and i started on my bird at 8 months old. We were doing the exercises with wing out, count to three, release, "good bird"....the other wing up, one two three, "good bird" and i would put my hand over his head and cover his eyes, "good bird". He fussed a little the first time i pulled it off his head, but he so enjoyed going outside. We did NO practice runs, but just the exercises first and the first time i got the harness on, he went outside and got to have fun and get rewarded.
I do think BCCs are a little less "nervous" or "jittery" than a lot of suns. I'm not sure how my Georgie would have taken to it right away. She would have required more training i'm pretty sure.
I am not crazy about the flight suit method. I bought one of them too. Gilbert doesn't like it at all. The aviator, once it's on, becomes almost "invisible" to the bird.
One trick is to get the bird on a surface it is easy for him to balance himself (Gilbert hates putting the harness on if he is perched. He likes to stand on the counter, a flat surface, and he squats for balance). And open the harness buckle to the maximum, as far as it opens, to slide the maximum amount of slack so the wing goes in easily, then pull that slack to the other side and get that wing in, and gently tighten down.
I know, easier said than done if the bird is scared. But i think once the bird "gets it" and makes the connection, it gets easier. Gil wears his pretty much each day and it goes on in seconds now.
Your bird may just need to move VERY VERY slowly. My sun was even very cautious around a new toy and would really shy away from anything new coming near her.

Thanks for the tips. I'm so glad it works out good for you. I love the lightweight aspect of the harness. I tried the flat surface, once I got it on her she instantly recoiled, rolling around biting it to get it off, and getting tangled in the tether part. The 3 of us, me, my husband and Rio, tried to get her upright, we got bit. I had to towel her just to cut it off of her. I cut once realized it wasn't coming off, cut twice, darn! Had to cut 3 times. I was in a pool of sweat, and my husband was bleeding by the time we were done.

I love seeing the pictures of the birds with their harnesses on. I love the freedom it gives and the pleasure it brings to both the handler and the bird. I would take her with me more, if I could get her into one, and she accepted it.

 

[ShellyBorg]

I emailed her my breed and with in a hour she mailed me back with the size to order.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I emailed her my breed and with in a hour she mailed me back with the size to order.

Shelly,

How does your harness attach, and does the leash detach from it, so rio could wear it without the leash attached to get used to it?

Can you take a picture of it so I can see what it looks like off the bird?

 

[ShellyBorg]

Sure can you pm me a email I can send it to so I can send it from my phone?