Thank you!
Hello, my first IRN
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Hello, my first IRN
This is my first IRN. He is 8 weeks old today. The breeder told me to keep handeling him and all he wants to do is run away, and bite me. Should I leave him adjust, and for how long? Or should I keep trying eventhough he bites?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Re: Hello, my first IRN
Hi. Your smart little IRN objects to your handling him and is biting to defend himself. If you continue handling him against his wish, he may bear you long lasting ill will. That means you can look forward to more fear and biting as long as you continue to force yourself upon him. It is possible you can achieve what you want this way, but there is no guarantee, and it is emotionally harmful to your bird.
Your breeder has instructed you to use force and domination. You are bigger and stronger so you can force your bird to be handled even though he is scared. In the long run, this can be an effective tool in getting the animal to accept handling, but the cost is VERY high. In common terms, to do this you must "break his spirit". In trainer's terms, you use flooding to achieve learned helplessness.
Do you, in fact, want to "break his spirit"? Do you want him to learn to submit and be helpless? Or would you prefer that he come to you and be handled because he *wants* to?
I recommend that you cease handling the bird against his wish immediately, as in don't do it even one more time. You don't say how long you have had this bird. If he has not yet learned to flee from you, then you are lucky. Offer him foods that he loves and let him take them from your hand. Then try holding them a few inches away so he has to move towards you to get them. Then try holding them on the other side of a perch so he has to get on the perch to take them. When he steps up say "step up" and make sure he gets the food. If you can do this a lot he will learn to step up onto the perch. You'll get to a point when you can say "Step up" before he has the idea to step up and then he steps up. While you are working on this he may have a chance to get more comfortable with your hand being near and learn to trust that you are not going to grab him. When he steps up well to the perch then you can go back and train him the same way to step up to your hand, except you will have your hand flat on a table (you'll thank me - if you stand and hold your hand up you'll get tired....) and you will hold the food progressively closer to your hand over time. When he is comfortable close to your hand you can start asking him to step up. Once he will step up to your hand flat on the table then you can advance to having your hand in different places.
This is really just a broad outline of how you can train him to step up and be held. Please do further research as there is ample precedent on the forum. Please do not think you are going to be able to close your hand around the bird any time soon.
Your breeder has instructed you to use force and domination. You are bigger and stronger so you can force your bird to be handled even though he is scared. In the long run, this can be an effective tool in getting the animal to accept handling, but the cost is VERY high. In common terms, to do this you must "break his spirit". In trainer's terms, you use flooding to achieve learned helplessness.
Do you, in fact, want to "break his spirit"? Do you want him to learn to submit and be helpless? Or would you prefer that he come to you and be handled because he *wants* to?
I recommend that you cease handling the bird against his wish immediately, as in don't do it even one more time. You don't say how long you have had this bird. If he has not yet learned to flee from you, then you are lucky. Offer him foods that he loves and let him take them from your hand. Then try holding them a few inches away so he has to move towards you to get them. Then try holding them on the other side of a perch so he has to get on the perch to take them. When he steps up say "step up" and make sure he gets the food. If you can do this a lot he will learn to step up onto the perch. You'll get to a point when you can say "Step up" before he has the idea to step up and then he steps up. While you are working on this he may have a chance to get more comfortable with your hand being near and learn to trust that you are not going to grab him. When he steps up well to the perch then you can go back and train him the same way to step up to your hand, except you will have your hand flat on a table (you'll thank me - if you stand and hold your hand up you'll get tired....) and you will hold the food progressively closer to your hand over time. When he is comfortable close to your hand you can start asking him to step up. Once he will step up to your hand flat on the table then you can advance to having your hand in different places.
This is really just a broad outline of how you can train him to step up and be held. Please do further research as there is ample precedent on the forum. Please do not think you are going to be able to close your hand around the bird any time soon.
-MissK
Re: Hello, my first IRN
ok so here it is, all IRN's are different just like most humans haha, the best thing you can do is read up on other peoples experiences and what the outcome was for that individual, that way if what they did work you could perhaps try the same, however if it did not work you have learned something, my preference is a week for the bird to settle all the meanwhile dropping the odd treat in his/her bowl, this also gives you a week to find out about these lovely creatures 