Tips to Harness Train a Parrot - GoodBirdInc.com

Here are some tips to help get you started on some harness training with your parrot. The two amazons have progressed since this was filmed. The harness featured is the Aviator Harness
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I also have some blogs on training your parrot to wear a harness and also training difficult behaviors that provide additional information. See the links below:
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Barbara Heidenreich
www.GoodBirdInc.com
Copyright Good Bird Inc 2009.

[@duck3h]

That is the calmest, happiest, fluffiest macaw I have ever seen. What kinds of harnesses are these?

[@moldybandshirt1045]

Renée Artigues I think the aviatir

[@Mdolittle1]

I know this is a old video but I absolutely love the adoring look he gives you. He's really enjoying this.

[@whoamiduh8394]

Best parrot trainer I've come across, very patient and gentle! Bravo

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

+Amy Wilkinson Thanks so much for the kind words :)

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

I can assure you it was thanks to training with positive reinforcement ; ) He and the others in this clip learned being calm results in good consequences. That is what positive reinforcement training is all about.

[@plushieangela]

same with my tiel. She's constantly moving around & has sooo much energy

[@FacesintheStone]

At seven minutes and 30 seconds you point out how to think ahead and outsmart the bird by training it to drop to get a treat which makes it want to touch the harness again after being told drop. Plus how often does my parrot grab my charger cord or my coasters or everything else. This type of thinking is fantastic. What a great tip. Thank you!

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@warboop They do make the aviator harness small enought for tiels. I have not yet tried it on a budgie. You may want to visit their website for more info.

[@nicola3540]

How I wish I had been patient enough to listen to instructions like this. Years ago I was so keen to get my otherwise relaxed and trusting parrot to wear a harness I went about it far too quickly. As a result, now years later, the mere sight of the harness has him take flight to the furthest corner of the house and he won’t come anywhere near me till it’s gone from sight

[@cindyandjoey]

My Triton cockatoo is 22 years old. When he still had a band on his foot, I clipped on a leg chain, but wound all but the last few inches around my hand, so as to prevent him from breaking a leg. (If I felt him crouch down to spring, I would clap a hand over his back.) I used to walk with him for an hour through the neighborhood, and he would call out to the neighbors. We both really enjoyed our walks. He learned where all the dogs and cats lived, and would bark or meow at those houses. Then, I got a new vet, and he said he could get the leg band caught on something in the cage when you're not home, so best to cut it off. He said, you can "just" acclimate him to a harness. I said OK. I tried for quite a while to do the harness, but he never did let me get it all the way on. He is very tame with me, and will let me pet up under his wings, etc. I did get it over his head and off, but don't really know how to progress, as he starts chewing on the harness like it's a toy. I soooo regret now cutting his band off. He has been getting more anti-social without going out. (If I get out the old chain, he still puts his foot up for me to put it on! He really wants to "go fer"!) What happens in cases where the harness just doesn't work out? Would I have to buy him a Pak-o-Bird carrier? Or is there some other type of latching bracelet I could put on his foot to attach the old lead to? Falconry band maybe?

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

+cindyandjoey You might want to read the blog that goes with this video. It explains more goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2009/10/harness-training-your-parrot.html

[@sjlove2bird]

You are shamelessly taking advantage of Amazon parrots' love affair with food; can't wait to try it on my Panama Amazon later today. Love this!

[@reneemills-mistretta790]

That's amazing how well he accepted the harness by going very slow w/lots of head scratches.

[@Anne.M.Kenyon]

This is great Barbara, thank you! My friend from Portugal (Facebook friend) asked me to find a harness for his cockatiel, who is quite timid of new things. Ive just ordered him one, so am sending him this video to study, so when the harness arrives it will help him to help his little bird. Thank you Barbara!

[@mayakashisagan4025]

Such a cute bird, he looks so happy

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@JoodSomething It has a bungee chord in it so the bird ends up suspended in flight. However your goal should be to pay attention to the environment so the bird does not try to fly due to a fear response or other environmental distraction.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@Buffalomovie I teach my parrots to "drop" things on cue. This is helpful if they are inclined to chew the harness. However your best bet is to avoid chewing in the first place by reinforcing them for not chewing and also directing their attention to acceptable behavior before chewing crosses their minds : ) Whew! Lots of "chewing" words in there. lol

[@GotParrot]

Barbara, I teach ALL my animals to drop things on cue. My dad taught me that decades ago. From my dogs to my horses to my parrots previously owned pet pigs. It has saved me a world of grief. Love this... was looking up harnesses to replace one for my now THIRTY year old B&G macaw and your video popped up. How lovely. We first met when you came as a guest speaker to my bird up here in Tulsa about 20 years ago. I'm happy to report, my fids are still happy and healthy as ever. Love how you have thrived. ❤

[@woodgirl69]

This is informative but the bird in this video is the most docile parrot I have seen in a long time. He sits in the same spot thru the whole procedure. Like harnessing parrot in a coma.

