Lolashuman0574
New member
- Nov 24, 2021
- 2
- 6
- Parrots
- Macaw
Lola is a rescue and she is very sweet and loving. I have no history on her except that except that she's been living with a wonderful couple for the last 2 years that had rescued her from a chain smoking asthmatic. The lady that rescued her already had a macaw and there was a power struggle with the her current macaw and she got bit and was afraid of getting bitten again so hadn't really handled Lola. Lola craves attention. She has been on me since I brought her home 3 weeks ago. She is finally choosing to spend time on her perch as long as it's next to me and likes to be on the floor playing with things, which isn't so much a problem when we're home alone, but a problem when everyone is home.
My biggest concern right now is getting her to step up when I need her to and being moved when I need to move her. She steps up wonderfully when she wants to step up, but if she doesn't want to, she's nippy and certainly has some issues with her belly being touched. I'm getting the feeling that she was forced with pressure.
I've tried approaching her with touch training, but the stick just makes her more aggressive and the clicker scares her. I can get her to walk down my arm to my hand with a treat, holding it out and saying hand. Of course, this only works when she's hungry and wanting the treats.
I'm not getting the feeling that it's a fear of hands per se, lack of training, or she just doesn't trust me enough yet. She lets me scratch her head, her cheeks, under her wings. She will hook my hand with her beak and shake it playfully and she doesn't mind me grabbing her beak in play so I don't think it's fear of hands.
I just don't know how to go about training her successfully. When I hold the treat, position my other hand for step up and try to get her to step up for the treat, she usually just gets nippy because I'm not giving her the treat or acts like I'm teasing her with the treat.
It's my intention for her to be my emotional support animal and she loves going out with me, but I need to get control, be the boss, be able to pick her up off the floor or have her step up when I need her too and certainly be able to get her to step up off my shoulder when it's time for her to do so.
Any help or suggestions would be so gratefully appreciated.
My biggest concern right now is getting her to step up when I need her to and being moved when I need to move her. She steps up wonderfully when she wants to step up, but if she doesn't want to, she's nippy and certainly has some issues with her belly being touched. I'm getting the feeling that she was forced with pressure.
I've tried approaching her with touch training, but the stick just makes her more aggressive and the clicker scares her. I can get her to walk down my arm to my hand with a treat, holding it out and saying hand. Of course, this only works when she's hungry and wanting the treats.
I'm not getting the feeling that it's a fear of hands per se, lack of training, or she just doesn't trust me enough yet. She lets me scratch her head, her cheeks, under her wings. She will hook my hand with her beak and shake it playfully and she doesn't mind me grabbing her beak in play so I don't think it's fear of hands.
I just don't know how to go about training her successfully. When I hold the treat, position my other hand for step up and try to get her to step up for the treat, she usually just gets nippy because I'm not giving her the treat or acts like I'm teasing her with the treat.
It's my intention for her to be my emotional support animal and she loves going out with me, but I need to get control, be the boss, be able to pick her up off the floor or have her step up when I need her too and certainly be able to get her to step up off my shoulder when it's time for her to do so.
Any help or suggestions would be so gratefully appreciated.