throwing

[nagelsan]

I have some problems with training my cockatoo to fetch.
Trick training is going the right way, he is showing his wings and he urns around etc, but his previous owners somehow manage to have thought him to throw everything away that he gets from you.
So ofcourse you will pick it up and he can throw it away again.

I have no idea how to break this and have him put something in the bowl.
He is afraid of lots of things, even a small catball, so i can not have a dozen of things ready, so when he throws away something, ill just grab something else.
i cant take a real large bowl either, first because he is afraid of it and will jump of and leave and second because he will then turn his head around and throws it to the other site.
I can in no way, make sure it gets in to the bowl.

and it is not that he doesnt want to train, because when i let him turn around or something else, he does it right away.

Does anyone no how i can break this pattern of him throwing into him just dropping an object?
I dont wanna give up, because i know he'll like it, after he gets it, because he is eager to train and spend this quality time with me.
any tips are very welcome.

btw when i do manage to catch it in the bowl, or when he drops it by accident, i click right away and reward, but it doesnt make him not throw the next time.
I have started this not long ago, so i know maybe patience is the issue, but i want to be sure that i am not teaching him the wrong way, so he'll never get it right, because of myself doing it wrong.


thanks allready.

[Michael]

No, keep trying. This method totally works, I know. Because even a budgie who can barely hold anything can be taught to fetch and hold the object longer using this method. If you do it hundreds of times where object dropped into bowl = treat and object just dropped = nothing, the parrot will catch on. Once the parrot starts catching on to the concept, it's a matter of delaying the bowl progressively longer. For example:

1) Hold bowl under, give object, it is dropped into bowl, treat
2) Hold bowl under, give object, it is dropped into bowl, treat
3) Give object, it is dropped not into bowl, ignore
4) Hold bowl under, give object, it is dropped into bowl, treat
5) Give object, start bringing bowl in half second late and see if parrot will delay dropping just long enough to get it in the bowl

Once this becomes successful slowly increase duration before showing bowl longer and longer and eventually start placing it further to make the bird turn or walk to drop it in.

[nagelsan]

I will keep trying.
I know my senegal and my grey will catch on, but they havent learned any wrong behaviors.
But he is just throwing it far away, making it not even contact the bowl.
But, i will just try and try and try, maybee at some point he will understand.
I will make sure he is really eager to get that treat.
Thanks, i just wanted to know if i should do something different, just didnt want the wrong thing to teach him.
So, i am more secure again and will just hold on.

Thank you michael for your respond.