Head training... D:

[IndySE]

Hello all, long time no speak !

I went out for 5 days on a roadtrip and left my beautiful clipped GCC Kermit under the care of my mother. When I returned he was a sweet baby (APPARENTLY he'd been very nippy the last few days I was gone, but he was acting so innocent to that fact) and cuddled him for a good hour before putting him to bed for the night.

Come next morning and I'd forgotten he has a problem with climbing on heads... >w> He used to bite ears too, but just consistent correction and distraction appeared to be enough so long as you don't have a shiny earring in. Well today when we were hanging out he got in my hair and got himself tangled on a strand of my hair that put him in such a terror. The way he was squawking, you'd think he was being seriously hurt. It was so hard to untangle him with his fear-bites and I felt just awful as soon as I freed him... even though he went back to being such a sweet baby I still put him back in the cage to chill.

I know I need to step up my game on teaching him 'you cannot climb on heads'. My philosophy for training has been rather lax, I'm afraid, so I'm going to need some new tools. Trick training (real simple stuff like step-up, even tried teaching him 'fetch' before I left with tiny plastic rings which was amusing to the both of us even if he didn't quite put it together yet), distraction with a toy, etc have all helped in the past and I will continue to do that. I can be inconsistent with what I feel like teaching him so I will be trying to improve that... but in the meantime do you guys have any tips?

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome back.
Before the COMPETENT bird owners answer your question, I'll just confess that I threw in the towel ages ago. My bird gets on my head when he pleases and gets off when he pleases.
Nowhere to go now but up. Pun intended.

 

[MonicaMc]

Station training him and teaching him to remain where you put him!

 

[IndySE]

@GaleriaGila Naughty Rickeybird XP I've come close to throwing in the towel and Kermit gets to be on my head for longer and longer... I think he's training me more than the other way around. But I have long hair and since hair doesn't break easy, he gets tangled and it's becoming increasingly a hazard :C I have been considering a nice hair-chop though... not just for the bird, but the bird would surely benefit from it XD

@MonicaMc That's a good suggestion! I don't have many bird-safe surfaces/perches yet beyond his cage, but this is more reason to construct at the very least a nice playstand for him. Thanks

 

[GaleriaGila]

My hair is below-shoulder-length usually... a necessary protection againsst ear abuse.
He's fully flighted, too, so...
*********sigh*********

 

[Notdumasilook]

Im far from competent myself... but I did sleep in a holiday inn once. My lil Booger loves to sit on my wife's head... AND pluck hairs out. Solution?? Got her a ball cap to wear when Booger is out... which is a lot. No biggie. Instinct makes em feel safer sometimes up high so instead of working against it we made the simple adjustment. When Booger is on me its my knee or shoulder.. hah I don't have enuff hair up top for his liking.

 

[CherylCali]

As Notasdumbasilook said, the only thing I can do is wear a scarf or bandana around my head. She could still climb on it but for some reason it just takes away the desire. Also, it's only my head that she wants to sit on. However in the past with a naughty bird I had, he could have cared less what was on my head, he would have just fought it for territory. Lol.

CherylCali

 

[Piasa]

I never did any real training to keep them off my head. My guys are flighted and the head is the easiest place to land. That's okay. I just remove them, and have them sit where I want them to (my hand, shoulder, or bird tree). They've stopped caring so much about being on the head. Jimmy, who is the better pilot, now also will land on my shoulder instead of my head.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Y'all make me feel so NORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRMAL!

 

[MonicaMc]

You can station train inside the cage, on the cage, on your hand, on your shoulder, on a chair, or anywhere else. In fact, the more places you train, the better!