does it matter what age to start training?

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lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

Hello guys. I have a question. I have a year and a half old IRN. I had gotten her "hand tamed" after weaning but the day i brought her home she had some temper issues. I understand the buffering so I always tried to work with her. Well a year and a half later it seems to not go anyway. Im away at school now and my family is taking care of my 3 birds back home. My IRN is scared of everything. She finally learned to take food out of your hand(outside cage) and run away. She bites and pretty much has no trust in humans at all. When i get back from school at the end of next year ( i will visit through out the year) is it to late to start training? Like even if she isnt a baby is it possible i can try to work with her. Im not even sure what else I can do to make her trust me.. If she gets away from her cage she knows "up" but in the cage or On the cage good luck with that she tries to run away as fast as possible. So is there hope even if shes older? someone told met there are good irn and some that are just nasty.. i feel like i have a nasty one :/ thank you! hope to hear your opinons. oh btw within the year and a half I have tried working with her it just never worked.
Doodlebug
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Location: Suffolk, UK

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Doodlebug »

Hi there and welcome.

I'm sure your little birdie isn't a nasty one, she is just reacting to the things happening around her. She needs to be able to get to trust you or those who are caring for her, slowly. The only way to do this is by spending time with her each day, giving treats and making her feel less of a predator and more comfortable to be around you. She bites and runs away because she is scared. You need to set aside a certain amount of time every single day to be with her, and to show her you are trustworthy. Bring her treats, sit and talk to her, maybe try the blinking game where you blink slowly at her several times over and she should do the same back. It feels lovely to both parties, and seems to calm them.

As with all things that require effort, you only get out as much as you put in so it all depends on how willing you are to dedicate your time, to see those results.
Loo :)
lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

Hi there. Im away at school. When i et back next year will it be harder to train because she will be older or will it not matter? I know i have to start from scratch. My family is caring for her but they are afraid of her.
Doodlebug
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Location: Suffolk, UK

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Doodlebug »

I'm not really sure if older birds are 'harder' to train as such, but as they have learnt to be afraid for longer, maybe it will take more patience and time. I'm sure the other members on here will have their opinions on this too.

Whoever is taking care of her while you are away needs to be consistent with her too, will they spend time with her every day? It will all obviously help to get her more used to us pesky humans, the more we interact with them the more it shows them we're not so bad after all. Tell them they have no need to be afraid of her, she is in a cage and can't harm them! Just quiet time with her, with treats are a great start to building that trust while you are not able to be there.

How long are you away for?
Loo :)
Donovan
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Location: North Carolina

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Donovan »

No it doesn't matter. The bird can learn trust and how to have fun again. Maybe someone is being mean and you don't know it like little brother or soomething.

Also, I suspect the caretakers are doing the bare minmum with her. Food, water, cleaning. Is there any play time outside of the cage?
Also, developing a good relationship means giving quality attention -every-day. I hear ringnecks will lose their tameness if ignored for too long.

There is some level of trust already since she is at least willing to take food from you even if she does take it and run. They must be stimulated mentally constantly and their emotional needs are similar to humans.
They need to feel like they're apart of a family or flock. When you leave the room you want her calling to you to return. They get that way from bonding and they'll only bond with consistent and positive interaction.

The bird needs two or three hours a day of this quality time.
lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

