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Clicker Training for Beginners - Lesson 7

BraveheartDogs

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Clicker Training for Beginners - Lesson 7

At this point, hopefully, your bird is able to follow a target stick. Once you have taught this, you can do a lot with it.

Here are a couple of things to play around with:

Step Up
You can position your hand just in front of the target stick so that your bird has to step up to reach the target stick. You will need to hold your clicker in the same hand as your target stick so that you can offer your other hand as the step up. Click and treat after your bird steps up.

If your bird is fearful of hands, you will need to do some desensitization and counter conditioning so that he is comfortable before doing the step up. DO NOT try the step up with the target stick if your bird is afraid of hands because you can end up "poisoning" the target stick training AND treats if you pair it with something very frightening (hands) for the animal.

Moving around the cage
You can use the target stick to move your bird around the cage. This is very good for birds who have cage aggression issues.

Present the stick to the bird and once he gets there, click and treat. You can build this into stationing by continuing to feed in the "station area" once the bird gets there.

So, you would present the stick where you want the bird to station, click and treat when he gets there and continue to feed once he gets there so that he remains in that area.

Spin
If your bird is really good at following the target stick, you can start teaching a spin. It is easiest to do this on a t stand or a swing that is open below the bird depending on where you hold your target stick.

With the bird on a t stand present the stick just past his head, but over his head. As he turns bring the stick around and click and treat just before he finishes the turn. The click will help him complete the turn. If your bird is uncomfortable with the stick over his head, you will have to work on that. Or you might try doing it on a swing and having the stick move under him instead of over him.

If your bird doesn't complete the turn, the just present the stick and click just for turning towards it. And, you can build it from there. This is how I would train this anyway, using shaping and baby steps.
 

AkCrimson

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Hillari
I had a Sennie who picked up "Spin" (in my the cue was a spin motion with my finger, which I later replaced with a verbal command only) in about 8 minutes. I never tried clicker training with him, though, before I lost him. I sure do miss that bird :(

I have a linnie who is flighted and I've been thinking about doing recall training with her, I think I am going to go with clicker training this time. If I have good luck, I may attempt it with my skittish Blue Crown. I read through all of your threads and it has reinforced my motivation to do so =)
 

rocabird

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I started using the target stick to teach Eco how to spin and to step onto a hand held perch.

For the perch, I first started by holding the perch below his level and having him touch the target so he was used to the perch being in the picture. I did this for about 2 sessions and was able to bring the perch up to his level and have him target the stick rather than the perch. Once he was comfortable with that I moved the target stick so he had to reach out move his foot onto the perch. From there we have moved onto both feet on the perch and are working on him targeting the stick to get back on his cage.

With the spin, he is getting about halfway around after 2 sessions consistently.
 

BraveheartDogs

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I started using the target stick to teach Eco how to spin and to step onto a hand held perch.

For the perch, I first started by holding the perch below his level and having him touch the target so he was used to the perch being in the picture. I did this for about 2 sessions and was able to bring the perch up to his level and have him target the stick rather than the perch. Once he was comfortable with that I moved the target stick so he had to reach out move his foot onto the perch. From there we have moved onto both feet on the perch and are working on him targeting the stick to get back on his cage.

With the spin, he is getting about halfway around after 2 sessions consistently.
That is so excellent:dancing::dancing::dancing: Good work!! I love that you are setting very low criteria and breaking it down!
 

Sparkles

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so, I've been folowing your lessions and my IRN Ringo is doing great, she steps up without no problem and I've thought her to spin, and she's cathing up on it really fast. :laughing12::laughing12:
 

Gilraen

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Rydia's getting good at this! She spun an entire circle on her 5th try and kept going for another 10 after that(when I decided to break it off for now, she's begging for more, heh)
 

brentmajor

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Okay so we have gotten to training session 7 in less than 5 days!!! WOW! Rio is doing better then i would have ever imagined! But there is a problem! He is fearful of hands... What exercises should i do with him so he is more comfortable with my hands and will step up during target training? He is following the target stick around but if I bring an empty hand near him he freaks out. So i was just wondering how to make him more comfortable with hands! Thanks!
 

BraveheartDogs

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You need to desensitize him to hands and that can take some time. Just present your hand at a distance that he notices it but doesn't freak out and then give him a treat. Same as with a target stick. If your goal is for him to step up you can progress to that by getting closer with your hand and pairing it with food. If he is very fearful, you might trying a long sleeve shirt and pulling your hand inside and seeing if he is more comfortable with that. I have a few birds that I have gotten to step up but they are clearly more comfortable when hands aren't present. This is because they were "caught" or grabbed by hands and now they are cautious (rightfully so).

Okay so we have gotten to training session 7 in less than 5 days!!! WOW! Rio is doing better then i would have ever imagined! But there is a problem! He is fearful of hands... What exercises should i do with him so he is more comfortable with my hands and will step up during target training? He is following the target stick around but if I bring an empty hand near him he freaks out. So i was just wondering how to make him more comfortable with hands! Thanks!
 

brentmajor

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So your saying I should pretty much use my hand as a target stick and any signs of him becoming more comfortable with my hand I should click and give him a treat? Is there something I should shoot for, like how when target training the goal was to have him beak the stick, should my goal be to be able to touch him or will he just evenually get used to my hands and step up?
 

Cynge

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Hey,
Well my birds (Lime and Spike) already know how to step up really well, and its no problem getting them out of the cage. I've taught them to target and Lime (male) is learning to spin, while Spike is mostly learning to flex; but otherwise is less interested. But I've noticed that Lime only completes half a rotation when he tries to spin- on his own though, just by command- and I have to guide him for the last half turn. I'm sure I will be able to train him further, I've only been teaching him spin for a day
XD. Thanks.;)
 
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