Training Issue

[Doves1]

Ok so I don't think this question has been posted before, if it has forgive me and can you point me to the thread?

Well here is my problem, my Scarlet Macaw, Phoenix is 7 months old so we're still in the training stages of life (not that I expect that stage to end ) and I want to train him to stay off my Bearded Dragon's tank for his own safety. It won't really hurt him to land on it but if he stays on top for too long his feet could get awful warm and it's completely mesh on the top so I don't want him tearing the mesh with his talons or beak.

So my question is how do you guys train your birds not to go somewhere? Right now when he lands on it I chase him off and tell him no with a tap to the beak, just like I trained him not to bite.

Any suggestions?

 

[LoryLover]

The only thing I can think of is just to keep telling him no when he lands there. If the tank holds too great of an interest for him, you may have to relocate the tank. My lory just loves going into closets to explore and no amount of telling her "no, don't go there" will work. She loves it too much, so we just have to keep the closet doors shut when she's out and about.

 

[Doves1]

Thank you LoryLover! I figure I'll just have to keep after him because I can't relocate the tank.

 

[antoinette]

If there is some where I do not want Mishka to go near, I place an object he does not like, therefore he stays away...... worth a try

For example, there is a toy doggie he dislikes, when he is walking freely in the lounge and kitchen, I place the toy doggie near the fridge (his favourite chewing object) he never goes near the fridge now.

 

[newtobirds]

I have to put baseball caps on top of a my Jardine's cage to keep my Meyers from flying to it.

Works like a charm!

 

[LoryLover]

That's a really good idea of placing something there that the parrot doesn't like. For some reason, my lory is super leary of a fly smacker and a yard stick. We've never threatened her with either, but maybe she saw us use the fly smacker on flies, lol. The yard stick probably reminds her of a broom handle, years ago when I used a broom in the house, she always let out a shriek when she saw it and flew out of the room.

 

[MikeyTN]

Like antoinette and newtobirds suggest, placing something he doesn't like on there will help! Unless he's like my Java, he treats everything like a toy, doesn't matter what it is, he may be afraid of it at first but he will investigate it and then it's his....lol....

 

[Doves1]

LOL well so far I haven't found anything Phoenix is afraid of or doesn't like to be around. The broom handle was shaky at first but that's because he previous owners used to beat him with it. Now that I've shown it's not going to hurt him any more he doesn't care

I'll keep my eyes open for things he doesn't like though

 

[MonicaMc]

Train him to station, or in other words, to stay in one spot.

Train him to fly to a spot and station... i.e. a perch, a cage, a gym, a chair, etc.


You need to teach him what each location is, so if he flies somewhere where you don't want him to, you can cue him to fly to an acceptable location.