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Clicker training question

Gribouille

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I found the clicker training classroom threads but they are closed for new answers since they are quite old but I have questions, hope someone can help!
I've followed the lessons but I'm stuck in lesson 3 (associating the clicker with food). Pichu isn't very interested in food as treats. I've tried to give him 10 treats, but at 5 or 6 he just flies away to do something else. Today I've tried training while he was hungry but I'm still waiting for him to show some excitement when he hears the clicker sound. Should I use something else, and what?

Also, I use millet as treats, which means he gets a bite, and some small seeds will fall on the table around him, so he can pick them afterward if he wants to. It is easier to get more from me, but they are available. Is that a problem?

When we are done with lesson 3 and the clicker has gotten his meaning, we'll go over to target training. I have a clicker with integrated stick (from Trixie), which is great but there is a ball at the end of the stick that is meant to train dogs so it is quite big for a parrotlet. Will this be a problem? I could always replace the ball if it is.
 

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So by 10 treats do you mean a) you give 10 when you click or b) you try to give 10 clicks?Because for a) you are giving way to much,give one at a time and for b)patience is key.
The ball shouldn't be so much so of a problem unless it acts as a distraction.Treats are the best rewards due to them being the easiest to associate to,get,and so on.But you should try to try different treats.(fruits,veggies,seeds,millet and even pellets if Pichu finds them tasty)
Talking about millet you could try to use millet for one session then another treat for the next and see which treat Pichu anticipates more.If millet then try two sessions again,one with millet swept away from the table and one with millet left there.See which session he looks forward to more.If millet left there(which is highly possible),then make sure he can't get the millet if these two conditions are fulfilled (behaves alright and session ends).If not,sweep away.
Kinda confusing so you should ask questions if you don't understand.
 

Gribouille

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So by 10 treats do you mean a) you give 10 when you click or b) you try to give 10 clicks?Because for a) you are giving way to much,give one at a time and for b)patience is key.
The ball shouldn't be so much so of a problem unless it acts as a distraction.Treats are the best rewards due to them being the easiest to associate to,get,and so on.But you should try to try different treats.(fruits,veggies,seeds,millet and even pellets if Pichu finds them tasty)
Talking about millet you could try to use millet for one session then another treat for the next and see which treat Pichu anticipates more.If millet then try two sessions again,one with millet swept away from the table and one with millet left there.See which session he looks forward to more.If millet left there(which is highly possible),then make sure he can't get the millet if these two conditions are fulfilled (behaves alright and session ends).If not,sweep away.
Kinda confusing so you should ask questions if you don't understand.
Sorry, I meant (1 click = 1 treat) 10 times. Trying to get him to associate click with food still, but after a while he looses interest.
I'll try other treats, but I didn't want to give him sunflowers as treats since they are so fat and he gets filled up relatively fast. I was thinking to try and train from the top of his cage so the left overs fall down. He loves figs, maybe I could try that, but I read they are too sweet and should be limited to once a week?
 

Gribouille

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Tried again twice today when he was hungry, it worked very well! :dance4:
He now walks to the hand with the clicker when he is done munching, and throttles to the hand with the treat when I have clicked. Actually he was the one to ask for the second training round, he went to the clicker which was lying on the kitchen counter, and called to me :D So I think he now knows that clicker = treats. Is it enough to start target training or do we need to practice more before we move on?
 

Gribouille

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Another question about maintenance...
When our bird has learned something -target training, trick, etc..- will he forget if you don't use it? Like, we use target training to teach tricks/behavior we want them to perform, but when they know those behaviors, we don't use the clicker anymore. What if we don't teach them anything new for a while? Will we have to start all over again next time? Or is it wise to take the clicker out from time to time to keep it going?
 

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Have you tried with him on a table top perch (T stand)? That way it keeps him from chasing food pieces on the table.
 

