asterroc | Walking the Bird (Reply)

So I've been trying to get Gabe used to the Aviator harness. Unlike the Feather Tether it actually fits on her - FT Petite was too small, Small was too big; Aviator Petite is approximately right though it isn't contoured to shape her body quite right. It was hard to figure out how to adjust it properly the first time - not so tight that it hurts or she can't breathe, but not so loose that she can get a foot though. She's a squirmy little critter, so the first time she did get her foot through a few times. The included video wasn't too helpful in that respect, as it only shows them putting it on Macaws and other huge birds, not eentsy 'tiels.

Took her out for the second time today. Having it on her drives her insane, and she pecks at it continually. I'm worried she might already be starting to fray the main joint/seam on it, so I'm going to see if I can put some tape around it or something so that she has to get through more to get to the seam. Her balance is a bit off in it, as the strap leading off it is apparently a little heavy to her, plus she the strap hangs down in front of her right foot so she keeps trying to step on it instead of on me.

I went out in the middle of the field behind my house and had her stand on my finger for a while. Every time she started to peck at it I'd jostle my finger a bit to stop her, and after a while she started to look around instead. But she got bored of that and went back to pecking, so we went back in after not too long this time. Not too many people around this time, so no one asking to pet her or if she really was a bird or if she could talk. Saw a semi-stray dog though (wearing a collar but no human apparent) wandering around though, got me nervous. He was actually sniffing my trash on the porch when I first left the house so I went back in w/ Gabe until he left.

I'll keep trying her on small outings to get used to it. Some tape or something on the leash so she can't get to the seam should help.