Petting IRN

[BmDubb]

Ok, so I've read that IRNs love to be petted and have their feathers stroked, massaged. Ive also watched videos of this. My question is my new IRN loves being held, when approached with the finger he always "steps up" and will stay on me all day if I let him. He loves walking around with me on my shoulders and crawling all over me. But for some reason if I try to pet him him he " crouches " down and kind of tucks his head in and stares at my hands. He lets me get close enough to touch him. But he kind of " scoots" away from a " petting hand ". Everytime I get close enough to pet him he uses his mouth to hold on and "steps up" onto my hand. It's like hes afraid to be petted. I've been putting my flat hand in his cage SLOWLY coming toward him to touch him and when he looks scared I will stop moving for a sec and he will get more comfortable until I move my hand again and touch him.. then he steps up

Is there a way train Dexter to allow me to pet him? I know hed love it if hed just give it a shot lol. I would LOVE to be able to sit and watch TV and just have him hang out with me and I will give him some good pettin's / scratchins

[ellieelectrons]

I trained Janey to like pettings by offering her food in one hand and petting with the other.... she now begs to be pet. Our male though still doesn't really like it and I'm not sure that he ever will although I'll keep trying.

I think I read somewhere else that the crouching down is a sign that your bird likes you.

Ellie.

[ellieelectrons]

P.S. I think I read somewhere else that the crouching down is a sign that your bird likes you although I think females are more likely to do this than males????

[Melika]

He might be confused as to what you're expecting of him. In my experience when moving around a bird you can move too slow or too fast. You have to find that middle ground.

Also the direction you come from will matter. If you always come from the front to step-up, then a hand coming from his front to him might mean step-up to him. From above is danger, as they are wary of predators from above.

When he's already on your finger, trying coming up from the side close to him and using just your fingers to scritch.



Hane enjoys being pet but when my mom tries she moves far too slowly and he finds it unsettling.

[BmDubb]

He looks like he's enjoying himself. When I try to pet Dexter while on my hand / arm. he walks away from the other hand and gets on my shoulder. Hes getting better though, I can touch his beek lol

[ellieelectrons]

I find Charlie the same. He will let me touch his beak but doesn't really like patting. However, he comes really close when Janey gets pattings.... but I think that's because he is interested in the noises Janey is making, not the pattings for himself. I've tried on the odd occasion, sometimes he will tolerate it but most of the time he makes it clear that he doesn't appreciate it.

Ellie.

[laine]

Smokey loves a really long massage/scratch and pat. He demands to be patted while I watch tv. He loves it when I watch a long movie as he will be rubbed for as long as I am willing to do it. It has, however, taken a few years to develop the bond and trust, I suppose, for Smokey to like this. Now he comes over to me, sits on my lap, bows his head and waits If I don't get the hint he start clucking. If I still don't get the hint he will gently pick up my fingers in his beak . It's just all too cute. He is also extemely jealous of my mobile phone and when I am on the phone he will sit on the opposite shoulder to the phone and literally lie down and cluck for a rub.

I started out by patting his beak and he would let me pat him with only 1 stroke, soon he let me do 2 then 3 ans so on. He will only let me pat with my right hand though ?? Why I don't know. He accepts both my hands for food, high 5s and hand shake. He will step up on either hand as well, so I don't know why I can only pat with my right. I love our patting and cuddle times.

[Melika]

He will only let me pat with my right hand though ?? Why I don't know. He accepts both my hands for food, high 5s and hand shake. He will step up on either hand as well, so I don't know why I can only pat with my right. I love our patting and cuddle times.

Hane prefers being pet by my left hand! I think it's because I am left-handed and can be heavy handed when petting with my right.


I guess I hadn't thought about it, but we've played with out bird's beaks since they were chicks. It's definitely a start! Hane isn't ever allowed on my shoulder. To keep him from crawling up, my arm is always crooked at the elbow so my hand is higher. I also tend to set my thumb over his foot (ever since they were little, it tells them to stay and that they're safe where they are). He'll still shuffle to the side sometimes at first if he's on the stand when I reach out to pet him then he settles down. Now he'll push his head into my palm while I'm petting him, but it took a few years to develop that. Like Laine said, it took time to build that trust.

That being said, my sister's bird does not enjoy being pet at all.

[Rueae]

Mm...I guess, Ink must just be super cuddly. I've only had her since August 21st, but she lets me cuddle her all the time. Mostly when she's sleepy or tired, but she expects it for ages.
She sits on my collar for most cuddle time and when she's like that I can mush her up from right above her cere to the bottom of her wings. (She dislikes being touched below her wings a great deal, though I've trained her to open them up for me when I brush my finger below them. :P)
I don't think she's really ever invited me to cuddle her, now that I think of it, but she'll get and stay in "cuddling position" at the least provocation.
Her favorite place to get scritches is (at the moment :P) below her eyes and next to her beak. She'll tilt her head either way to allow me to and then close her eyes.
I'm trying to get he used to me scratching her beak at the moment and though she doesn't bite she's still really nibbly, so...time will tell.
All in all, I enjoy our cuddle time a great deal. :/3

I think perhaps she accepted it because she was still getting her feathers at the time and needed help opening the pins on top and directly behind her head. I can only assume, because I didn't give her treats to do this, I just did it. Like my taming exercises with her, really. I suppose, I tend to give her more treats for training, rather than taming...

Also, I can pat her with my right or left and often both hands at once. .3. I've never thought about her getting a preference, but I suppose there is still time for her to get picky? Hopefully not. XD;

Anyway, my point with all that was, I believe Ink needed it and then grew to like it and that's how it worked out with us.
Sorry for the kind of rambly post. :D;