Update on my CAG Spencer

[macbrush]

Our progress has been slow, due to that I am temporary disabled, nevertheless we made some progress. Now he learned target, turn around, no no (not exactly shake head, since he wouldn't shake when i blow in his head, so I had a stick for him to follow side way), give me hand, and wave. Now I am still working on step up, but I have to find something that's comfortable for him to stick into his cage, which I am still working on it. And I have been trying to scratch his head from day one, I think he gets the idea, but he never liked it, and I never been able to really scratch his head, only touch it for a few times without him trying to bite me.

One of his problems is that I think he learned to bite anything that he doesn't like from his previous home. And he learned it very well, since he would dart on the object only once if at all, and in a split second he would turn to your hand which is holding the object. So I have to spend double time to train him to be comfortable an object. First to train him not to bite it (and my hand), then he would start moving away from it instead; then I had to train him to get close to the object, and get used to it. But then it is a very rewarding experience and I learned a lot from it.

I think I have his trust for now, it is just Spencer has to learn trusting someone also means not biting. I need to give him another way of saying "no" to me. My friend trained his pair of grey to say no by showing them an object they didn't like to another person in front of the parrots, and the other person would say "no" then my friend would reward them by removing the object. Do you guys think this is a good method? I think I will try it with my brother's help next week sometimes.

Cheers, and thanks for reading.

[GlassOnion]

That method is an example of negative reinforcement as well as the model/rival technique that Dr.Pepperberg used with Alex. It should work well.

[donald1954]

Hi,

a very interesting method, I can definately get something out of it! Thanks.

Kind regds, Don + Karin