How do you teach not to get on shoulder

[Chrissy and Flock]

Cassie likes to get on my shoulder and I would prefer she didn't. I usually have to lay back in a chair or the couch to get her down, sometimes she will climb down if I am sitting in a chair and she lays in my lap getting her head rubbed. She aint spoiled, least not much anyway. Hopefully I can teach Angel Baby right off not to do it. :susp:

[Evelyn]

Chrissy -

My "mentor" that I mentioned showed me one way to do it. The bird steps up on your hand. If he tries to walk up your arm to your shoulder, you stop him--either by putting you hand across your arm, or by giving him a treat and not letting him go further.

She also said you could "wobble" him--if he starts to climb up your arm, move your hand/arm enough so that he has to concentrate to keep his balance. Personally, I don't like that method. I think it would make the bird feel insecure and you're the cause.

Another suggestion was to "step ladder" the bird to get his mind off climing up your arm. You have him to step from one hand to the other, raising each hand a little bit for each step. I don't what I think about this. I do it with one of the birds because he likes it; but I don't know how effective it would be for teaching.

Evelyn

[Chrissy and Flock]

Cassie will climb up my shirt if she cant go up my arm, I will try the treat thing see if that will distract her.

[Evelyn]

Cassie will climb up my shirt if she cant go up my arm, I will try the treat thing see if that will distract her.


Maybe YOU should wear a collar for awhile. :jk: Then she couldn't get to your shoulder (if the collar is big enough) :)


Evelyn

[FoxersArtist]

Chrissy, I doubt this is what is happening with you but I want to share it anyway. Many nervous people tend to hold a bird away from their body and this makes the bird nervous which will prompt him to seek higher ground (your shoulder). Holding the bird closer to your body will give him more security and you the appearance of more confidence. Bnding your elbow and holding your arm in an L shape can deter birds (especially smaller ones) from climbing a shoulder though my experience with toos is that they just go up anyway!

What I do with birds I don't trust on my shoulder (like Bhodi, ha!) who are constantly trying to get up on my shoulder is I sit down with them and put them on my knee instead of holding them up to my chest. Cuddly birds like Bhodi still try to bury their heads into my side or tummy when they want a cuddle, but they are less likely to climb up my chest onto my shoulder. If you want them to stay on your knee, put them on your leg right by your knee and use one of your arms to block the path to the rest of your body. After a while of not having an oppertunity to get on your shoulder they seem to stop trying so hard...unless your name is Baby. ;)
-Anna

[Chrissy and Flock]

Anna I do hold her out a little not because I am nervous, I do it because I thought it would be more comfortable for her if my arm was more like a perch. I do sit down with her and she likes to cuddle and snuggle just as you described. She has not attempted to bite me but you guys have made me very cautious about the strong possibility. Even the breeder I am getting Angel Baby from advised me not to get my face too close when she is older because even the sweetest of birds cannot be totally trusted.

[Chrissy and Flock]

Anna I tried the L shape of the arm today, she still tried but I put my other arm in her way. I did not allow her to get up there at all, I think she may catch on to what I am trying to do. Also I did not have to towel her to get her back into her cage I used the L shape arm and it was easy. Thanks to all of you here I am learning so much and all my birds are much happier for the knowledge you guys are sharing. :smiles:

[bonnie]

Even the breeder I am getting Angel Baby from advised me not to get my face too close when she is older because even the sweetest of birds cannot be totally trusted.

Sometimes I trust Chicken too much and allow him close to my face. Yesterday he gave me a reminder. He lunged at my face and I barely got out of his way in time. I keep him off my shoulder because of that. I also keep him off the back of the couch as he tends to be agressive there as well.
If she tries crawling up your shirt while you are standing, try bending over when she is trying to crawl up your shirt. That would leave her hanging by her beak with her feet dangling and you can put your arm under her and kind of give her no choice but to step back on. I've had to do that with Chicken a few times.

[Chrissy and Flock]

I never would have thought of that, guess I would have thought that would make her mad at me, I sure don't want to feel the wrath of that beak I've seen what she does to wooden toys. :)

[bonnie]

I just do it quickly before his beak ever leaves my shirt my arm is extended to get him away from my face.

[Cheryl]

You all have so many good ideas. I am so glad I joined. I never would have thought of those things to do with the birds. I have a sun that continues to climb on my shoulder and he bites when I try to get him off. He is nippy all the time tho. I am going to try all these things.

[Dot]

Cassie will climb up my shirt if she cant go up my arm, I will try the treat thing see if that will distract her.

