Getting to know Gandalf

[Mandy]

As some of you will know I am a new mum to Gandalf a 12 week old parent reared albino IRN.
I collected him on Saturday and have been spending time sitting by his cage letting him get used to me being around and talking to him.

Today I took the plunge and started the training process, I let him out of his cage into the living room and asked him to step up onto a perch held in my hand, he did this after a couple of brief flutters and we spent a relaxed 10 minutes or so just looking at each other while I spoke softly to him and occasionally asking him to step up from one perch to another.
I was surprised and pleased by how calm and relaxed he remained, he wasn't breathing rapidly or showing much in the way of signs of stress even though being confronted by me with no bars in the way must have been pretty darn scary for him. As I asked him to step up onto the second perch in my other hand I would gradually offer the part of the perch nearer my fingers in order to slowly accusom him to the closeness of my hand.
I intend to repeat this daily from now on and keep on sitting by is cage, I'm hoping he waill start coming closer to take some spray millet from my fingers soon.

[Mikaela]

Doing great Mandy, keep up the good work.

Remember, talk just as girls do to babies. That sweet, high-pitched voice. From what we have gathered here, the higher the owners pitch and tone, the more talkative the bird becomes. I talk like a country-fried rat on speed and so does baby. Very fast, country and hi. They respond to that.

Dont feel stupid to do it, you have to. Just talk like you would an infant and you'll get alot further faster. Just think sweet talk and slow moves for a few weeks and you'll be fine! Say it with me... sweet talk and slow moves.

Most agree that my bird probably has the widest and largest vocabulary. Mind you, I never shut up and my bird is with me 24/7. So, most of us agree that yes... Baby talk and slow moves works at first. Then keep the baby talk up and he will get use to how you move.

I move fast, Baby is use to that and doesnt spook easliy. They basically, from what I see, try to act, speak and be as much like their owners as possible. Baby is. He owns every one of my personality traits, good and bad. They never stop watching their owners is one reason.

Great to have another albino on board. Get those pics up girl!

[Dani03]

Talk like a country rat fried on speed??? LMAO Mik you're too funny...

Mandy...sounds like you're doing great! Keep it up and please come to us if you have any questions at all...no question is too small or too stupid...

Dani

[Mandy]

Thanks for the advice Mik, I never feel stupid cooing and chatting to my birds, I tend to talk like that to all my pets, I am a dog trainer so I'm used to using a high pitched motivational tone of voice, not manically excited but light and calm and soothing.

I had another brief session with Gandalf this afternoon as he was so calm in his first session and he did great, he stepped onto the hand held perch for me to lift him from his cage and I repeated what I'd done earlier but now I asked him to step from the perch to the my opposite index finger which he did and made no attempt to bite me.
He is not as happy to sit on my finger as he is on the perch but I guess my finger must feel very strange to him and I'm thrilled that he will do that at this stage.
Also if he flutters to the ground he steps up onto the hand held perch as soon as I offer it to him now, he doesn't try to step out of the way.

I know we may hve a case of 2 steps forward and 3 back in a few days but I'm confident he will end up a friendly tame bird.

ps, pics soon I hope.

[Dani03]

Sounds like you're doing just fine! No worries you will have a good trained baby in no time...

ps. get those pics asap! I want to see another albino finally...

Dani

[Mandy]

ps. get those pics asap! I want to see another albino finally...

Dani

I've posted a pic in the photo forum

[Mikaela]

Yes, cant get them all worked up, it has to be more of a simple praise thing with a consistant tone. Let it get too high and fast and they get buck-wild and you lose them.

[Bird crazy]

I'm so glad to hear you're doing so well with Gandalf.
I can't wait to finish this note so I can go to the photo forum and check out his picture.

Hope it continues well for you.

Sue and Nila

[Mandy]

I'm really happy this morning Gandalf let me tickle his cheeks and the back of his neck, not just tolerated it ( he was reluctant at first) but dropping his head right down and really looking like he was enjoying it.