Step One?

[jhuff]

So what is step one of clicker/target training? Do you target first or start the clicker first?

Binx already does some tricks for a treat. However, I have a hard time getting him to switch from one trick to another. Like if i ask him to say "baby bird" and he says it, and i give him a treat. I would then ask him to do another trick (all ones he has done forever.) maybe, "flip" which makes him flip around his perch. well.. i MAY do the flip or he may get stuck on saying baby bird and cant figure out why i wont give him the treat.

I have NEVER used a clicker, and binx has never been trained with one. He DOES do tricks to treats already, but not with a click again..


HELP! I know there are some postings on here about all this, but its just easier to start a new topic. Tell me the Do's and Dont's please. I dont want to mess this up!

[pchela]

The first step to taming your bird once you can get within cage distance is to let it get used to taking treats from your hand. To start, you need to figure out what your bird would enjoy as a food treat. A good start is to get some parrot seed mix (or whatever may be suited to your kind of bird) and pour it into a food bowl and watch the bid eat. You will observe that your parrot chooses to eat some kinds of seeds and not others. If you see it picking out a very specific kind of seed, it probably really likes it and it would make a suitable treat. Make sure you never serve that kind of seed (or other food) except as treats to reward desired behavior. You can also try healthier treats on your parrots by offering them fruits, vegetables, nuts, pasta, and other foods and finding out which they like. My parrot is on a pellet diet so pretty much everything but pellets is a treat for her. You will have to experiment and learn what your parrot likes. Then withhold that so that you can be the only source of that food for that bird. You will get all the credit for the pleasures derived from that food.

That is an excerpt from Michaels topic on training which can be found here. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=227&start=0

[jhuff]

Great thanks! Binx and I have already passed that test. I know what treats he likes and he knows they are treats only.

[Kim S]

Then you start to link the sound of the clicker with a treat.
*click* - give treat
*click* - gve treat
Do this a couple of time a day so your bird will know that once you click, he gets a treat. Once you see him expetcting a treat after a click you can start using the clicker to accentuate good behavior.

But read Michaels topic about this. It will make everything much clearer then having me repeat it for you. He is much better at this.

[jhuff]

Thank you Kim. I have read Michaels step by step instructions. They are great, i actually book marked them so that I can easily find them. I started today on giving him treats with the clicks... The clicks dont seem to phase him. He wanted to bite the clicker at one point, but stopped. I think he enjoys the idea of getting the treats without having to do anything.. Do i start taking longer to hand him the treat once i click now? longer and longer then start the tricks with the clicker?

[skeetersunconure]

my first step i did with skeeter was target training and whenever he touched the target click treat

[HyperD]

I just clicked then immediantly treated... I did this until if she was looking the other way and I clicked she would turn round and expect a treat...

Then I did wave, target, turn around and most recently shaking her head

[jhuff]

OK-Binx is a quick learner i think, I started doing the clicker on sunday ( 6-13) for treats. only 2 times that day, once this morning, and now this afternon, when i have the clicker in my hand ( not even clicking it, he starts to reach for a treat. Does that sound good enough for the next step? or do i need to wait a few more days?

[HyperD]

If he recognises the clicker visually as a training session then it looks good to start training some tricks. Just remember to only treat when you click so that the click means a treat rather than the presence of the clicker...

[jhuff]

GREAT! That sneaky thing also stole my clicker last night. I turned my back for just a sec. and turned back around to see it in his hand! I guess he wanted to start training me.. haha