Getting bird back in the cage

[T.S.94]

Hello,
We got our little lovebird, Dobby, and we are very happy with him.
After watching videos from BirdTricks we started clicker and targeting training 2-3 weeks back which works really well! Right now he goes to where we want him to go in our living room although he also loves to chill on our shoulder during work etc.
However after starting targeting training he went into his cage willingly. We have a landing plateau as cage door which is kept open during the day. So when we put the stick in the cage he would climb to his perch and we could give him a treat after touching the tip of the chopstick.

However since a few days Dobby hops onto the landing plateau and does climb up the cage and will try his best to stay outside of the cage but tries touching the tip of the chopstick. When he can't reach the chopstick he will look backwards and just jump on our shoulder. Today I tried putting the chopstick a bit further in the cage as we also have a center perch underneath the cage door. After he reached and touched the tip of the chopstick I went in to give him the treat and during his reach I could quickly close the door of the cage and he could hop on the perch below. I treated him when he climbed up to his perch but it felt wrong for me to get Dobby into the cage this way. After the cage was closed though, he would just sit on his perch and creak (?) his beak and contently close his eyes as he always does once he gets into the cage.

Does anyone have tips on how to target Dobby into his cage either by target training or another way? As right now my feeling says that he wants to be with me and my girlfriend as he sees us as his flock. But I don't know if maybe the cage is just not a fun place to be for him.

 

[Vmax]

I attached a perch to Max’s cage door and targeted him to the perch. I give him a favorite treat and while he’s busy eating, I close the door. All the while I am praising him! This has worked for Hiccup as well.

 

[T.S.94]

I attached a perch to Max’s cage door and targeted him to the perch. I give him a favorite treat and while he’s busy eating, I close the door. All the while I am praising him! This has worked for Hiccup as well.

Do you have like a swinging door? As I think that would be possible for such a door but we have a door that is horizontal so we can only close it by lifting the cage door. Once we start doing that he just flies to my shoulder immediately.

 

[Vmax]

You might mount a treat tray opposite of the door, load up some snacks, and place Dobby on or near the tray? When using the treat tray, I make the placing of the treats very obvious to Max or Hiccup when I use them. I use these: Snack Table Foraging Bird Toy | The Best Foraging Bird & Parrot Toy

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi I would would have a foraging toy inside your cage right at back or side and when you want him back in there start loading it with millet or his favourite treats he should come and see what ur doing while his eating close the door
@Vmax as best advice gets all three of my lovebirds back in I just tap perch on cage door give treat and shut door
They aren’t daft though I swear I only have to think about putting them back and they fly off

 

[T.S.94]

Thank you for the answers! So right now it works to use targeting to get Dobby to my hand. Once he is there I use the clicker and give him the treat from my hand, I can then put him in the cage without problem. I will look into the foraging toy as well maybe that would work for him as well