Just Can't Tame Him

[Akula00]

Hello everyone.

I have been the owner of my green IRN Chief for about 6 months now and I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm finding him impossible to tame in any way.

If I try target training, he flees the stick, if I feed him treats, he snatches them and runs off to his corner; he used to put one foot on my hand to take them but not anymore. If I place my hand in his cage he starts to flap and fly so violently he pants and it becomes dangerous to continue.

I have received many tips, but I think I need to be in constant contact with an experienced IRN tamer. If anyone can offer even more help, or is willing to communicate on a daily basis, don't hesitate to comment

 

[Cottonoid]

Hopefully you'll find a training buddy to chat with! Ringnecks can be sooooooo slow to trust!

I think my ARN is going to take a long time, also. So far I've gotten up to being able to walk up to the cage and drop a treat in a little metal bowl I have attached inside the door. And that's it Anything closer and he hops away.

The owner of the parrot store I go to has had birds for decades, and he said that he's heard lots of stories of parrots that are fearful for a year or longer and then suddenly decide we're ok. There's always hope if we keep loving them and working at it

 

[wrench13]

I;ve read multiple stories like yours, all with Ringnecks. They are noted for going very quickly back to an almost wild state, if there is not human interaction on a constant basis. And all parrots can exhibit what we like to call stubbornness, but which is really just a survival instinct. So the advice is - stick with him, make the effort every day to interact with him in a positive manner; the bridge will be crossed one day, when his little birdy mind says to him "This is not a threat".

 

[ctwo]

I can tell you my experience, which is limited, and mine came bonded to a cockatiel, with whom I've made even less progress than with my IRN, but my IRN was once already tame.

It took time. At 6 months he was still biting at the cage when I would come by.

The pandemic came and I worked from home for about two years. During that time, our relationship evolved substantially. I left the cage open for the entire time and every day the birds would come out and hang with me, on my monitor, chair back, shoulders, and crawling all around. I did not really engage in any training program. I did give lots of attention and always treats. I wanted every experience I had with them to provide some positive feeling in them.

I had to return to office work and that had a remarkable impact. Even though I would interact with the birds every day, they became less interested and finally the IRN returned to lunging at the bars. That was when we had short days and little time (I always let them "go to bed" with the sun). One day he seemed eager to come out and get on my shoulder, and he marched up my arm and attached my ear. I hadn't been bitten in over a year and the situation was discouraging.

The days are longer now and all that aggression has left, mostly. It's still in there, I know, but for now he's quite excited when I come home and get his fresh dinner ready. He likes to sit on my shoulder and watch me make it, and try a few samples along the way.

 

[Laurasea]

Pamela Clark , reasonable price for phone consultation

Pamela Clark, CPBC

I help caregivers with parrot behavior problems such as aggression, feather destructive behavior, screaming, parrot, training parrots, better diet.

pamelaclarkonline.com

 

[clark_conure]

MY PARROT GUY SAYS (sorry caps lock).......that it's like 8 or 9 months to train.....I'd give it a little bit more time. It's there they just need a little bit more time.