Steph
Weaned Todd
Joined: April 2005
Posts: 51
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Post by Steph on May 5, 2005 5:48:05 GMT -7
Hello everyone,
Got questions about Silver as usual!!
I have been spending loads of time with Silver recently. As soon as I get in from work she comes out of her cage and follows me round the house while I do dinner etc.
My problem is getting her back in her cage when my hubby is not in. She won't step up for me yet. I have been using the left hand technique with a small cushion to get her back up til now.
My problem is that I think this may be making her worse. She really attcks that pillow and doesn't want to let go.
I have tried using other objects to distract her, so she doesn't take chunks out of my hand, but she just backs off or flies away.
Any suggestions?
I am also putting my hand up to her everyday and saying 'up' but she either puts her head down, completely ignores me, or goes to bite me so far!!
Thank you all sooo much!!
Steph
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Post by mannie on May 5, 2005 6:29:19 GMT -7
To get Jack off the top of his cage we have to use a perch that we leave out of the cage, otherwise he will not come down.
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Post by Jane on May 5, 2005 6:29:50 GMT -7
Is there a treat that she particularly likes. Once you have got her in using the left hand technique offer her the treat.
Mitzi will step up and is very obedient but sometimes she doesn't want to go back in the cage. She will cling on to my hand and refuse to get off until I utter the words: "if you go in you can have a biscuit". Then she is in like a shot, totally fickle!
Jane
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Steph
Weaned Todd
Joined: April 2005
Posts: 51
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Post by Steph on May 5, 2005 7:28:03 GMT -7
yes she does love biscuits. Cookies and kit kats are her favourite - a treat the previous owner gave her everyday!
Should I hold the cookie in my left hand and tell her to step up, or use something else and give her the cookie if she does it?
She always climbs up on to the cushion, but I end up trying to pry her off!!
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Post by Jane on May 5, 2005 15:41:27 GMT -7
You could hold the biscuit (cookie) in your hand and tell her to step up, or you could use the biscuit in order to get her off the cushion. The biscuit is the reward. Don't give her Kit Kats though as chocolate is bad for them.
Jane
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chez
Just Hatched
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6
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Post by chez on May 10, 2005 15:52:50 GMT -7
You could try getting her out on the stick or perch if you dont already, as she will then associate the perch as a positive thing and not the thing which means she has to go back in her cage. to get her used to stepping up with you, you could also try to get her to step up from her cage then step up back on to her cage, then do a few repititions of this to show her you or the stick is not scary. Hope this helps, good luck. Chez x
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Preston
Super Talker
NEED HELP? WE WILL ANSWER AS FAST AS WE CAN (Note: Preston passed away in 2012. We hold his memories dearly, he was a great person and super moderator.)
Sisika and Pete
Joined: January 2005
Posts: 5,912
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Post by Preston on May 10, 2005 21:00:12 GMT -7
As Jane says, absolutly no chocolate. What I did was to attach a piece of grating to the side of his cage so he could climb back home himself.
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Post by lidiam on May 11, 2005 0:18:47 GMT -7
Mitzi will step up and is very obedient but sometimes she doesn't want to go back in the cage. She will cling on to my hand and refuse to get off until I utter the words: "if you go in you can have a biscuit".Jane Amazing creatures, aren't they? In the morning after we've breakfasted together, I have to give Joshua a piece of buttered toast or he will do the same thing and cling to my hand, usually upside down or sideways. If I don't follow the breakfast and toast routine absolutely, he will not settle. But if I do everything normally, he's an angel. I like the fact that you have a voice command that works, and I may start using one when I go home to see if that will also work. On that subject, once I've given Joshua a treat, if I ask him if it's good, he says "mmmm" and nods his head. I can't remember how this started, but it's routine now and, in fact, he waits until I ask him before he starts eating! So, is Mitzi fickle? I think not, she is just training you! Lidia  |
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Steph
Weaned Todd
Joined: April 2005
Posts: 51
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Post by Steph on May 11, 2005 5:12:53 GMT -7
Thanks everyone!
I have been using the cushion to pick her up (she climbs on to the cushion). I put the cushion in her cage and say 'down' and since I've been holding a biscuit in my other hand it has worked everyday!
My next problem is that I tried to pick her up without the cushion yesterday. She was on the banister at the top of the stairs. I chatted to her for a while then put out my finger and said 'up'. She stepped up on to my finger - lovely...then she turned her head and bit my hand so hard and wouldn't let go.
I did really well to start with - I just held my hand still and said 'no'. She then let go and turned to bite again. With the second bite I lost my bottle and dropped my hand to make her let go. She flew off and knew she'd done wrong. My hubby just quietly put her back in her cage.
My hand went purple and swelled up and today I have a lovely beak shaped scab.
I am cross with myself because I reckon if I had let her bite me and not given a reaction I may have won the battle. Now I just feel more nervous of trying to hold her!
What do you think?
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Post by Jane on May 11, 2005 6:43:59 GMT -7
I think you will have to go back to using the cushion and treat technique as you have had success with that. She will know if you are nervous.
It is very difficult not to react when they bite hard like that.
Mitzi has bitten me hard twice in the past, both times when I had the temerity to have her on one hand while holding the phone in the other and she hates me being on the phone. (The best advice for a bad bite is to put a bag of frozen vegetables on the injury straightaway as this helps to reduce the bruising.)
Jane
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Steph
Weaned Todd
Joined: April 2005
Posts: 51
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Post by Steph on May 12, 2005 5:00:34 GMT -7
Yea I think you're right Jane. Thanks for all the advise. I am just impatient and want to be able to pick her up and tickle her. Because she steps up like a good birdie, then turns to bite - I can't read her body language quick enough to distract her. I'm sure she must think I'm a right idiot!!
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Steph
Weaned Todd
Joined: April 2005
Posts: 51
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Post by Steph on May 12, 2005 5:03:14 GMT -7
By the way - I know what you mean about the birds hating you being on the phone - Evertyime I'm chatting to someone Silver tries to chew the phone and reapeats 'alright then, byeee!!!' until I hang up!!!
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Post by Africanewbie on May 13, 2005 5:17:26 GMT -7
Hello Steph,
Are you silver's "mummy"?
Okay don't answer that....LOL.....just teasing....ta..ta ;D
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