My experience with clicker training (with video starring Jacob!)

[Jacob]

5 months ago I got a 4 year old, rehomed parrot named Jacob. I searched for a book that would help me understand parrots better and ended up buying Clicker training for birds. I started early to use the clicker and Jacob was quick to learn how to target a stick. The next trick they recommend you teach is the retrieve. This was more problematic. This trick you have to teach in small steps and you yourself will have to learn how to teach in babysteps. I started trying to teach Jacob how to retrieve like they recommend in the book, but it wasn't working. Jacob was afraid of hands and not willing to put something in the palm of my hand. I would change my approach again and again. I had to train him not to be afraid of my hands. I would take a brake from the training for a few weeks while I tried to rethink my methods. And finally Jacob has learned how to retrieve an object and put it in a small bowl.

Now training tricks is not all about the tricks. It's a good way to have an interactive quality time with your parrot where he get's lots of praise and treats. Jacob gets all excited when he sees me setting up for the training. Your bird doesn't have to be exceptionally smart. I don't think Jacob is any smarter than the average parrot but once he knew what was expected of him he learned quickly. The target training is also very useful. I've used it when I get new things for his cage and he is fearful of the new object. Then I let him target the stick all around the new object and move in closer and closer. I use it when I want him to go into the cage and most recently to get Jacob to fly.

And now a small video of Jacob doing his retrieve trick

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Really nice video! Good job! I clicker train too! Seeing videos always inspires me to do some training. Thank you!

Vicki

 

[Jacob]

Really nice video! Good job! I clicker train too! Seeing videos always inspires me to do some training. Thank you!

Vicki

Good to hear How have you been training your birds?

Just now I was clicker training Jacob to go on his new swing. I bought a swing to hang in the window so Jacob could sit there and enjoy the view. Well he was terrified of it. So it's been hanging in the window for a couple of days and finally I managed to get Jacob near it, so I brought out the clicker and the sunflower seeds and started treating Jacob each time he beaked the swing. I then got the target stick so he had to step onto the swing to beak the stick. In no time Jacob was climbing all over the swing squealing from delight, chasing the target stick.

 

[rockoko]

Look at Jacob!!! What a great job training I want to see a swing video

 

[JLcribber]

Outstanding!!

 

[Quiverful]

Great vid!!! Clicker training is great!

 

[Birdiemarie]

That is very impressive!

 

[Jacob]

never underestimate the powers of treats and praise! I would never had guessed how useful the targeting of a stick is. It such a simple trick and the bird learns it in minutes. It seems rather pointless but with it you can get you bird to do so many things.

 

[cmoore]

I've used targeting to get my caique over his mild fear of new objects, too. I will sometimes use the target stick (just like you did for Jacob with the swing) and sometimes I'll get him to target the object in question. I've even gotten him to target balloons, his greatest fear! It's so amazing what positive reinforcement can do...

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Good to hear How have you been training your birds?

Just now I was clicker training Jacob to go on his new swing. I bought a swing to hang in the window so Jacob could sit there and enjoy the view. Well he was terrified of it. So it's been hanging in the window for a couple of days and finally I managed to get Jacob near it, so I brought out the clicker and the sunflower seeds and started treating Jacob each time he beaked the swing. I then got the target stick so he had to step onto the swing to beak the stick. In no time Jacob was climbing all over the swing squealing from delight, chasing the target stick.

With clicker training also, but I also use other real life rewards (like access to things and praise) for the birds who find that reinforcing for some behaviors. I have used the clicker for step on and off, to follow a target stick and for a few trick behaviors.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

I've used targeting to get my caique over his mild fear of new objects, too. I will sometimes use the target stick (just like you did for Jacob with the swing) and sometimes I'll get him to target the object in question. I've even gotten him to target balloons, his greatest fear! It's so amazing what positive reinforcement can do...

This is cool. There is a horse clicker trainer named Alexandra Kurland (who I saw this year and will see again next year with several other multi species animal trainers) who makes the fear trigger a cue which is really cool. So, if you have an animal that is afraid of something you desensitize and then make that trigger be a cue to do something else.

 

[cmoore]

This is cool. There is a horse clicker trainer named Alexandra Kurland (who I saw this year and will see again next year with several other multi species animal trainers) who makes the fear trigger a cue which is really cool. So, if you have an animal that is afraid of something you desensitize and then make that trigger be a cue to do something else.

What a great idea! This is like teaching your dog who likes to jump up on guests that the doorbell is the cue for "go to your mat." What a clever use of training! I may have to try that with my birds and balloons. They're now okay if a balloon is stationary, but when it moves, ACK! My ultimate goal is to desensitize them to helium balloons, which they find TERRIFYING. It's the one thing that makes them both scream and fly wildly off of me in a panic when we're outdoors. (I have them on leashes, of course!)

 

[Jacob]

What a great idea! This is like teaching your dog who likes to jump up on guests that the doorbell is the cue for "go to your mat." What a clever use of training! I may have to try that with my birds and balloons. They're now okay if a balloon is stationary, but when it moves, ACK! My ultimate goal is to desensitize them to helium balloons, which they find TERRIFYING. It's the one thing that makes them both scream and fly wildly off of me in a panic when we're outdoors. (I have them on leashes, of course!)

I have to agree. What a great idea. I will keep this in mind if Jacob starts to develop behaviours related to certain stimulus.