That place on your back where you cannot reach...

[ranechild]

Fats likes to climb up onto shoulders, especially if you try to give him scritches--he just goes up to the should to get away from the hands. But he doesn't like to sit ON the shoulder, he likes to sit BEHIND the shoulder.
I admit I don't have the best posture or the best flexibility... So how do I keep him on top of my shoulder and not on my back where I can't reach him to step up. Sometimes if he's closer to the top of the shoulder and I try to get him to step up ( because I know he's going to just make his way down my back) he'll just crawl further down my back and towards the center. And there's NO chance of getting him from there!
My technique to get him to a reachable place is to lean back far or to make like I'm laying down or sitting in an arm chair. He climbs up to the top of the shoulder then. But I hate having to perform acrobatics to get him to sit on the right part of my shoulder!!!
Suggestions? I still haven't found the right food for positive reenforcement. Apples I guess are the best I've done.

[InTheAir]

Hey,

My boyfriend has pretty shocking posture (which I'm always at him about), since we've had Nele I don't need to nag him, he just ends up with a ringneck trying to hang onto his ear for balance if he slouches. Lol! a friend recently pointed out how much better he holds himself when the bird is on his shoulder. Not very helpful sorry, but funny ;p

As for finding good treats, I got a little bucket from petstore called parrot deli-treats, I don't know if you have the same brand, but they may have something similar where you are. It has a variety of nuts, seeds, groats, dried fruit pieces, raisins and stuff. We tried them all and found what Nele liked from that (he is easy, sunflower seeds and groats).

[MissK]

Hey, how would it go if you took some plain slippery clear packing tape and put it on your shirt? If you put the tape in the place he's going that you don't like, and leave the shoulder where you DO want him untaped, he might find it physically hard to hang on to the forbidden area. If it works, you could stop taping later, after he could learn to be comfortable where you want him.

Is that idea worth a try?

-MissK

[Skyes_crew]

That's an awesome idea. Only problem is I would have to tape my whole shirt except for one tiny area lol. That would be a sight to see

I used a tank top with a low back. My birds slip and slide on my bare shoulder. Every time he would slip I would offer my hand and say step up. Eventually he stopped fighting and trying to hide between my shoulder blades.

[ranechild]

Packing tape! Brilliant!
I would wear a tank top, but I haven't clipped his nails yet (want him to get more comfortable first) and his nails RIP UP my skin.
And then, all the little cuts from Fats nails scab over and Camo the QP tries to eat the scabs. It's a conspiracy. Maybe that's why Camo doesn't seem to mind Fats

[Skyes_crew]

lol...I can visualize them plotting and planning

[Hakaishin]

Not an IRN, but my conure prior to her death actually intently climbed down my shoulder to play with my ponytail (grew my hair out after the military). She liked to climb under it and use it as a blanket.

This didn't bother me, but generally all I needed to get her to step up to my shoulder or my hand was a sunflower seed. She'd step right up, kiss me, give me waves (I'd wave my pinky, and she in turn would lift her foot high and hold it there to signal she's waved until I put my pinky back down), then give two high-low tone beeps (she couldn't talk, but was her way of trying to mimic my saying "HELL-LOH!" before I'd either give her the seed on my shoulder, or she'd be in my hand and placed on her play-gym and receive her treat.

Usually though... I was too much of a softy, and let her just snuggle against the back of my neck under my ponytail blanket.

[ranechild]

Update... This is still going on. Fats is 5 months old now... I've had him for 2 months. He still goes to the back of my shoulder. But now, I hold a piece of walnut at the front of my shoulder and my hand for step up in between. This usually still takes 1 or 2 minutes of encouragement to step up to get the treat... but I'm going to keep trying and see if he catches on.
Now on the top of his cage, he runs to the back corner anytime my hand comes near the top of the cage. I use the same method. He is pretty relucant. He'll come up and try to stretch and reach the nut without getting on my hand, fail, backup to the back, pause and think, come again, backup, and eventually he decided to step on the hand and I praise him...
Progress is VERY SLOW.

[InTheAir]

That's a good start. I'm sure he'll get quicker at it.

When you get him from the top of the cage do you always take him to the same place?

[ranechild]

That's a good question. I'm going to start trying to take him to different places. Sometimes it's into the shower for a "tubby", sometimes to the back of the couch for TV time.
I'm going to be more conscience of not always putting him in the cage.
Interestingly enough--he stepped right up today. I was so happy!

[InTheAir]

Sweet! What a good boy