What to do if they refuse to cooperate?

[Doris48]

Paco was a bit of a brat tonight.He flew on my hubbys shoulder when he was working on the tv and bit me when I tried to get him off(more of a nip).
So hubby had to go over to his cage and let him climb off his shoulder but he promptly flew back(making hubby mad)..So back to the cage and then hubby tried to get him to go in the cage and Paco bit the crap out of him and would NOT go in his cage.I had to kind of shoo him in with a hand towel.I told him he was naughty and now hes up for the night.
In fact the conure was being unmanageable tonight too so everyone is put up early tonight(she kept humping my hand and would not let go)..

Now Ive been having trouble putting Paco up almost every night.He wont step up because he knows its bedtime.He is afraid of a stick so thats not an option. He wont take treats so no tempting him. ITs hard to train an animal without any tools to use as motivation(food, toys, whatever)
Ive been shooing him in every night, by using the blanket I cover his cage with.There has to be a better way..

Thanks everyone for all the help.I know eventually I'll get things straight.I did get my Parrots for Dummies book in the mail today so that should help.

 

[Pedro]

I think you have to make a stand & show your babies just who is in authority in your house & they don't wear feathers. LOL.

Could be spring where you live.

I think a bit of tough love & I also think that maybe they be put to bed earlier. The longer daylight is stimulating hormones & breeding activities.

 

[lizardsmells]

Can you create a nice bedtime ritual? Kazi hated bed time when he first came here. He was clearly tired, but would bite me or fight me putting him in his cage so now we have a bedtime ritual. He comes over to me for cuddles about 30-60 minutes before he's ready for bed and I tell him what a good/sweet/funny/smart/handsome boy he is and he snoozes and gets head scratches and sometimes says cute things. Then when I see the head go back under the wing I know he'll be asleep soon. After he starts to really doze I'll gently wake him up and ask him if he wants one of two of his favorite treats that he only gets at bedtime. We go get his treat and I talk about how good this treat is going to be and how we have to go "in here" so we can eat it. I make a big, but kind of quiet deal about it all and he willingly goes in his cage now and makes his little Beavis noises of happiness. I tell him "nite nite!", turn off the light and close the door.

So far this has worked really well for us, so I wonder if you could redirect his attention into something nice to look forward to or something to look forward to.

And also, I know Kazi wants to go to bed between 6:30 and 7:00 most evenings. Sometimes he stays up a lot later. When I'm video chatting with my friends he likes to stay up late and hang out with us, but I know he normally gets tired around 7 and I let him stay up until he starts showing me he's sleepy. So the fact that he's about to get a special treat and get to go sleep in his 'bed' may make him all the more tractable, I don't know.

And I don't want to start a war or anything, but can you clip him so he has to either stay or really work out how to get down? That might help too, but I know some people are sensitive about it.

 

[henpecked]

Well i'm gonna throw in my 2 cents worth. When he demand attention,give it to him,just give him alittle more than what he wants. When Jake wants to play ,i play a little rougher than she wants, or a give her more of whatever she wants ,than she wants.If your trying to do something and the bird wants attention,stop what your doing and give them a little "overload". Let the bird fall asleep on your shoulder,but ever time he dozes off, wake him up. Pretty soon he'll get tired of be disturbed and look for a safe (dark) spot ,like his cage to sleep undisturbed. If my birds want to roost somewhere other than where i want them, i use lights,noise, whatever to change their minds for them.The secret is to let them decide to do what you want, you just need to furnish the right environment.

 

[roxynoodle]

The bed time ritual might be a good idea. That is what worked for Rowdy. She never wanted to go to bed when she was younger and would try anything to stay up a little longer.

Now when she wants to go to bed, she says, "Ok". Then I cover her and we both say, "Kiss", make kissing sounds and kiss through the bars. Every once in awhile we both throw in, "You're a good girl, I love you". This goes on for a few minutes. Then finally I say, "Ok, Rowdy, I'll see you in the morning." and we both say, "Goodnight."

 

[lizardsmells]

The bed time ritual might be a good idea. That is what worked for Rowdy. She never wanted to go to bed when she was younger and would try anything to stay up a little longer.

Now when she wants to go to bed, she says, "Ok". Then I cover her and we both say, "Kiss", make kissing sounds and kiss through the bars. Every once in awhile we both through in, "You're a good girl, I love you". This goes on for a few minutes. Then finally I say, "Ok, Rowdy, I'll see you in the morning." and we both say, "Goodnight."

That's the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life, Roxy. I am dying over here. How adorable!

 

[Echo]

These are great suggestions. Something to take in consideration as well is that yesterday was a full moon!

 

[roxynoodle]

The bed time ritual might be a good idea. That is what worked for Rowdy. She never wanted to go to bed when she was younger and would try anything to stay up a little longer.