Well im in veterinay technician school for 14 more months. My sisters let them out but its more of opening their cage and let them hang out. They let my other 2 birds go on their shoulders and hang out on the bed. but they wouldnt dare try with my irn because she runs and bites. and she wont even go UP for them. Before i left she never ate out of anyones hands.. I been trying to tell them to do activities with her so they did something right because she does grab fruit out of the hand. But im sure they do somewhat the minimum because they are my birds not theirs and its like a chore to them. although they are 16 and 20 years old. And they get aggervated my IRN screams but they dont understand her like i do. nor do they really understand birds for that matter... I wanted to tell them to get a T stand and train her on that. but they cant get her out of the cage, if they put their hand in she runs to the back of the cage in the corner because shes scared and then bites. so when she comes out and goes on top of the cage she will run to the side , behind the cage anything to get away and if cornered will bite. so im not even sure how to teach her to get out of the cage or go on my hand in the cage ;/ shes a tough cookie. Im aware that when i got her maybe i choosed a bad choice in breed.... idk i did my hw but now expierencing it i understand all the cons that were on the interenet. I have a tiel and a senegal and i have had a bunch of tiels in the past. but i dont want to give her away or anything (few people suggested this) even though she isnt social.. i want to work with her. im sure i can turn her around some how. and throwing her to someone else isnt right either. especially going to school to help animals its like my goal to help her.. i just need your help guys :/
Skyes_crew
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Skyes_crew »

I noticed you said you got her right after she was weaned...may I ask what happened in that year and a half after that before you left for school? IRN's are extremely intelligent birds and can be tamed quickly under a competent hand. So I'm curious why it's taken so long for you to try to start taming her.
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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lilstephii143
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

so when i brought her home for the first week, she was really scared so i let her adjust for a few days. spoke to her but didnt didnt really try to force her out of the cage. Everytime i went to get her in the cage after she would run and try to bite me. So usually I let the cage open and she came out when she was ready.Eventually she learned up ( i did work with her .. but it was only when she was i guess far away from the cage or couldnt see it) I had a tiel, which I thought they would be friends.. well the second my irn saw her she charged at her mouth open(they were both out of the cages) . i even tried to have0 them eat millet somewhat near each other. Didnt work.. after that she began i believe the bluffing stage because I couldnt even get her out of the cage without her trying to attack me. I would try to let her hang out with me while im watching tv and etc but all she wanted to do was try to fly away. (even with wings clipped). I feel like the day I got her she never trusted humans... and sadly today still doesnt trust humans. I have read IRN need constant attention or they will become independent. She seemed to always be independent. I tried different techniques are read on the computer. I try to ask my younger sisters to work with her but they arent bird pros. They got her to take snacks out of their hands but they she runs far away. I know its not an overnight change. I just want to know whats the best way to help her. I feel like shes a bird thats not happy and very stressed. I also adopted a senegal not to long ago and they hate each other too. So when my birds are out all three are seperated and out different times. I put the irn in a room where she cant see the other birds, I figured this would help with her stress.. I tried a perch in the cage to go up on instead of my fingers didnt improve at all. I try asking everyone that knows birds for suggestions, google, youtube.
Skyes_crew
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Location: Hawaii

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Skyes_crew »

I fear that right from the beginning there were some errors made in judgment of how to proceed in taming her. She can still be tamed, but it is going to take a lot more work on your part, and a lot of time that you don't have right now. Can the person who is caring for her join the forum so that they may start reading some material on how to get started?
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

I can ask my sisters to join later. I cant promise they will tho :/ tgey are both busy with school or work. And they take the birds out when they are home or before bed. But im pretty sure i can grab someone on. I usually just tell them what to try and they say thats what they do... Ill be home for thanksgiving for 3 days so ill try working with the irn too.
InTheAir
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by InTheAir »

Ringnecks seem very adaptable, which is probably why they have a reputation for losing tameness.
There is a member on here who got her bird when he wasn't young and he's fitted into her household brilliantly, due to her having the patience to start right at the basics of a human-bird relationship and work their way up to being friends.
If you start reading through posts on the subject of taming you will learn from others what can work and what won't. Just don't try to force your bird to do anything, convince her that it is a good idea to do it instead.
lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

so i mentioned the forum to my sisters a few times and they kind of brushed it off. i see people with friendly irn and i get so jealous :( i need advice on how to START. how to gain her trust. baby steps. im going to try reading through some forums. I have to find one simular to my issue .
lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

Image

this was us around last winter.. again i couldnt just get her up there.. she flew onto the floor after being scared and then stood on my finger but looking for her cage. (sorry for the bad pic)
Donovan
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Donovan »

I have only ever had one bird... my current indian ringneck.....

you want your bird to be friendly and tame and everything etc...

constant attention... all the time... you could tame your bird inside of a month I think...

unfortunately having a life outside of your bird distracts from the ability to spend a lot of time with it.