When modifying behavior, remember that the reinforcer you give will be associated with the preceding behavior. So, if you give a treat when the bird starts to climb up your arm, you are rewarding the bird for starting up your arm.

Put the bird someplace else. If the bird stays there, give him scritches, loud praise, and a food reinforcer if you wish, but remember how small birds are and those pieces of nuts add up.

[Evelyn]

When modifying behavior, remember that the reinforcer you give will be associated with the preceding behavior. So, if you give a treat when the bird starts to climb up your arm, you are rewarding the bird for starting up your arm.

Put the bird someplace else. If the bird stays there, give him scritches, loud praise, and a food reinforcer if you wish, but remember how small birds are and those pieces of nuts add up.


Dot -

The treat is for him stopping climbing up your arm or distract him from it.

Different things work for different birds, as I am sure you know.

Evelyn

[Chrissy and Flock]

So far she is doing good with only 1 treat and lots of praise, I think she would rather have the praise than the treat cause she threw the treat on the floor and she love peanuts. Bottom line is I have been able to keep her off my shoulder, of course I don't think for an instant thats its not going to be an ongoing thing. But we do have progress. :)

[Dot]

Dot -

The treat is for him stopping climbing up your arm or distract him from it.

Different things work for different birds, as I am sure you know.

Evelyn

"If he tries to walk up your arm to your shoulder, you stop him--either by putting you hand across your arm, or by giving him a treat"

That says that when the bird starts to walk up your arm, you give him a treat. You are reinforcing the walking up the arm.

[irn_koke]

i try cross hand technique when koke try to get my shoulder but he bite and bite and aslo jumb and jumb till get the shoulder again >>>>>but now i make a wood when i want koke get off my shoulder just get him see that wood he be afraid and get down to the table so getting hin down not problem now but the problem to keep him on the hand he bite fingers hardly >>>>>>chery the sun look like koke its it right?

[FoxersArtist]

i try cross hand technique when koke try to get my shoulder but he bite and bite and aslo jumb and jumb till get the shoulder again >>>>>but now i make a wood when i want koke get off my shoulder just get him see that wood he be afraid and get down to the table so getting hin down not problem now but the problem to keep him on the hand he bite fingers hardly >>>>>>chery the sun look like koke its it right?

That's a great idea! I never thought of using a stick to step koke up from your shoulder! At the same time, you still have to be careful because Koke could bite you in the face. Ouch!
-Anna

[Evelyn]

"If he tries to walk up your arm to your shoulder, you stop him--either by putting you hand across your arm, or by giving him a treat"

That says that when the bird starts to walk up your arm, you give him a treat. You are reinforcing the walking up the arm.


You don't let him think he's getting the treat for walking up your arm, but for ceasing to walk up your arm. I haven't used it to make the bird stay on my hand, but have used it to stop him from walking any further up my arm than my forearm. Then I can hold him against me and cuddle him. The one I used it on loves cuddling so much that he rarely tries walking further than my forearm. If I want him on my shoulder, I put him there.

I know the difference is subtle, and if one is not careful with it, it could turn out as you say. And it might not work with another bird. I haven't tried to use it on another one other than Plato.

Evelyn

[irn_koke]

nice thng i do with koke dear foxers right >>>> so let's make a wood to our pet when we want get them down from shoulder they will do this fastly just let parrot see the wood he will get off shoulder but first times u must push him by wood and near ur shoulder from a taboul when u push with the wood and then parrot will know that wood is the device to get him down soon he will get down just when he see that wood i try this methods and it will be very fantastic:dancered::yeah:

[EasySpirit]

You all have so many good ideas. I am so glad I joined. I never would have thought of those things to do with the birds. I have a sun that continues to climb on my shoulder and he bites when I try to get him off. He is nippy all the time tho. I am going to try all these things.

Hmm, bites when I try to get him off. I wouldn't let him get away with this. A couple of things. Practice step ups in a laddering fashion and big praise when accomplished. Make it fun and a game. A downfall is some people do is that they get just a bit too much into this that they demand their bird step up all the time...ie in passing by the cage, every other minute etc. That won't accomplish much except to irritate your bird. Nope, keep the training short with only a few repetitions.

Next, change your clothing a bit. Have a tshirt or something on and place an open front shirt over this. If the stinker gets up on your shoulder and won't come down or goes to bite or worse runs and hides behind you, just take the shirt off. They kind of get wrapped up. Be surprised when you find him in the shirt, excited or say oh my, what happened. Usually they end up liking stepping up to you better.