Looking for training tips for a galah...

[birdnewbe]

I found a young ( i think ) female galah out the front of my house, she's kinda tame, with one wing clipped, did the right thing and put up 'found' posters everywhere and have since decided to keep the bird as there was no replies.
Its been a week since we've had her and I've been trying to handle her, but since she's got herself a cage she's not interested, getting a bit more 'bitey' everytime I get her out.
I've only had limited experience handling peachfaces when I was a youngfella, so some tips would be greatly appreciated.

[ollie]

Best way is not to intrude on her space. Putting your hand in the cage will make her upset because she has decided it is her "space".
Try to encourage her with treats holding them in your hand outside the cage with the door open. You said her wing is clipped but make sure you do it inside. Gradually she'll come to trust you and will take the food and let you touch her. It will be a slow process but worth it in the end.

[vankarhi]

I have tamed 2 sulfer crested too's and a galah (as well as other smaller birds). They were young when i got them, but they would hiss, scream and bite when I went near them. I put welding gloves on and just took them out of the cage (after they had been with us for a few days, so they could settle a bit). Took them to a quiet part of the house and spent time just quietly talking to them and teaching them to step up. I would put them onto a tstand and teach them to step up also. I would walk around the house with them stepping up from hand to another, while showing them the house and gently talking to them. They did bite the glove (sensless or to death - the glove that is) but after a few weeks they realised I was not going to eat them and they learned to trust me. I could take the gloves off (carefully making sure they did not bite me). I could walk around with them on my shoulder with no problems - to date I have not been bitten any where too savagely (never around the face or neck). I have been bitten on the hands mostly when first training the birds but not very often when they have been handled a bit. My advice is be gentle, patient, persistant and careful. Now I always try to deal only with handraised babies because they are already used to humans and their hands. Now I am also learning about clicker training and find that Skye (RSE) just loves it. Hope you are having some luck. I would probably advise a few short sessions a day with the bird out of the cage. Just my own experience with how I have tamed my birds.

[lovemytiels]

Hi Tracey, what is clicker training it sounds interesting, & would luv to hear about it. I have 3 pet ringnecks who I h/reared myself but sometimes they can be very naughty so always looking for other training advise. Hope you can shed some light. Chers Anna

[vankarhi]

I am very new to this clicker training stuff, but also have been training dogs in obedience and now trying agility too and have just started to incorporate the clicker into my training with them too.

The clicker acts as a bridge to tell the bird/dog instantly what it was they did is going to earn them a treat. Obviously you need to find what your pet would love as a treat. My ekkie is food orientated and she loves passionfruit seeds and muesli, whereas my galah will toss the food away and prefers to be scratched for her reward. You need to condition your bird to the clicker meaning it will get a treat, that only takes a few mins of clicking then treating the bird. Eventually it hears the click then looks for the treat. then you teach the bird to target to something. I did a knitting needle. It is done in small steps. You might click for a look at the target, then a movement to the target, than a touch, then a bite. I do not click for a lesser behaviour once it has learned to progress (does this makes sense?). At the moment I am trying to teach Skye to "big wings", to lift her wings on command. I already taught my galah this many years ago without a clicker but she would do anything for a scratch and loved to be touched. My ekkie on the other hand does not like to be touched (she is very tame and quiet.............but please do not touch the merchandise. LOL). So I am touching her wings and clicking her and treating her. I know this is going to take me a few weeks but I anticipate being able to touch her wings all over eventually, which will (I hope) enable me to lift her wings and click and treat until she does it on cue. You probably do not need a clicker, just saying good girl/boy and treating would be enough, but the clicker is the same tone, sound, pitch and is (or can be) precise in the exact behaviour you want to shape. You just need to click at the precise moment they do what you want, remembering you need to shape the behaviour (trick) not just expect to have them do the trick straight away. It took skye a couple of days to do the retrieve, about a week to pick up a block and put into a container and only a couple of days to do "high five" and turn around. I am a member of an internet group called "birdclick" and bought a book on clicker training birds.

I hope I have made sense ;D

[lovemytiels]

Thanks for sharing that with us Tracey & yes it does make sense. My ringnecks would do anything for grape seeds, so that would work for them. Thanks for your help, much appreciated. Cheers Anna

[Rob]

I got my galah as a young aviary bird, it took around 3weeks for him to come good, I just kept handling him, giving him his own space etc, now he still nips a bit when his being bad, but most of the time his good.

I think the main thing is, you have to have an understanding with them.. talk to them etc, take them in a room there not familiar with, and you are the boss there, it's hard, but in the end, well worth the wait!