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Clicker Training for Beginners Lesson 5

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BraveheartDogs

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Clicker Training for Beginners Lesson 5
At this point, hopefully your bird is able to beak the target stick. This is great! I don't add a "cue" to this behavior because presentation of the stick IS the cue to touch it.

If your bird is not to the point of beaking the target stick just keep working on it. Fearful birds or birds that are suspicious of new things may need time to get comfortable with the stick.

Once you have your bird beaking the stick we are now going to ask for more!

Present the stick, but at a further distance that before, maybe 3 or 4 inches. Just enough so that your bird has to step towards it to beak it, then click and treat when they do it.

The next step will be to have the stick a little bit further away so that you get more steps and the bird is now moving towards the target stick. At this point, don't move the stick, just present it a little further away and click and treat when they beak it. Build it up so that the bird can travel a 8 to 10 inches to beak the stick.
 

Saemma

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Thanks Vicky!:D
 

BraveheartDogs

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Ok, everyone is so quiet. Uh oh, I hope everyone has not dropped out, we are just getting to the fun stuff! How is everyone doing??
 

rocabird

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Eco decided safflower seeds were icky, so I switched to pieces of almond and that has really helped motivate him. Today he was reaching a few inches for the stick. I will be moving it a little further away so he has to step toward it.
 

BraveheartDogs

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Eco decided safflower seeds were icky, so I switched to pieces of almond and that has really helped motivate him. Today he was reaching a few inches for the stick. I will be moving it a little further away so he has to step toward it.

Excellent! 1) good job for realizing that your reinforcers weren't working and that Eco needed a change and 2) for your progress with the target training!:dance4:
 

rocabird

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Since my last post, Eco hs been doing pretty good. Don't know if it's the change in treats or if he is finally settling down a bit after his move here, but he seems more "in" to the training. I am able to have him move about 3-4 inches to the right or left to touch the target stick. Right now the biggest issue is my patience. I am used to dogs who just gulp their treat, but sometimes with Eco I have to wait for him to finish eating his.

How is everyone else doing?
 

AvianMommy

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lol try feeding him smaller pieces, or try something he might like that is small enough for him to finish a few seconds.
 

Oknuma

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i know i have been away for ages but we are going strong with our training.

Jaydey ( my daughter) though has got rosie with a verbal cue as well of " touch it"
I know we werent supposed to but she is 8 and doesnt always think when she is doing things so we are just rolling with it.

added a video update for you too, no laughing at my accent hahah

YouTube - Rosie-Blush Target Training 27-05-10.wmv
 

AvianMommy

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I think your daughter is doing a great job. Good luck. (BTW nice accent you have not heard mine. Then you would really laugh your feathers off.. lol)
 

BraveheartDogs

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Since my last post, Eco hs been doing pretty good. Don't know if it's the change in treats or if he is finally settling down a bit after his move here, but he seems more "in" to the training. I am able to have him move about 3-4 inches to the right or left to touch the target stick. Right now the biggest issue is my patience. I am used to dogs who just gulp their treat, but sometimes with Eco I have to wait for him to finish eating his.

How is everyone else doing?
I know, that can be challenging. Try experimenting with other treats so you can see if something is easier for him. I just switched to millet with my linnie Argyle and it is definitely good for him.
 

BraveheartDogs

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I have been waiting to add more to hear where everyone is at, but I think we lost a few people so I am going to move us along to the next lesson!
 

zoomama

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Risa seems to be getting the idea of the stick. I've been able to get her to move to the right and left several steps to go beak the stick. Here's my question: Is this okay or do I need to do something different: during a training session, the first few times she'll do what I ask and happily eat the treat (very tiny bites of cheerios). But after a few times, she'll take the treat and drop it instead of eating it. She will still eagerly go after the stick again, then just drop the treat after she gets it and look for the stick again. And now she has started to grab the stick and hang on to it. What should I do? Thanks.
 
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rocabird

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You may want to find another treat to alternate with or even something like head scratches if she really likes them. I had to do that with Eco. Another thing to try is to shorten the training sessions. If she will work with you and take the treat from you 7 times and the 8th time she stops taking treats, only do it 4 or 5 times. You want to work so you can end the training on a positive note. It sounds like she really likes training, she's doing great! Since she is doing so well, you may want to move onto the next step and see if learning something new gets her back to taking the treats like she was.
 

BraveheartDogs

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Risa seems to be getting the idea of the stick. I've been able to get her to move to the right and left several steps to go beak the stick. Here's my question: Is this okay or do I need to do something different: during a training session, the first few times she'll do what I ask and happily eat the treat (very tiny bites of cheerios). But after a few times, she'll take the treat and drop it instead of eating it. She will still eagerly go after the stick again, then just drop the treat after she gets it and look for the stick again. And now she has started to grab the stick and hang on to it. What should I do? Thanks.
Hi there,

Sorry, I just saw this:) You need to find another food treat that is very high value. You could do just a couple of trials and quit before she starts dropping food, but if she isn't into the food that much, we need to keep looking for something higher value. Do not keep presenting the stick if she is not taking the food. You are doing great we just need to tweek the reinforcer:)

By the way, I didn't actually edit your post, just pushed the wrong button:)
 

Glamourcat

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I had started clicker training with Paulie before I joined this forum and found these lessons. So far I can get Paulie to climb from where she likes to perch on the edge of her door to her play center on top of her cage and back down again. I'd gotten a bit stuck with what I should work on next so I'm glad these lessons are posted here. On to reading the next ones!
 
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