Target Training Einstein

[zazanomore]

This past week I've been trying out target training with Einstein. At first, he has no idea what I was doing, but he caught on after a couple of days. I decided to film part of a session we had this morning.



I haven't gotten around to buying a clicker, but next time I'm at a petstore I'll pick one up.

This really seems like something fun me and Einstein can do together. And hopefully, this can lead to other tricks and games.

[captwest]

Very cool, just becareful he doesn't train you to move the stick closer, if he doesn't go for it stop and try again after a second or two, maybe a little closer next time. Keep up the good work

[zazanomore]

Thanks for the advice! I'm still learning

[captwest]

I think another helpful hint is to keep your sessions short, maybe only 5 mins or so, don't go til he gets bored, leave him wanting more and he'll look forward to your next session.

[Michael]

Nice job. Now let's see you target him all over the place

[zazanomore]

He's getting better and better each day! He'll fly across the room to get to the target

[Becco Lunatico]

He's getting better and better each day! He'll fly across the room to get to the target

Yes yes yes!! Great bird owner too!

[Red Moppet]

I think another helpful hint is to keep your sessions short, maybe only 5 mins or so, don't go til he gets bored, leave him wanting more and he'll look forward to your next session.

Exactly. I've found that 5 minute sessions a couple of times per day works wonders with my budgie. He doesn't fill up on millet, he's always excited to try again and he doesn't get a chance to become bored.

And if he isn't getting the concept of a new trick we just go back to practicing targeting and that seems to alleviate his stress at not understanding what I want him to do and ends the training session on a positive note. Also, I use targeting as a way to calm him down if he's hyped up over mirrors or whatever: I'll have him fly all over the room (wearing him out) to target and that also gives him a focus to his pent-up energy.

An easy next step from targeting is turning around because you can use the stick in a similar way to prompt the action (turning around was Sputnik's second trick).

Awesome work and very cute cockatiel zazanomore!! Einstein seems very sweet.

[idlepirate]

Sweety lil birdy hehe Lorenzo could hear you from the laptop and was looking everywhere for a stick to target to.
I think you can make the clicker sound with your mouth in the meantime until you get a clicker, keeps the sound persistant that when he hears it he knows hes done good:) i saw it on some parrot training videos online. Just an idea.

I'd like to know how everyone that takes videos is able to keep their camera so still in such good quality, are you all using proper cameras or phones or what is the secret lol
I only have my htc phone here to record on for the moment and im finding it impossible to get the right lighting or keep it still. but hopefully i can get a video up soon- might be dark and shaky though haha.

[zazanomore]

I put the camera on my tv, then pushed record

It's just an ordinary digital camera, nothing special.