I was told that someone worked with my bird though.. he was approximately 6 months old when I found him at a ratty little pet shop that smelled like urine.

but I have worked with him... researched taming and training.... and he gets a good 2-10 hours a day out of his cage.

I constantly introduce him to new stimuli... new games.. trivial games even (put an object somewhere and let him knock it down to the floor) anything... everything...

Deeply engage yourself with this bird.... that's my only answer.. unfortunately I don't think you have that sort of time to spend and are outsourcing to your sisters.

At the end of the day it's all about positive reinforcement and group activity. If you're doing something and your bird seems interested... make it a game somehow..

My bird likes to turn off my computer monitor when i'm on this site ... then he steals objects from the desk and flies off with them.. some can say it's bad behavior.. but i see it as my bird just trying to play with me... so i'll stop what i'm doing and give him five minutes of my time here and there....
lilstephii143
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 4:49 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by lilstephii143 »

I asked my landlord when i moved in to bring in a bird but he was like no ... So i figured maybe i can talk to him and give it a try. He will probably say no again. But ill try again. Thank for the insite ! I want to try to bring her here so i can do work with her
AJPeter
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by AJPeter »

I am 74 is that too old to start training?
AJPeter
ellieelectrons
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by ellieelectrons »

AJPeter wrote:I am 74 is that too old to start training?
Never too old AJPeter! :)
lilstephii143 wrote:i need advice on how to START. how to gain her trust. baby steps.
Okay, so to start, you and your family need to gain your bird's trust and have her looking forward to your interactions with her. The first thing I suggest is having some of her fav treats (that aren't a part of her regular diet) located near her cage and every time a person walks near her, they offer it to her. If she won't take it from their hand, get them to put it in her food dish.

Also, you and your family need to do your best to not do anything that scares her or force her to do anything she doesn't want to do.

If you're going to be away from her for another period of time, if they can just do the above, then she should be much less scared by the time you are ready to do some more intensive work with her next year.

Also, do what you can to ensure her cage is a fun place for her to hang out. It needs to be big enough for her and have foraging and other toys that are changed regularly to keep her entertained.

Ellie.
zentoucan
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:45 pm

Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by zentoucan »

There are some good suggestions here but I think some that people are missing one very important fact here and that is time spent with the bird. You can't bond and have positive interact if you're not spending the time with the bird. While a good diet and treats are of an importance for health and training, more so is the time spent interacting with your bird has this feeds your bird mentally.
lilstephii143 is unable to spend the required amount of time with the IRN that is needed to socialize, train and gain trust has she is attending a vet tech school. (this is a good thing) But lilstephii143 is passing her responsibilities over to her sisters, whom are not committed to this IRN. This is obvious has they are not even willing to join the forum in an effect to help this bird. Which means this is not going to work either. Also you can't visit home during the year randomly and attempt to train the bird and expect this IRN to be at the same level as one who is being socialize and trained on a daily basic.

lilstephii143 could do the following.

lilstephii143 could speak to the teachers at the vet tech school and see if she could house the IRN at the school.
therefore lilstephii143 can spend more time with the IRN to socialize, train and build trust.

if unable to convince the currant landlord, then find another landlord who will be willing to accommodate you and your IRN.

or lastly you re- home this IRN and start again when you have finish your course at the vet tech school.

Of course there could be a solution that I'm not seeing. But I feel that the amount of quality time spent with the IRN is the first issue that should be deal with. Then applying the training methods to deal with the fear, trust and biting issues
Skyes_crew
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Skyes_crew »

Where's the "like" button zentoucan lol
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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zentoucan
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by zentoucan »

I say it has I see it
Skyes_crew
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Re: does it matter what age to start training?

Post by Skyes_crew »

It was a joke lol. We don't have a like button unfortunately. I was just saying I like your post :D
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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