New Clicker Training

[Amaterasu]

I began clicker training with Tiki, my caique, on Saturday. I started out by clicking every time she took millet from me.

Yesterday I got her to the point of hitting the target on cue for a treat. I'll probably do that for a bit more until I can progress to getting her to follow the target from inside her cage. She will reach for it already but I don't think she's ready to follow it around.

Tiki has a lot of fear and trust issues stemming from being cage bound and teased by children for 2-3 years before I adopted her. She was hand fed but it's not very evident except that she is not a bitter or aggressive in any way. She is no longer cage bound but is still very fearful about people. Tiki is actually already acting a bit more relaxed around me. Even though I was right next to her cage doing the training, she stretched her wings our several times and shook her tail feathers out and did not do any alarm calls.

 

[MommyBird]

Congratulations

Clicker training is a wonderful trust-builder because the bird gets to decide if they wants to do the behavior or not.
So, just keep on with baby steps and going at her pace.
Once she figures out the scheme, the world opens up.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

I began clicker training with Tiki, my caique, on Saturday. I started out by clicking every time she took millet from me.

Yesterday I got her to the point of hitting the target on cue for a treat. I'll probably do that for a bit more until I can progress to getting her to follow the target from inside her cage. She will reach for it already but I don't think she's ready to follow it around.

Tiki has a lot of fear and trust issues stemming from being cage bound and teased by children for 2-3 years before I adopted her. She was hand fed but it's not very evident except that she is not a bitter or aggressive in any way. She is no longer cage bound but is still very fearful about people. Tiki is actually already acting a bit more relaxed around me. Even though I was right next to her cage doing the training, she stretched her wings our several times and shook her tail feathers out and did not do any alarm calls.

Excellent!! That is really great. Clicker training is great because when it is done properly there is NO pressure whatsoever on the animal which makes is lovely for fearful or anxious animals. Please let me know if you need any help

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Congratulations

Clicker training is a wonderful trust-builder because the bird gets to decide if they wants to do the behavior or not.
So, just keep on with baby steps and going at her pace.
Once she figures out the scheme, the world opens up.

Absolutely!

 

[Amaterasu]

I got her to walk a couple steps down her perch for the target this evening.

I've also been pulling up a chair right next to her cage and reading a couple chapters out of a book quietly. She felt comfortable enough to start eating (bowl is literally a foot from my arm) the last time I did it.

I'd like for the next time I take her out of her cage to be on her terms. As long as I can keep her progressing reasonably and nothing out of the ordinary happens (broken blood feather etc.) it should be possible. Right now she will willingly get on my hand if she gets on the floor but doesn't have a retreat, like a couch, she can hide under. In her cage she would rather throw herself on the bottom than get on my hand.

 

[Amaterasu]

I'm still doing nightly training with her. I kind of have to force myself during the week as I'm usually pretty tired from work and school. But I feel it's important for me to do even 5 minutes every day to keep it fresh in her mind.

She has not progressed a lot on following the stick but I've decided to slow down and work more on her getting comfortable with my hands. Before I was presenting her with a 3-4 inch millet spray she could take a chunk out of without getting very close to my fingers. Now I'm giving her a tiny piece that she has to take right from my finger tips. Since she is so hand shy she feels very conflicted with taking it from me. She leans way back and then leans just her head forward to grab if from me as quickly as possibly. Once she is comfortable with my finger tips I'd like to graduate to having her take it from my open palm. Right now she will completely refuse to take something from my open palm so if I can get her comfortable with that it would be a big deal.