[@jhjk527]

SO CUTE AND FLUFFY

[@spiveyc4404]

Wow this video is very helpful because it emphasizes that different birds need different rewards and it shows examples of food motivated, as well as touch motivated birds. Thank you so much

[@LynnR40]

Beautiful !! Looks like he would let you do any thing as long as your rubbing his head. That's comatose relaxed LOL. A really good loving trusting relationship the 2 of you have !

[@EricBryan]

What an excellent video. My goffins is scared of anything new, so I knew it would be a slow process, I was thinking it might take a week or two. I followed your steps using treats and in 3 days my bird was wearing her harness like a pro. Your training tips work every time! Thank you!

[@allywentzel5581]

thats awesome! i am waiting for my birds harness to arrive. I have been wondering how im going to get him used to it without stressing him out!!! THANKS!

[@dashizzle1985]

that green bird is like NOPENOPENOPE! LOL!

[@Jinta33]

Fun to see this video now, I did practice (first wing touching wich he don't like) and put the harness over his back and head: I practice about a month and today my dear Caique were his harness for the first time, he loves to go outside!

[@TheChancelover]

That is the sweetest macaw I have ever saw!

[@christopherbishop5014]

The best video for explaining harness training yet fantastic , thank you great video 😀

[@r3verseb4ckfl1p]

Great video, well done and thank you. This has been a great help. Love to see people using positive reinforcement 😀

[@Missblackwidow96]

Awh this little man is adorable!

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@flip9y yes! Try the aviator harness. They make them in small sizes

[@Bloke63]

thanks for the advice Barbara

[@datinyone]

didn't even think about training with a larger harness first! great idea! thanks!! Maybe I'll be able to get my Roseifron Conure in a harness now!

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

it really depends on things like access to shade, breezes, humidity, water for bathing/cooling and if your bird is acclimated to the temperature change. I generally aim for 55 to 90 degrees....but my birds always have access to shelter, water, etc and I check on how they are responding to the temperature.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

try the parrot university for the aviator harness. they make small sizes too

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@Animecomicable I would check with the American Federation of Aviculture and also local parrot rescues.

[@Tsubakiee]

I have a male bare-eyed cockatoo. I'm unsure which size to get so, this helped a lot! I'll start with a large and get a medium if i need to afterwards.

[@mistydiddleymonty]

Thank you so much for this video! im about to purchase a harness for my African grey parrot he's around 5 months old and i cannot wait to take him outside :D

[@WARRIORofHARDCORE]

Adorable

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@LotusWolfStudios you are asking for too much too soon. read the blog that goes with this video : ) By using smaller steps and positive reinforcement the bird can learn to put herself into the harness practically. Go to the good bird inc website and click on blog and put harness in the search box to find the full article.

[@hjones1]

Wow, you're very good with the birds.

[@jrmno1]

Thank you .....

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@atouchofmagic1988 the training would be more like you see with the amazon. Tiny baby steps.. it may take a while, but it is doable.

[@nancytigressvlogs]

My 7 month old conure fears it. I sadly went to fast and he flew away with it around him and manage to take it off. The second time he rolled and his back and did everything to get it off. Il try the play time tactic. Hope it get him to not fly away every time he sees it. 😕

[@user-bh3zc2dt8q]

hi Barbara i need your help. I had bought 2 lovebirds but the male died. I got a new one but he is only 3 months and i want to training him to make him tractable. I had teached him to sat up my hand but he don't let me to fondle him. What I can do for that??? thankes

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

My first DVD Parrot Behavior and Training and my Live Workshop one called The Basics of Parrot Training will help. They can be found here www.goodbirdinc.com/parrot-store.html

[@user-bh3zc2dt8q]

thanks you very much

[@janir321]

Your Macaw is awesome! What a sweetie!!

[@zXIaDaMIXz]

@GoodBirdInc I got it today and my caique didnt have any problem with it even though it says you should get them used to it she just let me put it on!!!! :D

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@NyanNyanBunny the aviator harness comes in a small size for tiels

[@zXIaDaMIXz]

@goodbirdinc thanks for the info iv been training with her for the last two hours and now its getting dark shes letting me rub under her wings and now i can put my index finger and thumb round her neck and she doesnt fidget. All i need to do now is wait for the harness to come and get her familiar with it thank you for the video and hopefully ill succeed

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@zXIaDaMIXz The "wicks' are pin feathers. That is a new feather growing in. When a feather is still growing it has a blood and nerve supply. Therefore it can be painful to the bird to have a pin feather touched. When feather is fully grown the nerve and vein retract and it is not painful, and the keratin sheath that is around the feather is ready to come off at that time. The touch I was referring to was about her body and under her wings. That is the most challenging part for harness training.

