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What's the Easiest Trick

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

What was the easiest trick you've taught your parrot?

Wave
4
25%
Shake
0
No votes
Nod
0
No votes
Turn Around
9
56%
Wings
0
No votes
Fetch
1
6%
Flight Recall
2
13%
Other
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 16

What's the Easiest Trick

Postby Michael » Fri May 10, 2013 8:53 pm

What was the easiest trick for you to teach your parrot? Is it because it's an easy trick to teach your parrot or because the parrot is a more experienced learner from past training?
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby Cockatielsongs » Sat May 11, 2013 9:58 am

I suppose target training doesnt count... But after target training Bandit, he got turn around in one session and another for him to do it on cue. And a third session to perfect it.
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby janetafloat » Sat May 11, 2013 5:51 pm

I taught Alfie 'wave' first and he picked it up pretty quickly. 'Turn around' came next and he got that straight away, I imagine because he'd understood the process of 'learn a trick get a treat' by then.
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby Pajarita » Sun May 12, 2013 10:07 am

I don't teach my animals tricks.
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby InTheAir » Mon May 13, 2013 4:03 am

I found Nila picks up all the tricks I've taught him from that list in about the same time frame.

If I remember correctly weaving between poles (like in dog agility) was the trick he figured out quickest, but he already knew a handful of tricks by then.

If he's waiting for me to get some treats at the start of a training session he will spontaneously start with fetch if an object is available or wave and wings (sometimes at the same time if we haven't trained for awhile). He learnt them at totally different times (wings was his second trick, and wave was a few months later), so I'd hazard a guess that he finds those tricks easiest to do... Or maybe likes them best...

Claire

Pajarita; that's a pity, I've found Nila is very enthusiastic about tricks. He first started trick training by teaching our flatmate to fetch on command.
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby Eric&Rebecca » Mon May 13, 2013 4:33 am

I think some 'tricks' like flight recall (as our cockatiel Edmund picked up very quickly) is a useful tool and sometimes essential. It can help them get out of danger, for example during a burst pipe in our house water started pouring through the ceiling my partner had to move Edmund by holding him but he manged to wriggle free and escape. I was able to click my fingers twice and Edmund flew straight to me instead of going back into the leaking room. I maintain in a similar situation or if he was lost outside he would be able to fly to me on command. Obviously, we take precautions to make sure this doesn't happen but you never know. This was the fastest thing he learned, we trained slightly differently to Michael's methods but he's picked it up well. He will now fly to us from any place in the house if we click our fingers twice and say 'come here'. This hasn't spoilt his spontaenous flight either, he often has his zooming moments!

Also tricks and training enriches them, it helps them use their intelligence. Edmund loves his training time and when we get his training materials out like his fetch sticks he gets really excited in his cage. It has also lead to beahviours like him holding his food in his foot and learning to wave all by himself :-)

We haven't started formal training with our younger cockatiel yet other than the initial taming. He can step up and come for scratches now. As well as talking a little and he's started to whistle now.
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby Pricey_boy » Mon May 13, 2013 8:55 am

its been diff for each of my birds
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby JaydeParrot » Wed May 22, 2013 9:25 pm

Flight recall, Cain gets worried on her own, so if I put my arm out and say 'come here', she's usually more than happy to fly over and land on my arm.
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby feathermum » Thu May 23, 2013 11:50 am

well for my nanday we are just working on wings..not going great b/c i should have started this much sonner...but he's my 1st parrot so i'm learning!! lol he's also going through his 1st "big" molt : ( flight recall is next. my baby jenday does wings (most of the time) for only me, & he'll only do it around handfeeding time..but getting better! tried recall w/ him & it was ok..not enough that i would let him outside & we don't have harness yet.. my older jenday doesn't do any b/c when i got her a few mos. ago she wasn't even hand tame, now she is ( does that count? ) i believe she's around 2 yrs..hopeing she'll have all her feathers to fly by summer & then we'll work on recall. my Eckie is still very ..nervous..& does NOT fly well @ all, she's 2 & still working on being fully tame. i think that needs to come 1st espo. w/ rescues...but someday i hope to have "trained" parrots :)

how long do conures ussually take to train??
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Re: What's the Easiest Trick

Postby Trick or 'Tiel » Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:41 am

Not counting target, which isn't really a trick, I'd say the easiest trick to teach my cockatiel was wave. He learned it in about 20 minutes, and even learned to open and close his toes when he waves! Aside from wave, the next easiest trick was turn around, but the bird needs to be already target trained. If flight recall wasn't my tiel's first trick, it would probably be one of the easiest. The first trick you teach your bird will always take the longest, because the bird needs to "learn how to learn".
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