What trick should I train Kili next?

[Michael]

Ok, after a few weeks of holding you guys in suspense, here is the new trick. It didn't really take all that long to teach but just haven't had the chance to make the video up until now. We shot preliminary footage of the basic trick last week but decided to redo it in the present form instead. I taught the trick mostly in one training session and then used several follow up sessions to perfect it.

Here is a dart playing parrot or dart with a guidance system if that is how you wanna put it

[Pola]

thats really cool

[bmsweb]

Kili and yourself make a very good team when it comes to Darts just watched it again! so cool. My son and i have watched all the videos on your channel!!! Love the 20 tricks on 2 min

[MandyG]

Awesome trick! That's definitely something that I've never thought of teaching. Very cute!


But this leads to the same question again. What trick should you teach Kili next?

[Michael]

Yup. I've tried teaching her to fly through a hoop several times already but she just doesn't seem to get it. The trouble is I need assistance for that but Kathleen isn't always around. If I can make a stand that holds the hoop it may be a bit easier.

Otherwise I'm stumped for trick ideas. For the rest of the week though, I'm planning to just take it easy and practice tricks she already knows. After every new trick I like to take a few weeks to go back and review old tricks so she doesn't get confused. It's just so many tricks to know that it is impossible to practice every single one every time. And especially when I'm training new tricks, there is less time to practice old ones. If I don't practice she gets sloppy. Most tricks can be retrained very quickly but it's still annoying.

[MandyG]

The hoop stands look pretty easy to make, as long as you have PVC or if your perches go high enough you can tape the hoop to it. Of course I'd use the same idea as your perches, not one of the ones you already have as that would confuse Kili. You seem pretty handy with making props and stands so I'm sure you've already thought of how to make one .

[Kathleen]

I feel as though Kili doesn't recognize/hasn't learned the concept of flying through the hoop. To me, it seems like since you recall her, she just flies the shortest/quickest flight path to get to your arm and doesn't seem to care much about the hoop. I think you have to make it a separate cue. Otherwise, I feel like she sees it as just an obstacle in her way of a recall cue.

[MandyG]

If you tried standing less than a foot behind the hoop so she has to land on your hand by going through the hoop and can't fly around it would that help? You'd have to be careful to be far enough behind it so she doesn't start to think she should be stopping in the hoop and landing on it instead of going through it. I've never taught the flying through a hoop trick and I'm not sure what you've tried already though.

I'm sure you've already thought of everything that I might suggest. Without actually watching the training session it's almost impossible to give advice!

[Michael]

Nah, that's not the issue. If I hold the hoop so the bird has to go through it she goes through it. If I hold it slightly out of the way she flies straight to me rather than making a small deviation to go through the hoop before coming to me. That's the problem. She still hasn't grasped the concept. Perhaps it's just a matter of patience but I'm disappointed that she isn't picking up this pretty simple trick as quickly as she has picked up many other tricks.

[MandyG]

Ah, I see the problem. You're one of those parents...

Just have patience. Remember you've practised flying straight to you (whether around a corner or with you in sight) so much that when you call her it's like you're flipping a switch and she just does what she knows how to do without any thought. I think Kathleen is right, you should have a different cue for when she's to go through the hoop. She's a smart bird, she'll get it eventually!