Odie-Oh

[Enko_chan]

I wanted to make an update on Odie and his progress. Sometimes I think my lovies are such happy, healthy, well-behaved little beings they get overlooked in terms of my posts- there's always drama with the parrotlets and breaking news with Kokoro's unique conversational abilities. Around here, though, the lovies are constant joy. At present, they have been going around in circles for about five minites, arguing over the end of a nutriberry thats at present between both of their beaks but neither will let go. :happy:

Hehe, Odie won, but there are no hard feelings. He gave the chewed up bits to Frey anyhow.

My Odie has progressed from being occasionally willing to step onto a hand, to actively flying onto our hands whenever we open their door! When we go inside to change food or water, even. When I sit at the computer, and they're not with me, he'll sit on the perch nearest to me and watch and "talk" to me. He does have a few words but usually its just lovie chatter.

I'm very proud of him. Odie's been with me for over three years, was 10 months old, parent raised and not tame, for those of you who haven't been around here that long. The process for him to become used to hands has been a slow one but well worth it! Had he never become used to hands, he was a perfectly happy and well-adjusted companion- but it is nice to see him without that fear.

[kimberly1985]

Glad to hear about Odie's progress! Patience does pay off, eh?

[summerday]

wow, congratulations!
You must be such an excellent owner for Odie to trust you that much. I can feel from your writing how much you love him!

[Enko_chan]

We sure do love him! Odinn's progress has been such a joy to witness. He has very expressive eyes. At first we called him "the sentinel" because he would sit and guard his mate with these cold eyes that watched everything. He warmed up to us more quickly than we expected, though, and there came a time that, in spite of being very curious and affectionate, it was clear that he was still very fearful of human beings. After a year and a half of progress, he was still terrified of hands, and we'd have to approach him with hands covered- though in all of this, even from day one, he never ever would bite. Now he always has the happiest eyes and its a wonderful thing to see. He's the bird that's so happy he can't contain himself, he has to run around and do backflips, and then look around at everyone as though asking "hey everybody, isn't life fun? isn't it? isn't it?!"

[bimmyb]

Hi,

My Mojo baby doesnt like hands either! Its not as hes scared as such its more he just wont tolerate them?? he will let my kiss and rub him with my face but as soon as he sees a hand coming he will puff up and do his funny quaking noise and then the beak opens to an attack. Other times he just runs from them??

He will somtimes land on the back of my hand or sit on it, its more fingers he dosent like??

How did you get Odie to trust your hands??

[Enko_chan]

Odie's been with us 2 years, not 3. When I asked Chris what year the birds came to live with us, he said 2008, but it was 2009 (according to Koko's band and my earliest posts here). So I stand corrected, Frey and Odie have been with us since March 2009 and his progress has been quicker than I thought.

To be honest, I did not think Odie would ever get used to our hands. I don't think he viewed them as part of us. He wasn't afraid of our arms, our faces, or any other parts of us. He didn't mind being up close to our faces. Giving him space and time was what worked for us. For a while, we covered our hands for him and after we gained his trust that way, stopped doing that and just offered our arms with our hands in plain view. After a while, he started surprising me by occasionally stepping onto hands. It was a slow process. I would be sure to praise him loudly and happily when he stepped onto hands, and make it more pronounced than praise for a normal step up. I still praise him well when he steps up. We took it slow with him, and if we seemed to be moving to fast, would back off, but for the most part allowed him to give us the cues.

[Pips mom]

Gosh, I was gonna say.....3 years??? still even 2 years, where does the time go? I still remember the day him and frey were on the flight to you from Florida.....it was just yesterday wasn't it?? :omg: good job with Odie!