At least she got me trained well...

[Cooper]

Uh oh, I think I am creating some bad habits in Cooper. I swear she thinks flying to the couch and back to the cage is a game now. I can't just let her sit there as the fiance doesn't like poop on the couch (go figure :rolleyes: ) and she won't budge unless I come up to her.

I swear the neighbours think I'm nuts now. If they walk past the door all they'll hear is me in stern deep voice (if there is such a thing) "Cooper! No!" And then I trying throwing things like the dish cloth near the bird. As Cooper tilts her head and looks over the edge of the couch "oh she likes dropping things too". I give up and walk over to the couch, Cooper leaves when I'm within few feet of her...and the game continues.

I'm trying to train her to land on me, but it's going slow. I don't want to have her wings clipped.... :(

[Janie]

I don't want to have her wings clipped..

To each his own but I can tell you that even with my very tame bird, a wing clip is the only way (for us) to go. And, because I really like to have all three out of their cages a lot, a wing clip is so much safer because of ceiling fans and windows. The ONE time I let Oliver, my older and very tame bird, become fully flighted, he took a little flight through my neighborhood! :omg: My fault, needless to say and the worst 45 minutes of my life. I had him clipped the next day and have made it a point to "remember" that he's on my shoulder so that I don't walk outside with him. He is ON me so much that honestly, sometimes I forget that he's there. Several times I've said, "where is Oliver?" and my kids or husband say they can see his tail feathers sticking out from under my hair. He IS a velcro birdie! :D

Anyway, my point is, I think it is much, much easier to tame a pet bird who has a wing clip. A good clip, not one that would make them drop like a brick to the floor. :)

[butterfly1061]

I agree with Janie. A wing clip can help your lovie to become a "little" more dependent on you - not totally dependent. It's easier to tame a fully flighted bird after the flights are clipped. You can always do just a few (3 or 4) and if you see no change then a couple more. When they are clipped it also helps to strenghten their wing muscles. I tried to let Molly go completely flighted and after a while I lost total control. So I clipped her. :2cents:

[Z28Taxman]

Ditto will only fly to the couch when I'm not there when he want's me to join him and watch tv. He'll call and call for me. If I don't come within a minute or 2 he'll fly to me, give me a good chirping too and fly back. He'll do that until I go in there and watch tv with him, then he takes a nap in my hand. :lol


Janie: Usually when I have Ditto out I make sure I have the front door locked and the screen door on the back porch locked. Sometimes he's so quiet I forget he's hangin on me. This way I don't accidently wander outside. 8)

[LauraO]

I have no doubt that Cooper thinks you are playing a game with her. Lovies have a keen sense and instinctively know when they shouldn't be doing something and they do that very thing :rolleyes: .

Is there any way you can get a piece of cloth, a towel or an old blanket you can put accross the couch when Cooper is out. My husband and I went to the fabric store and bought some cheap old fabric we cover our chairs with. It's throway material so it is of no consequence if the birds poop on it.

Good luck and tell your boyfriend to chill ;)

[Z28Taxman]

I have no doubt that Cooper thinks you are playing a game with her. Lovies have a keen sense and instinctively know when they shouldn't be doing something and they do that very thing :rolleyes: .

Is there any way you can get a piece of cloth, a towel or an old blanket you can put accross the couch when Cooper is out. My husband and I went to the fabric store and bought some cheap old fabric we cover our chairs with. It's throway material so it is of no consequence if the birds poop on it.

Good luck and tell your boyfriend to chill ;)

Good idea about covering the couch. I have an old flannel sheet that I use to cover the couch, or desk chair when I have Ditto with me.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Or get a leather couch. Wipes clean with a wet paper towel.

My lovies play a similar game except that it's the floor that they go to. I do NOT want them on the floor, it is dangerous for little birds to be on the floor where they could get stepped on. So where do they go when they get out and I'm running late for work? The floor. Then they scurry under the table, hopping from chair to chair while I chase them. They think it's the greatest game EVER.