Now when she wants to go to bed, she says, "Ok". Then I cover her and we both say, "Kiss", make kissing sounds and kiss through the bars. Every once in awhile we both through in, "You're a good girl, I love you". This goes on for a few minutes. Then finally I say, "Ok, Rowdy, I'll see you in the morning." and we both say, "Goodnight."

That's the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life, Roxy. I am dying over here. How adorable!

It's actually become one of her favorite parts to her day. Admittedly it takes 5 minutes or more each night to get her to bed, and I still have the other 2 birds to cover, but she loves it.

The "Ok" was just a funny thing that happened. She was always fighting me about going to bed, and one night, I just asked, "Are you ready for bed?" She looked at me and then said, "Ok." I hadn't even known before that that she knew that word. So ever since then, "ok" means I want to be covered/uncovered, lol!

 

[Doris48]

So How do you actually get the bird into the cage though.I like the idea of a ritual.I usually do the same things with Twitter.But Paco first off isnt comfortable enough yet to fall asleep on me or near me except on top his cage.
Also I have no idea how to "Play" with Paco.He doesnt play and I dont think he's going to let me tickle him and such.
Basically the problem is if he is on his cage and he knows Im putting him up he is not going to cooperate..Its not the biggest problem, but still Im starting to dread putting him up at night and I dont want to stand around waiting until he think he's ready.He would much rather sleep all night on top his cage then in his cage..

 

[oled]

Henpecked: lol "The secret is to let them decide to do what you want" thats ecacly the way my wife is working with me lol

 

[roxynoodle]

Does he go into the cage to eat? If so I think I'd put him in for the night when he eats his dinner. You don't have to cover him right then, but keep him in from that point on at least until he learns to step up every time you ask. And if he likes the bedtime routine, maybe starting with the things you say before you put him in will help him become more cooperative down the line.

Pete has started to play with me when he's out. Now everything I pick up when he's sitting on me, he wants. Right now it's my bottle of eye drops. Funny how he will be afraid of a little piece of colored wood, but he wants that bottle! He took it again yesterday, and after I got it back he was trying everything on earth to get it from me again.

 

[lizardsmells]

So How do you actually get the bird into the cage though.I like the idea of a ritual.I usually do the same things with Twitter.But Paco first off isnt comfortable enough yet to fall asleep on me or near me except on top his cage.
Also I have no idea how to "Play" with Paco.He doesnt play and I dont think he's going to let me tickle him and such.
Basically the problem is if he is on his cage and he knows Im putting him up he is not going to cooperate..Its not the biggest problem, but still Im starting to dread putting him up at night and I dont want to stand around waiting until he think he's ready.He would much rather sleep all night on top his cage then in his cage..

The playing part I think I can really help with because Kazi had no idea how to play when he came here. So I started playing "Gonna get your toes!" to break the ice. I'd run my hand toward him, tap a toe lightly with a finger and say "getcher toes!" and then laugh like I was having the best time. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind the first several times I did this, but eventually he got into it too and now he'll break out all playful and start wrestling with my hand (or his own leg, which just cracks me up).

We also play games. One is called "Let's fly!" and I put him on a stick or his t-stand and move it up and down way over my head and slowly but fast enough to keep it exciting while yelling "Whoo hoo! we're flying kazibird! We're flying! Whoooooooo up and down! Whee!" and we go around the house like this. He LOVES this game and has the best time. I ask him, "Wanna go fly?" and he practically leaps to the t-stand.

The other game we play is "upside down bird" where I'll look at him (only if he's in a good mood) and go, "Upside down bird!" and flip my hand over so he's hanging off of it upside down, I hold him there for a few seconds and then flip him rightside up.

If those are too scary or too much for him yet you can try quieter games like 'tour guide' (take him around to rooms he's not usually in and talk about everything in the room. Tell him all about it, point things out, etc) or put him in a travel cage and let him come with you when you run errands. Kazi does this when the weather will allow it and it's amazing how just riding around in a car for a couple of hours will calm him down for the rest of the afternoon. That way if nothing else maybe you can help him work off some of that energy by showing him new stuff.

After every game he gets told what a good boy he is and how smart he is and wasn't that fun? It's taken work, but he's starting to loosen up and play with toys more which is fantastic because for the longest time he only had a few toys he was interested in and then only for a very short while.

I think the biggest lesson I've learned from having Kazi is that the best way to get them to do what you want is to remain upbeat and guide them there rather than force them. Parrots like choice so sometimes it pays to figure out what you can offer alongside what you want him to do. You want him to go in his cage, for instance, but he'd rather stay out so you could offer him a choice - you can stay out on top of your cage where there's no toys/treats/whatever he loves or you can go inside your cage where there are wonderful toys/treats/whatever he loves. I use this sometimes when I have to leave Kazi for several hours and he has to be caged. He knows what it means when I'm getting ready and I don't say "We're going". He knows it means he'll have to stay here and he hates that so much. So I have to trick him regularly. I put him on his cage instead of in it but I put his favorite treat in his dish so while running around on top of his cage not being put in it against his will is fun and all, there's something more fun inside. He gets in his cage, I don't get bit, everyone's happy.

