Very little interest in training

[peesh]

Since I recently got my budgie used to millet spray, and she can even eat it with me holding it very close to her, I started thinking about teaching her some essential tricks. So I decided to begin target training using a chopstick, since I thought it can later help her get out of the cage (she really isn't willing to come out) and I think we both aren't quite ready for me to handle her. She isn't scared of the chopstick at all, in fact she does bite it and eats her treat happily after doing so. The thing is, her attention doesn't last for more than a minute. She may pick up on the fact that she has to bite the chopstick to get her millet at the very start of our training session, but she does the trick maybe three to five times and then gets sidetracked, not even willing to eat millet anymore. I know birds have a short attention span, but isn't it at least 5 minutes? I really want to know if I'm making any mistakes and how I can get my budgie more interested in training. Maybe she just gets too full and doesn't want to eat anymore. Then is there a particular time of the day when a parakeet is most interested in earning treats? She also completely (and I mean entirely) forgets about the fact that she has to bite the stick at the start of every training session. How much time can it take for her to associate the chopstick with following it? I know it may take long, so I'm just curious what to expect.

 

[DesertBird]

How much millet are you giving her each time? Have you tried offering other treats that she might like better than millet?

 

[peesh]

How much millet are you giving her each time? Have you tried offering other treats that she might like better than millet?

I let her get at least a couple seeds from the spray and I always make sure she actually got some in her beak instead of just dropping it. In fact, I'm now curious how much I actually have to give. She really doesn't like any other treat better that millet: she just ignores all the other ones.

 

[DesertBird]

I let her get at least a couple seeds from the spray and I always make sure she actually got some in her beak instead of just dropping it. In fact, I'm now curious how much I actually have to give. She really doesn't like any other treat better that millet: she just ignores all the other ones.

Just give her a bite or two. If you give too much, then she won't be motivated to work anymore.

 

[peesh]

Just give her a bite or two. If you give too much, then she won't be motivated to work anymore.

Thanks, I'll try that in our next training session!

 

[Sparkles99]

Well, DesertBird, I now understand where my mistake is. A bite or two? I let them have their fill.