[@ThePsittacine]

Who would give this video a "thumbs down"? Someone need their head checked.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@xxbasketballdudexx I believe so. If you get in touch with Steve Hartman on the aviator harness site he will be able to tell you for sure as well as custom fit one if necessary

[@user-hn7pm2ss4z]

wow thank you

[@MrEleanorw]

great video! really informative and its nice to see happy birds :)

[@cryrolfe]

I love that macaw Barbara!!!

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@The12jere21 The folks that make the harness in this video will make one that is customized to fit your bird. I would get in touch with them. Let them know the weight of your bird and that will help them figure out an appropriate size. The harness is the aviator and the company is Parrot University

[@Dalmato1000]

parrot must enjoy himself.

[@1213kira]

your macaw just loves you..you can tell...how did you get your macaw to become so tamed?? I have a cockatiel and she'll let me pet her from the outside of the cage and I can put my hand in the cage and pet her...she loves attention and head scratches...she doesnt like it when i touch her breast,feet,back and wings though...and she's still uncomfortable with my hand a little..she doesnt like stepping up...she will step up but she'll bite my finger for a few times before she does and then when she's on my hand she'll bite it and she won't stay on it...she'll fly away any chance she gets...I've had her for about a month now...i've been using mellet as a reward for when she does something I want her to do but I don't want to have to give her a treat all the time...she won't listen to me unless she gets a treat...could you give me some advise??please??

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

+heather cleveland I have some great resources on building trust on my website. My best resource is a webinar recording. You csn find it here www.goodbirdinc.com/parrot-store-digital.html It is super comprehensive. Much better than I can provide in a comment :) I would actually look at the free one #8 even if your parrot is not a rescue as much of the info is relevant

[@IamMissPronounced]

Next to my tiny parrotlet, this Blue is HUGE!

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@QueenSmileyFace1 they make aviator harnesses small enough for a quaker. Just google the name and the website will come up. youtube wont let me post the url here.

[@weareallconnectedanimalus8439]

He loves you :) Anyone, would a small fit my Quaker parrot, or extra small?

[@Darthcharlie100]

Lovely video. Very helpful. What's the make of that harness you are using? There's loads of them out there and I don't know which one to get...

[@funfango]

My 7-year old eclectus girl does not like being touched and we are in the middle of harness training but I've run into a problem. I can get it on her head okay using the method you showed, but when I go to take it off, she tries to bites me because she doesn't want me to take it off. She knows she only gets treats while she's wearing the harness. Do I have to go back and approximate the removal process too? I worry she's getting too many treats. I use safflower seeds, which are EXTREMELY high-value for her.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

Hl Fang I know it is quite frustrating, but it is what it takes. Tiny, tiny baby steps for these difficult behaviors. But if you focus on make the process so pleasant and taking the time, then end result will be a bird who looks forward to the harness. Pushing for the end result against her will and you will never get there with her being a voluntary participant. Eventually it wont take so many seeds. It is just in the training stage.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@julianacjara you can buy the one I mentioned online. Definitely visit Steve Hartmans site. He can tell you exactly what you need.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

i have more info on this coming out soon. I will post announcement when it iis ready

[@scampyboyXD]

would love to see her to try that with mine

[@jekejeke475]

How do you get him so still. MY BIRD IS A MANIAC

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@julianacjara I prefer the one in my video clip called the aviator harness. It is safer for the bird and easiest to train a parrot to wear. They come in different sizes and they cusomize one for your bird if needed. Their website is Parrot University Steve Hartman.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@ahorsecalledgavin If you train the behavior with positive reinforcement. Watch the segments with the amazons to wee what I mean. I will have another video on this soon.

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

Please check with the manufacturer for that info. Aviator harness by parrot university.

[@The12jere21]

What harness size you recommend for karakiki (aka.Cyanoramphus auriceps) and is there something exceptions on this specie?

[@musicislife6951]

thinking of buying a harness but i can already imagine the way hes going to react :c

[@shannonabrown]

You too, huh? I have a Military Macaw, named Niko, that I am contemplating purchasing a harness for. Thing is, I have a feeling he may fly into my bedroom as I lay sleeping and tear out my jugular vein for just suggesting he wear such a contraption. LOL. I love my sweet bird though.

