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Freddy learned SCAREY BIRD trick!

Nancy B

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We were playing with Freddy and he started spreading his wings and screeching. I started saying AHHHH SCAREY BIRD and he kept doing it! So then I gave him a treat....then a little bit later. I said SCAREY BIRD and he spread his wings and screeched!!! He got another treat! Now he's relaxing because we're both over excited! His first trick just in time for HALLOWEEN! :rofl:
 

faislaq

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Good idea making it into a trick instead of trying to stop it. Now he'll do it when you ask & hopefully not when you don't. :thumbsup: Brilliant!

Buzzard used to turn the light switch then bite the switchplate for attention. Hard to ignore when you're worried he might hurt himself. At first I tried to stop the behavior, but then he'd bite it a lot more before I could get to him, so I started praising as soon as he flipped the switch, before he started on the switchplate & he'd go straight up to his perch for a treat. ;)
 

Nancy B

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Of course this also has a down side. When we were trying to get freddy to go back in for bedtime, he started doing SCAREY BIRD!! I said OOOH SCAREY BIRD FRED?! Joe said maybe he hopes he can scare us away so he can stay up?! LOL! OK so I used a technique I found online to play follow the leader. I got him to start following me through a little obstacle course! The obstacle course idea will also help me show him hide & seek too, something I loved with my lovebird. I got him to do two steps on the obstacle course, then he stepped up (got treats after each) and back to his cage without an issue!! SUCCESS! We were all excited and fred had a fun night!
 

Nancy B

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Good idea making it into a trick instead of trying to stop it. Now he'll do it when you ask & hopefully not when you don't. :thumbsup: Brilliant!

Buzzard used to turn the light switch then bite the switchplate for attention. Hard to ignore when you're worried he might hurt himself. At first I tried to stop the behavior, but then he'd bite it a lot more before I could get to him, so I started praising as soon as he flipped the switch, before he started on the switchplate & he'd go straight up to his perch for a treat. ;)
LOL We're crazy! We think EVERYTHING he does is cute! We love his voice, and love his screeches, he's not very loud anyway, he's much quieter than the larger toos. AND HE'S an absolute RIOT! What a personality! Not to mention I love that scarey bird he does, wings out, crest full, he's beautiful, and I told him he's pretty pretty bird!
 
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Nancy B

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And here I sit at 1am because I can't sleep too excited about finally figuring things out with Freddy!! LOL Joe did mention Freddy is so much fun and he's so glad we have him :) He's well loved and pretty sure he knows it!
 

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Yay, clever Freddy and you!
It is such an exhilarating feeling when they learn a new trick with you.

I am still so excited about the few tricks Burt has learnt to do when I ask him to. It warms my heart and makes me smile from ear to ear when he starts cycling through his tricks, communicating to me that he wants to earn some treats.

When I ask Burt if he is a scary bird he does this big 'rah' noise, he does the wings out and scream when I tell him to shoo the dogs away from the window.

Can't wait to hear more about Freddy and his new tricks :)
 

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way to go!
 

TikiMyn

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Smart Freddie! He learns fast!
 

Nancy B

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I'm so excited Fred is so fun! At work exhausted now lol too excited to sleep last night! Nap when I get home at 2 today! Lol
 

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I love your enthousiasm!:D Totally understandable as a fellow parront:heart: Can’t wait to hear more about his adventures!:dance4:
 

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Adorable Halloween trick! We had 2 tricks with our cockatiel. We said "Eagle!" and she would spread her wings. We also said "Sleepy bird?" and she would tuck her head back. One of the cute things I do with my Linnie is I say "Can I touch your beak? Can I touch your cheeks?" and she freezes in place and faces me, no matter what she's doing and waits for me to touch her.
 

Nancy B

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Adorable Halloween trick! We had 2 tricks with our cockatiel. We said "Eagle!" and she would spread her wings. We also said "Sleepy bird?" and she would tuck her head back. One of the cute things I do with my Linnie is I say "Can I touch your beak? Can I touch your cheeks?" and she freezes in place and faces me, no matter what she's doing and waits for me to touch her.
That's cute too! They're so very cute! I love all the things people get their birds to do!
 

hrafn

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I've done stuff like this with Taco to redirect some of his hormonal aggression into something fun. He'd spread his wings all the way out and hiss like a gargoyle, and I started going "wow, pretty wiiiings!!"

Now he only ever does it in play to get praise. :cool3:
 

Nancy B

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I've done stuff like this with Taco to redirect some of his hormonal aggression into something fun. He'd spread his wings all the way out and hiss like a gargoyle, and I started going "wow, pretty wiiiings!!"

Now he only ever does it in play to get praise. :cool3:
It ended up being a really great fun idea! And really by accident I thought OMG! I need to reward this to turn it into a trick!! Joe just sat and said HUH? I said WATCH! Joe was flabbergasted at how fast he complied when I made a game out of everything. JUST LIKE MY SON WHEN HE WAS 4! C'mon all you moms out there! LOL I just have to remember what worked because it is the same mentality.
 

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They learn fast. Especially when it is a natural gesture you turn into atrick.t
 

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You made a natural action fun, special and treat worthy. Of course he is going to do it when you ask. He wants his treats.
 

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Since Burt learnt some tricks he now tells me when he wants a treat......he cycles through all the tricks he can do trying to find out which one will get him a pine nut :hehe:.
It is so cute and when he does this little routine I know we can work on more things I am trying to teach him as he is happy to co-operate and willing to work for a few treats.

Freddy sounds so adorable:heart:
 
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