How to return to cage without biting

[HeatherG]

I had Jasper (Meyers) out for a little while around noon today, but had an appointment at 1 and needed to return him to the cage. I tried a few times to move my hand into the cage and asked him to “step up” onto a perch. Jasper declined to step up a few times.

I wasn’t sure what to do because I needed to leave the apartment. I tried to step him up onto his cage door (drawbridge style) by pressing it against his tummy. Jasper turned his head around and bit me on the thumb. I quickly picked him up, put him on the door, and shut the door.

“What could I have done to not get bitten?” was my thought for the next hour. Someone who has owned a number of poicephalus just wrote about Poi needing lots of fat in their diet, so I decided to get some high fat nut treats. I smashed three Brazil nuts into smallish pieces, thinking that next time this happens, I can bribe Jasper to go back in his cage with Brazil nut placed in his food dish.

Jasper came out this afternoon, but he stepped up easily onto a perch when we were ‘done’. I still told him what a good boy he was and quickly put a piece of nut in his food dish.

What’s the best way to get Jasper back in his cage when I need to go and he won’t step up onto a perch? Is the Brazil nut lure/reward the best way?

 

[chris-md]

Yes. That’s precisely the way to do it. To get over this hump, Jasper should learn that going into cage is a treat bonanza! If he makes that positive association, he’ll be all to happy to go in by himself eventually without treats.

 

[HeatherG]

Ok. Well, we’ve been increasing our ‘trust capital’ by telling both birds what good birds they are if they’re playing fairly quietly and giving small treats during the day. And I have treats stashed by Willow’s cage and now by Jasper’s cage so I can get jasper a treat without stepping away from the scene of the action.

I hate having to do things they don’t like, like putting back in the cage when bird isn’t ‘done’ or grooming nails/clipping wings. Wings must be clipped soon as both birds are largely done molting and I don’t want anyone flying into the soup pot or frying pan. (My kitchen area is right off living room area where birds live.) I will clip quickly and calmly (be prepared!) and then reassure/ praise.

 

[Ledagcc]

You can train him to target training. With this way he will follow the stick and get him into his cage.

 

[HeatherG]

You can train him to target training. With this way he will follow the stick and get him into his cage.

I’m considering that option as I wonder if teaching Jasper some tricks would give him a way to work off his extra energy without biting me. My concern there is that he might start biting me when he sees the targeting dowel.

We had a longer “out” and petting/ scritches time today so I feel like things are moving in a positive direction.