Target Training Lily!

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
Hey guys!
So yesterday I was binge watching parrot videos on YouTube and I came upon target training
[ame="https://youtu.be/uqtptXFyb2c"]How to Target Train Your Parrot | Parrot Training - YouTube[/ame]
And I decided to teach Lily so that she can learn tricks!
So I stole a bunch of chopsticks from the Chinese place and bought a clicker and I started training her today.
Using seeds from her old diet as treats I started by getting her accustomed to the stick. She was scared at first but I kept making her get closer and closer. By the end of the training session she was comfortable with me touching her beak with it! I feel really good about this and I'm excited because she is so smart and such a fast learner.
I also feel like it will help her to be more friendly with strangers. One of my long term goals is to be able to take her into public and trust that she won't hurt people. Last night she flew off her cage and attacked my mom, biting her shoulder and nearly breaking the skin. That same guy said in a different video that target training can help birds to have common ground with strangers so that they aren't so aggressive.
You all feel free to share your thoughts!

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Ha ha our old friend the parrot wizard LOL.

First of all have you developed a bond with your bird and done some building trust exercises of which you can find on this forum and elsewhere. Then have your mom go through them too, you can wave all the chopsticks in the air you like but if your bird doesn't trust it aint gonna work.
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
I have got to a point where I can pet her easily and she doesn't ever bite me, but she still won't step up. I am going to use the target training to teach her to step up because she's been really stubborn about it.
I know that the training won't fix her aggression like a magic trick, but it's a good tool to have in my tool box.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Yes after building a bond and trust with her - first and foremost.

Would you behave and act nice if you didn't trust those asking you to do stuff? I wouldn't I'd be a right bee!
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
It's hard to build a bond with her when she won't leave her cage. I need a method of training her that is rewarding to her and useful to me. Just asking her to step up over and over and over again doesn't work because she doesn't want to. She doesn't even respond to treats. She really likes me to visit her and talk to her and pet and scratch her, and I love that too, but the training gives me a reason to be by her cage and an activity that we can do together. And like I said, she is responding very well to it!

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
The way that I got her familiar to me when I first got her was to go to her cage and poke treats through the bars. After a few days of that she was pretty friendly and looked forward to seeing me. I did the same with my mom, I had her come in and give her treats through the bars to show her that my mom is a nice human and not like whatever other person she was associating her with.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
It's hard to build a bond with her when she won't leave her cage. I need a method of training her that is rewarding to her and useful to me. Just asking her to step up over and over and over again doesn't work because she doesn't want to. She doesn't even respond to treats. She really likes me to visit her and talk to her and pet and scratch her, and I love that too, but the training gives me a reason to be by her cage and an activity that we can do together. And like I said, she is responding very well to it!

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

If Lilly is not keen to come out of her cage yet go sit with her, read a book to her if you like, talk to her, treat her, give her that reason to want to come out for you. She will in her own time. Are you asking her to step up onto your hand? If so and not keen have you tried a T Perch instead? Have you any perches on the outside she can reach easily? Her cage is her sanctuary and she feels safe there, work on getting her to feel safe outside with you but it doesn't need to be a race. :)
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
She will come out and sit on the cage and sit on the door and go all up and down the sides and if it's enticing enough she will even step off onto the little side table to get a treat. She loves me to visit her and pet her and scratch her but doesn't trust me enough to step up. So I go hang out and talk to her across the room and all the stuff that all the bird videos teach me to do.
I tried a t stand but she would just rather be on her cage. She would fly off the stand and go back to her cage.
I am asking her to step onto my hand and the reason for that is that I know that she knows how to step up because her previous owner did it with her. She just isn't keen on doing it for me.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
Also I should mention that she will step up when she is away from her cage. Like if she flies away and ends up on the seat for example she will step up from the desk, but will not step up from her cage.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
May 14, 2016
15,045
8,742
Cleveland area
Parrots
The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
Hang in there, Jag. I think you're making great progress; good for you for finding us and reaching out.

My advice... follow all the great suggestions you receive here!

And to whatever extent your bird just doesn't respond, or you can't summon the resolve/rhythm to take control... well... I'll hold your hand! I have a difficult bird, but he's still a wonderful part of my life.
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
So today I was doing the training like I did yesterday (she picked up on it so fast, I think she might be a genius) and I was reaching into her cage to poke some seeds into her rope perch (I've been trying to make her cage a place that she likes to be rather than a prison) and she stepped right off onto my shoulder!
That isn't really what I wanted her to do but I took it as an opportunity to bond with her so I took her over to the couch and we shared a banana (confession: I ate most of it 😐) then I put her back before she could poop on me. I think she is really warming up to me!

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 
OP
jagrooten5

jagrooten5

New member
Sep 7, 2016
82
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #12
eaa4263ee86768435428430f9b4d9b69.jpg


Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top