When do i move on to the next trick?

[charlie411ca]

Hi, I have not started training yet, but I was wondering how you go about teaching more than one trick. Should you teach one trick, and then when they know it, you stop and move on to the next trick? Or should you teach each trick and go over it every training session and add on a new one at the end! And if you do stop teaching them a trick when they have it down packed, should you do touch up training every few months?
Thanks for any tips or suggestions!

[skeetersunconure]

i would work on one trick at a time

[Michael]

Basically I think parrots can learn three tricks simultaneously but only one in each category. They can learn one prop induced trick (target, fetch, slide, etc), one cue induced trick (shake, turn around, wave, etc), and one taming behavior (hold on back, open wings, etc) at a time. This is because the type of thing learned in each category is so vastly different that it cannot be confused. However, training multiple tricks in the same category at the same time will lead to much confusion. I do not recommend beginners teach multiple tricks this way though because they could easily overwhelm the parrot.

I am basically doing this right now by teaching Truman target (prop trick), wave (cue trick), and letting me open his wings (taming). I did not teach all of these in the same day though. I've been teaching these in the span of the recent two weeks but this allows me to practice all of them for a longer time span. Tricks need to be practiced regularly or they will become confused or forgotten.