Hi! please help me!!

ginabean said:

Hi. My cockatoo baby is 10 years old and she is a lesser sulfur crested. She's a good bird but she will not take any kind of treat I try to give her. I'm trying to clicker train her as she's kind of a diva and bites me if I try to get her from my husband. She's not very food motivated at all. Any suggestions what to do about this? What do you guys give your birds for a reward for training?

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SirEdwin89 said:

ginabean said:

Hi. My cockatoo baby is 10 years old and she is a lesser sulfur crested. She's a good bird but she will not take any kind of treat I try to give her. I'm trying to clicker train her as she's kind of a diva and bites me if I try to get her from my husband. She's not very food motivated at all. Any suggestions what to do about this? What do you guys give your birds for a reward for training?

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Some birds just aren't very treat motivated. Ely for example who will eat about anything, will not touch any form of food as a reward. if he is out, eating (even "treats") is the farthest thing from his mind. He does however LOVE destroying things, so in place of a treat, I started using little cardboard cubes that he can shred. It's not as fast as a normal treat as I have to actually give him a minute to shred it after I give it to him, but food simply doesn't work.

I know many people have birds who prefer praise over anything, a pet on the head and a good bird, or a quick skritch under the wing is more of a reward to them than a treat.

So, is there anything in particular that your SC2 *really* enjoys that you could limit to a reward action?

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MonicaMc said:

What is her diet?


What are you using as rewards?




As mentioned, a reward doesn't have to be a treat. It can also be a phrase, a toy, physical attention, gong somewhere, or?

The reward is what the bird makes it. It's just a matter of figuring out what that is! And the more rewards, the better!

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Scott said:

Cockatoos are among the more complex of parrots behaviorally! As others have posted, some are not that motivated by food and prefer handling or even verbal praise.

How long have you had Baby? Is this situation a change from when you brought her home, ie did she bond more closely with your husband? You might try a different tactic with transfer; rather than take her from your husband, have him first transfer Baby to neutral territory. Or, perhaps an unusual spot where she may be less comfortable and welcome you, such as a table or chair?

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Hangry said:

I agree with all of the advice here! This is a sweeping generalization, but I think that cockatoos tend to appreciate physical/verbal interaction as a reward more so than some other species, so definitely try out those methods if that's something you're comfortable with! Keep up the great work--eventually you'll find a praise method that your baby loves Wishing you the best!

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