How many of you own a clicker?

[Michael]

I'm curious what proportion of parrot owners own a clicker? I guess another question is if you have one do you use it? I can see some people trying it and deciding they don't want to use it, so that's where the second poll option comes in (or if you're just too lazy to use it ).

After voting, post about if you use a clicker, has it been successful, etc. If you don't have or use one, post why not? If you don't have one (perhaps no stores around you sell them) but got one, would you use it for training?

[patdbunny]

"Yes, but I don't use it"
I'm in the too lazy category. I was teaching recall to the babies while they were flighted pre-weaning. But I figured out that's not to my interest; and the homes they'd be going to they wouldn't be flighted; and I don't really have the time to teach tricks and still teach the lessons I want my babies to learn before going to their new homes. The lessons I teach my babies are general good birdie citizen things that don't require a clicker.

[kaylayuh]

I'm a mix of too lazy and just plain uninterested in a clicker, though I recommend it to other people who want to train their birds. It's not super important to me to have my birds learn tricks. And besides, my budgies would completely ignore me and my GCC would get bored and want to cuddle.

[Miramis]

"Yes, and I use it for training"

For me it was quite a natural step though, since I used it on dogs previously. However, I wouldnt have thought of using it for Sazu, hadnt it been for finding Michaels videos. I find it a very easy and fun way of training

[Vikki]

I've never taught my birds tricks but want to start. I like the idea of flight recall and have already started scoping the rescue for good candidates We got a sun conure pair in last week that are young and attentive and like me, so I may work with them. My Jardine's and our Catalina already do the fetch thing on their own, it was learned over a period of time just through play. I also want to teach tricks, but my birds don't have any preference to treats so I don't know what I would use to tempt them.

[Kim S]

I have one and I use it. I have two actually. I started to clickertrain Kika and I have great fun teaching him tricks.
Now that I have Abby, my bordercollie puppy, I use my clicker to train her as well. I love the fact that she starts thinking of tricks on her own. I am trying to walk her through a ladder thats laying flat on the floor right now, thats to teach her that she can actively use her back legs in stead of going on instinct. This will teach her balance and body awareness, something that comes in handy when I will start agility training.
Anyway. I was out of cookies and going to get some more. When I came back she was racing back and forth trhough the ladder as fast as she could, looking at me after every turn as ifshe was saying: Look at me!! Dont I deserve some cookies?

[zazanomore]

I use mine for training.

[Roger P]

I am not sure where to be here because I have been in two categories. I started off using the clicker for target training, and when I started with tricks. I started to find though that simply saying "good boy" worked as well as the clicker, so I stopped using it. I have recently started recall training, and as the distance improves, I see the possibility for the clicker to come back again. I guess with yes, and I use it for training.

[Vicki5280]

Yes, and I use it for training.

I tried using it for my dogs, but I suppose I was doing something wrong because it didn't work. When I saw Michael's videos, I decided to give it another go (of course, I couldn't find any of the previous seven I've purchased in the past). So off to the pet store I went and bought a new one. It's been working great with my Quaker, he's targeting very well and with the use of the clicker, has learned to put his beak down like he's bowing. Now he's learning to put a ball in a cup.

I'm starting with JJ's teaching on Wednesday. I can't wait!

[NuItch]

Yes but I don't use it because I fumble around too much and drop and forget to press it
I used it when I first got Chico and I found it good when I could get it together and use it properly but I found me saying 'good' was fairly effective and I didn't have to worry about stuffing up the bridging.
Recently Chico had lost motivation and I thought about using again to help with letting him know exactly what I wanted him to do but I figured out Chico's problem was the fact that when I was training him my voice wasn't very animated so he wasn't very excited. Problem now solved.
Overall the trick training progression may be a bit slower without a clicker but I guess this would also depend on the bird and how quick they pick things up.
For my guys it doesn't seem to make a big enough of a difference for me to worry about using it and screwing it up