Gribouille

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Have you tried with him on a table top perch (T stand)? That way it keeps him from chasing food pieces on the table.
I have, but he is scared of it so I target train him now and will probably have to teach him to climb on the T stand later on. I now sweep the extra seeds if I see he goesaround to eat them. ;)
 

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What are you using as a target? I usually use a chopstick, in the same hand as the clicker. They remember, I hadn't done any clicker training with my birds in about a month maybe two and they went right back to it.
 

Leih

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I never did much with just the clicker at first. I would touch the target to their beak, click, treat. And in a few minutes they learned to touch the target. Then I started doing things like asking them to walk to the other side of wherever they were for the target. I used it for awhile to ask my lovebird to fly to my hand so I could put her back in her cage. We have a set routine now that we both understand.
 

Gribouille

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What are you using as a target? I usually use a chopstick, in the same hand as the clicker. They remember, I hadn't done any clicker training with my birds in about a month maybe two and they went right back to it.
I have a clicker with a target on, and he sometimes goes to the clicker itself, so I tell him "target" and he goes to the end of the stick, touching it with his beak. I haven't tried to make it more complicated than that yet, I want to make sure he gets it first but it seems we will soon be able to move on :)
 

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I have a clicker with a target on, and he sometimes goes to the clicker itself, so I tell him "target" and he goes to the end of the stick, touching it with his beak. I haven't tried to make it more complicated than that yet, I want to make sure he gets it first but it seems we will soon be able to move on :)
Sounds like it! My problem with one of my birds is that he's so excited about getting the treat he has no focus :bash: he's young though, so I think he'll get better
 

Gribouille

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Sounds like it! My problem with one of my birds is that he's so excited about getting the treat he has no focus :bash: he's young though, so I think he'll get better
What can you do about it then? o_O
Pichu did a almost perfect training today (beaked the target 8 times out of 10, and the stick the 2 other times) :dance4: and I did move the target to different places so he had to go and find it, one of those times he had to climb on his stand ;) and did so without flinching so we are good I think!! I'll have to find something to teach him now. I'll go and see what lesson 4 is about in the target classes.
We were harness-training too but yesterday he tangled himself in it so today he refused to train with it at all.

EDIT: wow... looks like we are already half through lesson 7! We did try a half spin on the T-stand today! :cheer:
 
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finchly

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@Gribouille you're moving fast! Good job!

Many people only give one tiny millet seed instead of letting them bite from a cluster. Also if the millet gets boring, offer a few items on a plate and see which one he goes for first. A bit of almond, pistachio, maybe a walnut piece.

Lol about the harness. I'm sure you can get to it eventually.
 

Leih

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I usually do a bit of Nutriberry. I was harness training my conure, but he's molting now, so we'll hold off!
 

Gribouille

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Many people only give one tiny millet seed instead of letting them bite from a cluster. Also if the millet gets boring, offer a few items on a plate and see which one he goes for first. A bit of almond, pistachio, maybe a walnut piece.
Good idea, thanks! He is not into nuts but I could find other things. The little smart pants is trying to take a big chunk each time!! :hehe:
 

Gribouille

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I usually do a bit of Nutriberry. I was harness training my conure, but he's molting now, so we'll hold off!
Why not, he wouldn't take a big bite each time at least :cool:
 

Leih

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Why not, he wouldn't take a big bite each time at least :cool:
He has pin feathers around his neck and they're sensitive. I try to scratch them and he yells. So I would rather not have him associate the harness with the discomfort of pin feathers :confused:
 

Gribouille

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He has pin feathers around his neck and they're sensitive. I try to scratch them and he yells. So I would rather not have him associate the harness with the discomfort of pin feathers :confused:
I was saying why not -using nutriberries as treat ;)
Good idea not to associate the harness with painful experiences!
 

Leih

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I was saying why not -using nutriberries as treat ;)
Good idea not to associate the harness with painful experiences!
Oh yes! Haha sorry I read that wrong :wacky:
 
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