[linda040899]

Or get a leather couch. Wipes clean with a wet paper towel.
I second that idea, especially since I have 2 macaws that live with me! :lol

The only one of my birds that is not afraid of the floor is Harley. He doesn't blend in with the floor but I'm still always afraid of stepping on part of him rather than all of him. He will fly as far as his clipped wings will take him and then he simply walks the rest of the way! I'm definitely not happy about that! I've trained myself to constantly look down when I walk......

Lovies seem to have a second sense in the morning and know exactly when we are running late for work! :rofl:

[Z28Taxman]

Or get a leather couch. Wipes clean with a wet paper towel.

My lovies play a similar game except that it's the floor that they go to. I do NOT want them on the floor, it is dangerous for little birds to be on the floor where they could get stepped on. So where do they go when they get out and I'm running late for work? The floor. Then they scurry under the table, hopping from chair to chair while I chase them. They think it's the greatest game EVER.

Ditto plays the opposite game. When it's time to come out, he'll stand on his boing and jump and yell. When I open the cage, he runs out on the balcony part that folds down and I'll either put my shoulder there so he can hop on or put my finger up for him to step up. Then he runs back in the cage for me to chase him. I move back he comes out and acts like he wants me to get him and the cycle repeats.

So, I don't play the game. I walk away and zooom! He flys to my shoulder. :rofl: He doesn't like to be ignred. >:

But fortunately he won't go on the floor. If I, or anyone, tries to put him there, zoom, back to my shoulder before he gets within 6 inches of it.

His latest game however, is to play fetch. Not him fetching, it's me. He'll throw his little cat toy ball from the couch, all the way across the living room, and of course it's on the floor so I have to go get it. Then he throws it again. :lol He can chuck that sucker a good 8 feet too. I should sign him up for the Yankees or something. :lol

[Angelwing]

lol, I think Ditto needs to train my dog to fetch properly. :cool:

But yes, clipping the wings is not only a safety precaution, but your bird will also be more dependent on you. I know it's horrible to clip a birds' wings, but safety is more important. They fly at high speeds, and don't realize exactly what a window is. It's better to be safe, than sorry.

[Z28Taxman]

lol, I think Ditto needs to train my dog to fetch properly. :cool:

But yes, clipping the wings is not only a safety precaution, but your bird will also be more dependent on you. I know it's horrible to clip a birds' wings, but safety is more important. They fly at high speeds, and don't realize exactly what a window is. It's better to be safe, than sorry.

He's got me trained pretty well so maybe he could work with your dog too. :rofl:

I don't think Ditto could possibly get more dependant on me. Even fully flighted he'd rather ride around on my shoulder. But I know the dangers, which is one reason that I keep the blinds and curtains closed when he's out. No flying into windows for The Dittobird. (when he bothers flying that is).

[Janie]

Dave, I think Ditto and Oliver are very much alike about their human flock mates.....you and me! :D While Oliver is also a velcro birdy, sometimes a sudden move on my part will throw him off balance and that is when he'll fly. If he's clipped, he glides right to the floor but the day that he "toured the neighborhood", he was flighted and let me tell ya, he had no idea how to get back to me once he went around the corner of the house. If he didn't answer my contact calls, I never would have gotten him back, safe and sound. Imagine his surprise at not being one or two rooms away but a couple of streets away! :omg:

Unfortunately, there are four of us living at home right now (another kid came back home! :x) so every time I turn around a door or window is open with someone coming or going. The one rule that everyone follows is not to take a single step inside until they know where the birds are. I don't allow any of them on the floor but as we all know, sometimes they will sneak down there and especially Oliver, when he comes looking for me. 99% of the time he will stay on top of his cage while I'm in another room doing something but occasionally, he'll come a lookin'!

[Z28Taxman]

Well fortunately I live here by myself so I only have to worry about me letting the dittobird out.

If I leave the room and Ditto is not on me, he will come looking for me. That's a guarantee. Although I normally can't get away even if I wanted to. He'll fly to me before I can get out of site. :D