It is amazing how fast these guys learn!

[dohcsvt]

I have been training my 2 parrots for about 2 weeks now and am having exemplary (atleast in my opinion) results.

Ollie the has learned to target, turn around, shake hands and is currently learning wave. The anly real problem is that he will not perform simply from a voice command, he always waits for a hand signal.

Stanley the after 1 week, just getting him to stay on the perch has learned target and is rapidly grasping turnaround. I train them for 10-15 minutes each day first thing in the morning and then give them breakfast.

One thing I have noticed, at;least with Ollie is he will not perform off of the training perch if I try ti show his tricks to somebody, I am guessing he will with time. Hopefully we will learn many new things together, I really love my flock!!!

[Michael]

It takes MUCH longer for them (if ever) to learn to perform on verbal signal rather than visual cue. Often I'll teach a new trick in 2-4 days to my parrots on visual cue but then spend a month practicing it on visual and voice cues until I can use them interchangeably and without confusing it with other tricks. The important thing is to keep challenging them. Every few days try doing the trick over and over again with visual/verbal cues and then try just verbal. Sometimes the inertia of doing it repeatedly will carry over and when the bird gets the treat for doing it on verbal rather than visual cue, it just clicks and it knows to do it on verbal command.

[dohcsvt]

I train these guys 7 days a week. My theory is that since it is only 10-15 minutes/day, that it will not burn them out. Am I thinking correctly or should I give them the weekend off like my real kids used to get in school?

Also, it is goods to know that the verbal cues are much harder for them to grasp, atleast now I no longer think the little green one is deaf....I seriously was starting to wonder. Because if I pu him on his training perch and take too long to get the clicker and treat ready, he will start "turning around" on his own and looking for a treat, yet if I just said "turn around" he would look at me as if to say "I can't hear you!" Thanks for the info.
Ottis

[Michael]

I think a little training every single day is great. As long as it's not burning them out and they are learning, keep it up. And 10-15 minutes should be just fine. Handling/taming should without a doubt be a daily thing with little to no breaks. As for formal trick training, I think it's ok to take a random break every once in a while. I think it's better that they be random or coincide with when you need a day off rather than a scheduled day off.

Also there are two stages of trick training. Teaching the trick and maintaining known ones. While teaching a new trick, it is important to stay focused until it is well learned. But then I like to take a break between tricks to practice the ones the bird already knows. I like for the old tricks to be really solid before working on something else or else the bird starts to forget the old trick in favor of the new one. So I'm more lenient about skipping training from time to time when I'm not teaching anything new.