New to target training

[MooShu]

Hello everyone. I'm Cal and recently I've got a parrot that I've named MooShu. He had some health problems but he's getting better and better by the day.
I want to target train him, so it would be easier for me to teach him to step up, following by letting him out of his cage more.
I'm new to target training. Today I've started some sessions. I'm using an skewers stick as the target, with the sharp end in my hand and the round end as the target. Also I couldn't find any clickers around, it's Christmas and most pet shops aren't even open so I can't ask if they are bringing some clickers in the near future. I'm using an app on the mobile phone that makes a sound. He sometimes bites the stick, or purely ignores it, or perching on it.
I'm trying to make him understand that when he hears the click, it's time for treats~!
So I'm clicking whenever he makes something that I like. For example, when he does a kind of chirp that I like, or if he perches on a stick that's more favorable for me when I give him the treats. But I don't really know if he got the idea that he gets something good to eat when he hears the sound or when he perches those sticks.
In the morning I've started with target training. But when he would grab the stick and I clicked, he would ran off by the time treats were close to the cage. After those "perch + click" sessions he now sits after the click and waits for that treat.
I've understood that I should click only when he touches the end of the skewers stick, not when he grabs it by the middle part, as it gets him confused if sometimes I reward the middle but not always, as I reward the end of the stick.
Any ideas that I should try? Or comment or give an like to this post if I'm doing great in this target training stuff.
Oh and, Happy Holidays to Y'all guys ^_^
You've all be so kind to me these days, I can't tell you how much I appreciate. Glad to be part of this community <3

 

[Jas]

It Sounds like you are doing a good job and are making good progress. I love clicker training as my birds know if they haven't done something quite right if they don't hear the clicker.

 

[MooShu]

Aaaand he started to ignore the stick. Nice one MooShu lol
What can I do to get his attention?
Note that I can't seem to find him in the perfect mood for training. Either he's running in the cage and completely ignoring me and the stick, either he's sleepy and doesn't give a poop about the stick lel. When he does notice the stick though, he doesn't touch it. He perches it.

I'm trying again with the click then reward, without the stick, but it seems that he got bored of the treat? He sometimes gets the millet, sometimes just looks at it then runs away.

Anything I can do about that?
How can I "calm" him so we can start an productive session?

 

[Shinobi]

The clicker is the bridge between you and your bird and you use that bridge to highlight the bird’s desired behaviour to your bird. Training treats are not the bridge, they are the reward at the end of the bridge and patience is the time taken to go over the bridge.


To teach targeting, the bird must first be clicker trained, this means that the birds understands that a click equals reward, the reward can be praise or a food item

Then you need to decide what to use for the target, I use a chop stick and it can’t be a hand-held perch that the birds step up onto. The chop stick must only be used for training sessions and not for play outside the training sessions, otherwise they lose their meaning.

Use T-stand to confine the bird to the area which helps it to concentrate on the chop stick. Start by holding the chop stick near the bird and Click and reward for any movement toward the chop stick. Then withhold the reward until the bird touches the chop stick, Click and reward.

Teach him to touch it with a gentle grip of the beak as birds have a tendency to open their beak to touch it. If you have a bird that is very aggressive and wants to grab the chop stick out of your hand, then you will need to hold onto the chop stick and not let him pull it out of your hand.

The first time he does a gentle grab Click and reward with extra treats and praise. This is an “recognition moment ". He should soon get the idea of the gentle grip. Once he understands that, only Click and reward for gentle grip touches.

Once the bird is reliably touching the chop stick from the perch, by having him move up, down, right and left, we can then move the bird to the table top training area. If the bird seems nervous at first, go ahead and move the chop stick close to him to begin with. Then start moving it back a little at a time, and Click and reward for each gentle grip touch. Soon you should have him following the chop stick anywhere on the training area. This usually only takes two or three short sessions to train, but don't be discouraged if it takes longer.

The benefits of teaching a bird to target with a gentle grip, is that grabbing something with his beak is natural for him.

If your bird is cage bound, then start target training in the cage. This may have to take more time, but no need to rush things. Empty the food bowl and then when you Click and reward, you simply drop the treats into the food bowl. When you are finished with your training session. refill the food bowl.

