still working on the aviator

[steptoe91(tozie)]

i'm still working on training skittles and marley to accept the aviator. i had to start very slow with them, and they both needed some more experience being "handled" and manipulated the way ya have to with that harness. so last nite i'm sitting on the sofa playing with marley's harness while he hangs over me on his tree branch watching me. i took it and played with it a bit, then i put it on my face with my nose through the part marley's head would go through, and the part for his wings around my ears. hey! stop laughing! i'm trying to get him so he's not afraid of it!    so anyway, he was just afire with curiosity and hung down, snatched it off my face (nearly taking one of my ears with it!) and proceeded to try to put it on, going so far as to dip and twist so it was around his neck and across his wings.    we're getting closer and closer everyday to getting that thing on him. skittles is taking longer, but he's older, too. i think once skittles sees that with the "new toy" marley gets to go outside he'll follow quickly. i have skittles' sitting on the mantle by his cage cause he, too, was afraid of it even getting near him.

[Sondra]

GOOD JOB gettng him interested in "trying" to put the harness on. You'll be there before you know it!!

One thing with the harness, it helps if you can touch your birds everywhere! I started touching and extending wings shortly after we got Powder because I was told that if your bird everhad an accident, or acted hurt you had to have the trust between you to be able to touch them to feel for broken bones or to pull a blood feather. You can actually break a birds wing or leg if they are afraid and don't trust that you won't hurt them after an accident has occurred. (plus it makes clipping wings and toenails easier!  )

[Ditty]

LMAO at Marley putting it on!!!!!!!!!!!  That killed me.  he is just so darn cute.

[wishforabird]

oh I would have PAID to watch this whole scene unfold!!! 

[patti3birds]

Oh Man, Good luck, Charlie almost had a heartattack.... :bruce:

[Erithacus]

LOL! You should have taught me years ago. I was looking for a dummy bird to practise. I didn't know I could use my ears as wings.