Basic Instincts: part 3

» beetlebug - Height Dominance

Theresa, I thought your article about dominance was right on. When I first brought Indy, my 4 month old Military Macaw, home, I didn't understand this concept. So, I allowed him to walk on his cage top outside of the cage. When I went to give him the up command, my sweet darling tried to bite my finger off (very aggressively). I was so upset I didn't know what to do. So I called my breeder and she told me to put a towel gently over him and then bring him down. I did this without incident and for the next 2 weeks, I did not allow him to climb on top of his cage, but instead continued working with him and correcting with positive reinforcement. 2 days ago, I decided to try it again. I brought him out of the cage and gave the down command to the top of his cage. After about 10 minutes I went over to him and although he protested, he didn't try to bite me and he went right onto my hand. I gave him a kiss and told him what a good boy he was and then put him back onto the cage top. We now have this routine that enables him to play on top, not to mention he has more time out of his cage and it allows me to get some things done without worrying so much as I did when he was on the floor. So, the best advice I could give anyone with a parrot as a pet, is to use positive reinforcement with consistency.
Thank you, Ellen

-- posted by beetlebug

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