I have just started to retrain my umbrella cockatoo. He is 16 years old and has been stuck in his cage for over 10 years because of my career and lack of keeping up his training when he was young. My bad! I'm correcting that now as I am now disabled and mostly home now.
I just read 4+ books on training parrots. I started to train him a few days ago. Using positive reinforcement, through the cage. Since he's been catching on so quickly, Today, I decided to stick my hand into his cage to try to start working towards stepping up. I wasn't expecting much... just tried to get him to touch my hand with his beak, then maybe his foot. Well, he did that after a few tries! Then, to my surprise, he stepped up, with both feet! Well, that really started off my day off right!
I realize that once I am able to take him out of the cage, it will be much different. I am trying to figure out whether to have his wings clipped, (I know that's a touchy subject here), or not. I have high ceilings, with a glass window that I can't reach to cover. However, he never flew for the first few years of his life, when I had him out of his cage a lot. I was told by a lady who has had a bird shop for at least 16 years that some birds don't know how to fly(?) I am trying to find out if that's possible? I thought flight was an instinctive thing for birds? Also wondering if I put my thumb over his toes for a while, until I can figure out if he'll fly into the windows and hurt himself. I know that that will probably get me bitten, but I would rather get bitten than risk him getting hurt.
Dahlia
I just read 4+ books on training parrots. I started to train him a few days ago. Using positive reinforcement, through the cage. Since he's been catching on so quickly, Today, I decided to stick my hand into his cage to try to start working towards stepping up. I wasn't expecting much... just tried to get him to touch my hand with his beak, then maybe his foot. Well, he did that after a few tries! Then, to my surprise, he stepped up, with both feet! Well, that really started off my day off right!
I realize that once I am able to take him out of the cage, it will be much different. I am trying to figure out whether to have his wings clipped, (I know that's a touchy subject here), or not. I have high ceilings, with a glass window that I can't reach to cover. However, he never flew for the first few years of his life, when I had him out of his cage a lot. I was told by a lady who has had a bird shop for at least 16 years that some birds don't know how to fly(?) I am trying to find out if that's possible? I thought flight was an instinctive thing for birds? Also wondering if I put my thumb over his toes for a while, until I can figure out if he'll fly into the windows and hurt himself. I know that that will probably get me bitten, but I would rather get bitten than risk him getting hurt.
Dahlia