A Breakthrough with Loki!

[Anji]

After many times of trying and trying it would seem the stick training just didn't work with her. So yet again I ran to the internet to look up various other methods. Then I saw one that said to present your hand to your bird and allow it to bite you. I've ran out of other options so I said "Oh what the heck, may as well try it". So I did something called the Iron Fist I read on a website and presented my hand to her in a very slow manner, allowing her to bite me and continue to do so to show her that my hands are not a threat. After many 'love bites' she finally stepped up on my hand. After doing this a few times she actually allowed me to give her scratchies on her neck and under her wing!

However she still is very iffy with my hands and fingers even after the session so I will continue this and see if things will improve for us. :happy:


http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb392/sorafia/IMAG0029.jpg

[michael]

The iron fist method is very similar to a technique called "pushing back". It is based upon the idea that if you continue to back away from a bite, you only reinforce that very behavior. Alternately whats suggested, is that the moment your parrot goes to bite, instead of backing away, you gently push it off its desired perch. ... While these methods can work, they often only do so under certain conditions. A couple of them that the subject must not be overly frigid or fearful, and another, that the size and shear force of what your dealing with is unlikely to result in great bodily harm. .. None the less, glad to hear this is working out between you and Loki. ...........:)

[Anji]

The iron fist method is very similar to a technique called "pushing back". It is based upon the idea that if you continue to back away from a bite, you only reinforce that very behavior. Alternately whats suggested, is that the moment your parrot goes to bite, instead of backing away, you gently push it off its desired perch. ... While these methods can work, they often only do so under certain conditions. A couple of them that the subject must not be overly frigid or fearful, and another, that the size and shear force of what your dealing with is unlikely to result in great bodily harm. .. None the less, glad to hear this is working out between you and Loki. ...........:)

I was a bit worried to try this myself, worried it would cause her harm. However just over night we're doing many things that I've never got to do with her. We were playing peekaboo with a toilet paper roll and I was able to hold it without her trying to lunge and my fingers. She sat on my arm and watched a movie with me and fell asleep on my arm. I was near tears with joy. Even if I can never get her to fully accept my hands and fingers touching her, just being able to do this with her was the best thing I could have hoped for.

[linda040899]

Sounds like Loki is warming up to you. That's for sure and it's a good thing. There are some site that use a method called "descentization" which means repeatedly doing something that will make a bird uncomfortable until they finally give up and accept what you are doing. This will not build a trust relationship with Loki. Loki has to want to be with you because you have earned the trust.