Once a cage bound or aggressive bird has learned to target, you can start teaching him to step up using the target. Just don't use your arm first to step up on if there is any chance of being bitten. In training, we ALWAYS aim to avoid bites. Use a hand-held T- perch for the bird to step up on. You can either hold the clicker on the target stick and the perch with the other hand or use a mouth click. Hold the target where he will have to step onto the perch to reach the target. Take your time and don't worry if you must back up. We don't want to frighten the bird. When the bird becomes better at stepping up, you can then teach behaviours away from the cage.

Targeting is just one of the tools we use in training. The important things to keep in mind about this behaviour are:

The basic idea of targeting is to have the bird follow an object to touch it.

Once he has the idea of the gentle grip only reward him for that.

Always Click and reward for every gentle grip of the target.

Use “recognition moment " to help keep up his interest.

Try and end sessions on a positive note.

Have fun, keep training simple and never train if you are in a bad mood.

Once a bird has learned a behaviour, he won't forget it.

Happy training.

 

[MooShu]

Yeah I've got that.

I just wanted to teach him to target when he was inside the cage so it would be easier for me to take him out to the T-Stand.

Now, I get what you're saying. And I'll do all of those things, but first, I have to make him understand that click means reward. He now just ignores me. He's pacing around the cage and not even looking at me, even though I'm standing by his cage. Also he's pacing towards the back end of the cage, so he's kinda with his back at me. That's a bonus on the ignoring part.

How can I get him to understand the click and treat if he's not doing anything than pacing. Yesterday I started to click when he perched so it would be easier for us to see each other and train. But now he just decided training is boring and ignores me.

Also, I take out his bowl of food and replace it with an empty one. Saw online that you should train birds when they are sightly hungry, so they want that treat. But to no avail so far. Pacing around the cage seems more fun for my little one.

 

[Jas]

Make it a routine for him, switch up treats to other tastey things, go easy on him and don't expect much as its all new. I reward the birds once they got near the target and built up from there.

Also I only train on my birds terms as they have to want to do it and find it fun. Perhaps spend more time with him to build a bond, birds only do things on their terms.

Edit:the pacing could be excitement or bordem, it's a repative behaviour that they do as they are bored. Maybe put some toys on the floor of his cage,like foot toys,some foraging opportunities, some shredding toys in his cage and some foraging toys like cupcake papers, egg cartons, straws etc.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Also, since you just got him, it might take him awhile to settle in before the training can really take off. Is he feeling better now? The pacing is probably because he is bored and wants out as @Jas mentioned. Are you getting him a bigger cage soon?

 

[MooShu]

I don't own the money to get him a bigger cage. I'm a student after all. But he's feeling better. And yeah, he was bored, that's why he was pacing.

Today my little brother let him out. I've let him out of his cage for a couple of hours. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The first hour he flew randomly in the room. The next half he explored. Then he settled in. He was staying on my wardrobe. I was sitting on the bed, reading out loud. He then came down, and sat on my belly.

I've also laid down a bed sheet on the floor, then poured some millet onto there. It was funny to watch him try to discover all the millet seeds that were hidden inside the wrinkles. It was like foraging for him I think, he enjoyed it.

I wasn't sure how to get him inside though. Tried some different ways. First I've tried to make him step up on a perch by luring him with millet spray but that didn't work. After that I've tried putting the T-Stand closer to him, maybe he would fly on top of it, that didn't work as well.

After some failed attempts, I've decided to get the bed sheet of the ground. Folded it and then I've put it aside. Then I've poured some millet into my hand and sat next to him, with my hand open. After 15 mins he decided to take some bites. As he was eating I was raising my hand little by little until he couldn't eat the millet no more, then he jumped on my hand. Took a picture then I've led him back to his cage.

I'd say this was an productive day.

Sadly he gets really sleepy after 6 p.m. and I don't know why. Tomorrow I have to go to work (I work as a volunteer) from 10 a.m. to maybe 6 p.m.
If I come home at 6 he will be all sleepy again. Poor soul, he needs to be more active during the day. Or maybe this is because it's winter? Can he feel the difference? That the day is shorter?

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Sounds like a great day with your tiel! All my tiels start asking to go to bed around 6:00. I make them wait until 6:30 at least, and then they sleep until 8:00 or so. They definitely are effected by shorter days in winter, but in the summer I still have my birds go to bed by 7:00. I don’t want them to think that just because they days are longer, it’s time to start laying eggs!