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Feedback for establishing good habits?

Nostromo

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/25/18
Messages
151
Hi guys,

We have a new 8 year old BH Pionus female. She's been with us for 5 days and so far things have been great! She is friendly, sweet, quiet, eats her Roudybush like its going out of style, loves her veggies. A breeze so far. I'm aware that it might be the "honeymoon" phase so I'm trying to establish some good habits off the bat.

Things I'm doing:

1. Giving pieces of almond (so far her favorite treat) to lure her to step up. She steps up on her own when she wants to go see something or get attention, and I'll be giving her pieces then too, but I also am showing her a piece and she comes charging over to step up and then eats it on my hand before I put her back where she was. I pair this with the phrase "step up".

2. Giving almond pieces at random when she's sitting/playing quietly to reinforce quiet behavior. I'm thinking I should pair this with a phrase ("quiet bird")?

3. Giving almond pieces at random when we have our hands in her cage. I've been touching her toys and perches (not ones she's on) and giving her treats so she develops a positive association to hands in her cage.

Anything else you guys suggest? Also, when we approach her in or on her cage and she backs away, we just give her space - don't want to push her to bite. Any risk that this reinforcing avoidance?

Thanks!
 

TikiMyn

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
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Joined
12/13/16
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Robin
Sounds great! Also Don’t reinforce sounds you won’t like to hear more often(screaming) and don’t give her more time now then you Will expect to have for her on a regular basis. With 1. I would start trying to proceed to offering your hand with ‘step up’ without showing a treat, but for now reinforce every time she does step up. Otherwise she might expect being shown a treat first before stepping up:)
Think you’re doing a great job!
 
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