Recall training

[Andrea G]

I would love to start recall training with my new Pacific Parrotlet. She had her wings clipped but I'd love to master recall so I can feel more confident letting her be fully flighted. Any recall trading tips or resources to suggest?

 

[javi]

You can start recall with a clipped. Just start with target training. When she touches the end of a stick or your finger you click and reward. You move the distance she would have to walk to touch target and continue the click and reward. When she starts growing out wings you have her start on a perch and fly a short distance then increase the distance. Of course clicking and training through the whole process.
Want to add that you can encourage some flight depending on severity of clip. If he falls like a rock then perhaps not. But if he can get a little glide, you can condition his muscles to carry him a little bit.

 

[Andrea G]

She comes to my hand whenever I open her cage door, but I haven't yet found a treat to reward her with... I will look into a clicker and keep trying to find a food reward she enjoys. Thanks for the advice! She can only fly (sorta flutter glide) a few feet at the moment, I'd like her to master recall before she grows her wing feathers back... Or at least find a treat I can bribe her with if necessary

 

[javi]

Try some millet or safflower or even small chopped pieces of nuts. You start with associating the clicker with treat and then using it with desired behaviors.

 

[Andrea G]

Thanks for the tips! I'm still looking for a clicker, but I'm having more luck finding treats she likes... Except raspberries are too messy to use

 

[finchly]

Are. You in the US? Big box pet stores have clickers. They’re in the dog training section.

The time honored method of picking a treat to use is to put 4-5 types of treats on a plate and see what the bird picks up first... I use millet for my parrotlets.

 

[Shezbug]

You can get clickers in all the big name pet stores here in Aus too.
The treat piles I put out for my bird all get sampled but the most favorite one is always the pile that gets finished first.
Burt usually tries the most interesting looking food or the food he is the least familiar with first, then he pigs out on the one he likes most.

 

[Andrea G]

I'm in Canada, but I know clickers are atound, my dog friends use them... I will find one soon I'm sure. Last time she took flight she landed on my glasses, so I think we are managing despite the lack of a clicker