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Teaching Opie to play

Clueless

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Hold it in front of them by the handle. Waggle it. Pretend to eat the corner of top (turn sideways and make the yum sound). Then offer to hand to them by extending the thin handle part (easier for them to grab).

Isn't it amazing what we do for these feathered guys???
 

Dartman

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I used to teach Lurch by wiggling whatever in front of him till he'd get mad and bite it. If it was food he'd get a taste, start making yummy noises and come back and ask nicely for more, toys he'd realize it was fun to attack and bite and start playing and attacking it.
 

Elysian

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Haha I tried wiggling and "eating" the little pop but Opie just stared at me. Will keep trying.
I went to give Oggie a grape this morning and saw that he had finally been chewing on the edge of his chock o block so thats good.
 

April

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Haha I tried wiggling and "eating" the little pop but Opie just stared at me. Will keep trying.
I went to give Oggie a grape this morning and saw that he had finally been chewing on the edge of his chock o block so thats good.
Yay! That's progress good job Oggie!
 

Elysian

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Yesterday was the first time I tried to train Opie or Oggie outside their cage with my boyfriend home. Usually if he is home we just train through the bars.

Did not go well! Oggie seemed nervous. Even though he likes my boyfriend almost as much as he likes me, he seemed really.. on alert? He would gladly touch the target stick if it wasn't too hard, but didn't even want the treats after.
And Opie was worse. He was so obsessed with calling to my boyfriend that he wouldn't look at me, let alone do anything else.

Ah well.
Today while boyfriend and dog are at the park, I was cleaning cages and foraging baskets (still untouched). I threw some extra foot toys and foraging toys into one of the many bath options that Opie refuses to use for bathing.

Next thing I know he's scrounging around in it!
IMG_20220109_152804396.jpg
 

Dartman

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Small steps on their timeline :xflove:
 

FeatheredM

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He's doing so well!
 

Clueless

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@Clueless !!

View attachment 400983

He held it and bit it for a good five minutes, that is a record
I know, isn't it amazing to watch???

Secret liked those so much I started buying the yum yums (no handle on those though). Sadly, Secret can't have those any more. She's limited to almonds. Too many sunflower seeds, peanuts and a bad diet in the days before she landed here.
 
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