Basically, you have to learn to be smarter than them. It's hard, too, because I'm barely there and I get the feeling he might outscore me on an IQ test if we went head to head.

 

[lizardsmells]

Henpecked: lol "The secret is to let them decide to do what you want" thats ecacly the way my wife is working with me lol

That's also the same advice my mother gave me when I got married to my husband

 

[Doris48]

Wow lizardsmells how do you handle that big of a bird hanging off your hand upside down.Doesnt he puncture your skin with his claws hanging on??? Even my greencheek can grip pretty hard when she is doing gymnastics on my hand.

Ive done the tour guide routine, he does love that.He also loves looking out the back door especially if the chickens are out on the back porch.He watches them intently.

I think the suggestion to put him up at dinnertime when he is eating is the easiest for now.His food bowls are on one of the doors that swings outward.So he technically doesnt go in the cage to eat but I can swing the door shut if I sneak up.Otherwise he is smart enough to climb up quickly so I cant...He is pretty sly bird for having only been here few weeks. Im not sure Im bright enough to outsmart him(LOL)..

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, for the first time I had Pete refuse to cooperate. He was on my knee and playing with an empty eye drop bottle. He's been wanting that really bad so when I finished one today, I washed it and set it aside for him. I needed to get up and asked him to step up. He actually lunged at me. I said, "You can keep the bottle. Now STEP UP!" And he put it in his beak and did.

 

[lizardsmells]

Well, for the first time I had Pete refuse to cooperate. He was on my knee and playing with an empty eye drop bottle. He's been wanting that really bad so when I finished one today, I washed it and set it aside for him. I needed to get up and asked him to step up. He actually lunged at me. I said, "You can keep the bottle. Now STEP UP!" And he put it in his beak and did.

Isn't it funny how they can understand our meaning if not the words themselves sometimes? I do this with Kazi too. If I'm getting ready to leave the house and have him step up without telling him we're both going I get lunged at or beaked, but if I say, "You're going too, now come on," he steps right up and is just fine with it. Same thing with me putting him in his cage if I go get the mail and he can't come with me. If I tell him I'm going to be right back he's fine and will go right in, but if I forget I get a reminder.

 

[triordan]

i found out by mistake one night, when the electricity went out during a storm, that Remington will go in when the lights go out...works during in night if needed, during the day(if he's being a brat) i place his favorite treat in his food dish and tell him "time to go in" works 90% of the time and getting better as time goes on~

 

[lizardsmells]

Wow lizardsmells how do you handle that big of a bird hanging off your hand upside down.Doesnt he puncture your skin with his claws hanging on??? Even my greencheek can grip pretty hard when she is doing gymnastics on my hand.

Ive done the tour guide routine, he does love that.He also loves looking out the back door especially if the chickens are out on the back porch.He watches them intently.

I think the suggestion to put him up at dinnertime when he is eating is the easiest for now.His food bowls are on one of the doors that swings outward.So he technically doesnt go in the cage to eat but I can swing the door shut if I sneak up.Otherwise he is smart enough to climb up quickly so I cant...He is pretty sly bird for having only been here few weeks. Im not sure Im bright enough to outsmart him(LOL)..

Hahaha, I frequently think Kazi has way more brains than I do because he outsmarts me all the time.

His nails are trimmed/filed, but even so, now you know why he's only upside down for a few seconds! At the rescue they get trimmed as needed, but here since it's just me and I can't towel AND trim, I've been trying to get him used to the nail file. He hates it almost as much as he hates parsley. And that's a lot. But I've managed to get one nail filed so far. It just took me two days. At this rate by the time I get number 8 done the first one will be in need again. They're starting to get a point again now but we just got a pedi perch in for him, so hopefully that'll help.

 

[lene1949]

Wow lizardsmells how do you handle that big of a bird hanging off your hand upside down.Doesnt he puncture your skin with his claws hanging on??? Even my greencheek can grip pretty hard when she is doing gymnastics on my hand.

Ive done the tour guide routine, he does love that.He also loves looking out the back door especially if the chickens are out on the back porch.He watches them intently.

I think the suggestion to put him up at dinnertime when he is eating is the easiest for now.His food bowls are on one of the doors that swings outward.So he technically doesnt go in the cage to eat but I can swing the door shut if I sneak up.Otherwise he is smart enough to climb up quickly so I cant...He is pretty sly bird for having only been here few weeks. Im not sure Im bright enough to outsmart him(LOL)..

He might get too much out of cage time... I would also keep the food doors shut at all times.. If he has no chance to feed, while out of the cage, he's more likely to return to his cage, when hungry... So, when you put his dinner into his bowls, he should soon go inside to eat, and then you just shut the door.