Towling
Posté : mer. juil. 24, 2013 11:04 pm
Towling
Lisa Keelty
Environmental and Wildlife Technician
AFA Certified Aviculturist
Teaching your pet bird to allow itself to be "towled" is important to help reduce the stress of restraint which occurs during vet visits and grooming. Follow the steps below to teach your bird to allow and even enjoy being held in a towel. Patience is the key, take each step carefully and slowly until your bird accepts the behaviour. Begin with food rewards and eventually replace them with attention rewards. Keep training sessions to 5-10 minutes, short and sweet. Once your bird accepts a step fully, continue to the next stage.
Step 1: Either on a couch, table or bed, place a towel flat on the surface and play with your bird on it with toys and some food rewards.
Step 2: While playing on the towel, slowly fold corners and let your bird see this. Increase the areas being folded over sessions.
Step 3: Gently drape a small portion of the towel over the back of your bird. Increase the part of the towel covering the bird until he allows you to fully cover his back.
Step 4: With the towel over his back, place the palm of your hand on it and apply a small amount of pressure.
Step 5: With the towel over his back, gently take both your hands and pick your bird up slightly using enough pressure along the back and flanks of the bird to support it. Hold for 5 seconds, and reward. Increase time in future sessions.
Never apply pressure on the chest of your bird as this may result in cardiac arrest.
Lisa Keelty
Environmental and Wildlife Technician
AFA Certified Aviculturist
Teaching your pet bird to allow itself to be "towled" is important to help reduce the stress of restraint which occurs during vet visits and grooming. Follow the steps below to teach your bird to allow and even enjoy being held in a towel. Patience is the key, take each step carefully and slowly until your bird accepts the behaviour. Begin with food rewards and eventually replace them with attention rewards. Keep training sessions to 5-10 minutes, short and sweet. Once your bird accepts a step fully, continue to the next stage.
Step 1: Either on a couch, table or bed, place a towel flat on the surface and play with your bird on it with toys and some food rewards.
Step 2: While playing on the towel, slowly fold corners and let your bird see this. Increase the areas being folded over sessions.
Step 3: Gently drape a small portion of the towel over the back of your bird. Increase the part of the towel covering the bird until he allows you to fully cover his back.
Step 4: With the towel over his back, place the palm of your hand on it and apply a small amount of pressure.
Step 5: With the towel over his back, gently take both your hands and pick your bird up slightly using enough pressure along the back and flanks of the bird to support it. Hold for 5 seconds, and reward. Increase time in future sessions.
Never apply pressure on the chest of your bird as this may result in cardiac arrest.