Training recall to Velcro bird

[Haimovfids]

Hi guys. I have an almost 3 month old sun conure.

I have very limited experience in training, but I’m enthusiastic and willing to learn!

I’ve been watching BirdTricks on YouTube and implementing their advice, but I have gaps in my understanding of the flight recall on cue training process.

My sun conure is clicker and target trained. He understands VERY well what the clicker and target mean.

He’s a Velcro bird, and I want to teach him to come to me when called, especially if he’s on top of a chandelier. Sometimes when there’s distractions (like noisy guests) he doesn’t feel like flying.

When I have the target stick, I call “Cheese, come” and my bird flies to me, touches the target, then I click and treat immediately.

My issue is that he flies before I can cue him. He’s a huge Velcro bird.

How can I teach him the cue properly?

Thanks!

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[Haimovfids]

Another struggle is that he sometimes flies to me BEFORE I even cue him as well. I’m not sure how to train him to stay either.

 

[Tazlima]

You'll need to teach him to fly somewhere else. ("Station" or "go home" commands).

Right now, he knows that coming to you = rewards. You don't need to further reinforce coming to you right now, because being near you is reinforcing in itself, so put a pin in that. He needs to learn he can get treats and praise for going other places, too. That way:

1) he'll naturally learn to wait and see "where do I need to go for the treat this time?" and

2) when you send him away to another spot and give a reward, you're buying yourself time while he eats his treat. That time will let you move around and prepare to send him to the next destination, whether that's another station, or you yourself.

Once you can send him off with a command, he will be far enough away to call him back with another command.