[@HumeraGinwalla]

What are feeding your bird? i would like to know what can i use as a treat for my 13 weeks old african grey ,, thanks

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@QueenSmileyFace1 You can train her using positive reinforcement to enjoy the harness. That is what this video clip is about : )

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

@JoodSomething I would not recommend that as it there are entanglement risks.

[@lagestita]

Hello, I was wondering if I could get advice from you. I have a male cockatiel which I got several years ago as an adult. I have trained him to do several tricks, the target, turn around and fetch. He loves training. I'm currently trying to train him to wear the aviator harness and it goes great up to a point. I got him twice to the point where he puts his head through the tiny loop where the head is supposed to go. The problem is that at some point when he has his head in it, he freaks out and starts fighting with the harness which makes it very difficult for me to take it off him. Then he becomes afraid of the harness once again and I need to go back to where he puts his head through a bigger loop. We have been at it for quite a long time now and I don't know how to get past that point. I would really appreciate your input. Thanks in advance and best wishes.

[@Jaydarox213]

It's just so you can take them for walks without the risk of it flying away, although harness training is necessary for most parrot, due to their fear of the harness.

[@JoodSomething]

will it be ok if i made my Harness longer? like for my parrot to fly higher and stuff? and when he turns around can it rap around his feet\wings or something?

[@stormsbrewing3445]

Hi, Barbra! I have a baby budgie, Coby, whom I cannot seem to get his harness on. I give him treats, toys, and playtime, but whenever he sees the harness, he immediately freaks out. What should I do? Nothing seems to be working.

[@JoodSomething]

while flying can it hurt them? like when they fly will it just pull them and make them fall?

[@zoehindley4268]

Hi I have a yellow crowned Amazon parrot and I was wondering what you was feeding yours as a treat

[@bnaideralbedah7553]

Thank you👍

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

It is all about baby steps and not pushing for too much too soon : )

[@ahorsecalledgavin]

Beautiful Mac! Can an older bird, say a 20yo grey be taught to wear a harness? Will they accept it? Thanks for the vids.

[@4345candy]

Barbara I also have a BTM what size did you buy for yours, I was thinking large for BTM and Xlrg fir my B/G

[@milanethington]

Please help! My pineapple Connor has been in the house very long and has stepped up and went threw all basic training. This week I have been trying him to get his harness on. But whenever I do you he’s not interested in the millet he just steps on it and flys away, When I train him with the harness all of his basic training goes out the window. He starts biting me and refuses to step up and flys awway. He loves going outsides though.

[@zXIaDaMIXz]

What is the best way to get rid of pinfeathers on the neck and cheeks of my caique?

[@brucedabetta]

Great video, this helped me a lot! Cute blue throat

[@kaylahesano3753]

I have a Quaker parrot right now and I was wondering if putting a harness on the quaker parrot will work

[@shoogaplum3499]

I can put it on fine but my girl hates it once it is on.. she picks and tries to bite it the entire time. Any hints in how to get her to not let it bother her so much?

[@zreinholdsson]

That third parrot is so cute! And the video will be a huge help for me. I'm taking home a little Senegal parrot in two weeks and I'm going to start training för this as soon as possible. I ordered both a flightsuit and an Aviator harness. I'm a bit worried about that very thin leach on the harness though. Do you think it brake easily or does it just look weak?

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

It is a bungie type leash. It is pretty strong but also gives so it doesnt jerk your parrot to a stop. However I would not let your parrot chew on it : )

[@greybirdy]

Great info, thanks for sharing :)

[@BarbaraHeidenreich]

a back up safety device so that companion parrots can enjoy a more enriched life by having the ability to safely visit places outside the home.

[@Mariana-lc8ct]

Hello, I'm from the Czech Republic. And my parrot can bite well, but he still cuddles and plays with me. But he puts his head in the harness and takes it out again, because he takes the reward, stays there a few times and ate it there, but not many times. How do I do that? Otherwise, he'll bite me.

[@MrAustin2478]

were can i find a harness for a budgie

[@zXIaDaMIXz]

I have an 11 year old caique will it be hard to train her?

[@roxs8520]

your bird is cute and your pretty

[@The12jere21]

@GoodBirdInc Well, thanks about that

[@madheliflyer9038]

How long does it take to get to that stage?

[@skylarmiller7067]

What type of harness do you use

[@LotusWolfStudios]

I have a little lovebird who i bought a harness for, but she freaks out as soon as i put the hoop around her neck D= im too scared to go any further =/ Any advise please?

[@parrot_crystal]

Is it ok to use a used harness on a another bird? plz answer

[@tianacook6043]

What Kind of harnesses are you using?