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Avoiding inadvertent training

SpecialistElbru

Sprinting down the street
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I am working with Calypso, a young B&G who is about 10 months old. She is being trained as an outreach bird. I am proceeding with clicker training. As a young macaw, she is naturally wanting attention all the time. I have noticed, if I look away she will tug at my shirt to get attention. To stop this I have been trying to use distraction. However I realize this is not a good way to proceed because, my trying to distract her actually gives her the attention that she wants.

I was thinking that I should just ignore the shirt-tug however, I do not think that would work because, she will often pinch my skin under my shirt while tugging at my shirt. So far I have not been bruised from this pinching, but I defiantly worry that the behavior could escalate. It also seems by accident that she discovered the nipple-cripple, she does not do it often, (even though I am a man) I definitely want to stop that behavior before it even gets off the ground.

Any suggestions for how to proceed.
 

JLcribber

@cockatoojohn
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If you were another parrot you would have taken a swipe back at that bird. A common squabble if you like. That would happen a few times and either you would take off. Or you would drive that other one off. Part of our problem is we don't have feathers.

What I do with TIKA, who is confident, is when he's being annoying I swipe back. For example if he sitting on my lap chewing on my zipper I'll give him a bonk in the body with my finger just like Amanda does when he's bothering her, which startles. He doesn't like it. I only do it when he does it first.

It's not punishment. It's standing my ground.
 

Karen

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Instead of making it a negative can you chain a positive behavior from the shirt tug?
 

Monica

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Or figure out another behavior to teach the B&G how to receive attention? i.e. ringing a bell? Or saying a word? Replace undesirable with something desirable.
 
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