The "Stop" Command

[Ocha_Tuna]

Hi guys, I have been pondering this for a while.
A little backstory: my 2 lovebirds live in the aviary. Sometimes when I want to exit the aviary they like to cling to me or fly to my shoulder. Its cute and I appreciate it but I do need to work to feed them..
What happens next is I give them station command to a perch, then I hold my palm up and say "stop" or "okay done" or "byee" as I exit.
They actually stay put 90% of the time!
This has been just a ritual I did so they understood I'm leaving.

Now, what if I actually teach them stop is a good thing? Can we do that? I imagine the process is to station a bird on a perch, say stop, and clicker + treat. The stop duration increases gradually so they understand stop is to not do anything. If they fail I say stop again and repeat.

I was hoping I could use this to stop them from biting. If they bite my neck for instance I tell them stop, station on a perch, then click... how about that?

 

[Zara]

I was hoping I could use this to stop them from biting. If they bite my neck for instance I tell them stop, station on a perch, then click... how about that?

You could always try it and see...

 

[Fuzzy]

It is difficult to teach a bird to stop doing something because “stopping/doing nothing” isn’t a behaviour. Plus in behavioural terms decreasing a behaviour is called punishing. You don’t want to be pairing yourself with aversives that are associated with punishment if possible.

Instead, as you have discovered for yourself, asking them to target or station (principle is the same) is going to be much more successful as not only is it an active behaviour but they also earn a reinforcer. Win win! Sure, when that is learned, then you can gradually teach duration.

As for stopping biting, you could do it as you have suggested.... ie redirecting and asking for another behaviour (like targeting/stationing), and highly reinforcing that behaviour instead.

Usually with an unwanted behaviour you would use Differential Reinforcement which is removing the reinforcement for the unwanted behaviour and, this is the most important part, as soon as possible highly reinforcing another more acceptable behaviour. A bird/animal will choose to do the behaviour that gains most reinforcement.