mypetmeatball
New member
- Oct 16, 2015
- 5
- 0
Hello parrot community,
My girlfriend moved in with me last month and, as a result, I have acquired an Orange Winged Amazon as a pet. We live in a studio apartment and my girlfriend works very long hours, so I have a lot of alone time with the bird. I've never envisioned owning a parrot so I have been trying to do research on how to get a parrot to bond with you (target training, patience, etc).
This parrot is not socialized in the sense that it does not gets along with other people (not my girlfriend), which to my recent understanding is normal because parrots have strong pair bonding. But I do want to have an affable relationship with him, so I've been patiently just doing regular things to build trust. What I've done so far is:
A) I always open the cage door when I'm home alone to give the parrot the ability to leave. As I said before, my girlfriend works a lot and has not given the bird very much attention for years. Previously, the bird lived with her parents, who had a borderline antagonistic relationship with the bird. Thus the sense that this will be a long and difficult process. I try to just keep the door open and stay in sight, doing normal activiites.
B) Occasionally I will try to talk to the parrot while he's in his cage in a relaxed, moderate voice. I read somewhere not to make eye contact because it can be perceived as threatening, so I stare off into space and talk about nonsense. it's pretty awkward but hopefully it's doing something. I'll sing occasionally too.
C) I once tried to handfeed the parrot through the cage a piece of bread. He was very trepid, but I held it there calmly for a few minute. Eventually he pecked at it but decided it wasn't for him. Not sure if it was lack of trust or he just didn't like the bread. I am considering trying again with a different food in the future.
As you can see, I've been taking it very slowly. Any other tips or pointers would be greatly appreciated. I've done a few hours of reading but it's probably hardly a dent into what I have to actually know to be successful. I've owned dogs my entire life and love training, and was extremely successful with obedience. My goal is to get to the point of target training one day.
Thanks in advance!
Edit: I'd like to add that the bird has only left the cage voluntarily once this month, and that was when my girlfriend was here. He has not left with just me.
My girlfriend moved in with me last month and, as a result, I have acquired an Orange Winged Amazon as a pet. We live in a studio apartment and my girlfriend works very long hours, so I have a lot of alone time with the bird. I've never envisioned owning a parrot so I have been trying to do research on how to get a parrot to bond with you (target training, patience, etc).
This parrot is not socialized in the sense that it does not gets along with other people (not my girlfriend), which to my recent understanding is normal because parrots have strong pair bonding. But I do want to have an affable relationship with him, so I've been patiently just doing regular things to build trust. What I've done so far is:
A) I always open the cage door when I'm home alone to give the parrot the ability to leave. As I said before, my girlfriend works a lot and has not given the bird very much attention for years. Previously, the bird lived with her parents, who had a borderline antagonistic relationship with the bird. Thus the sense that this will be a long and difficult process. I try to just keep the door open and stay in sight, doing normal activiites.
B) Occasionally I will try to talk to the parrot while he's in his cage in a relaxed, moderate voice. I read somewhere not to make eye contact because it can be perceived as threatening, so I stare off into space and talk about nonsense. it's pretty awkward but hopefully it's doing something. I'll sing occasionally too.
C) I once tried to handfeed the parrot through the cage a piece of bread. He was very trepid, but I held it there calmly for a few minute. Eventually he pecked at it but decided it wasn't for him. Not sure if it was lack of trust or he just didn't like the bread. I am considering trying again with a different food in the future.
As you can see, I've been taking it very slowly. Any other tips or pointers would be greatly appreciated. I've done a few hours of reading but it's probably hardly a dent into what I have to actually know to be successful. I've owned dogs my entire life and love training, and was extremely successful with obedience. My goal is to get to the point of target training one day.
Thanks in advance!
Edit: I'd like to add that the bird has only left the cage voluntarily once this month, and that was when my girlfriend was here. He has not left with just me.
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