Is target training a "must"?

My gcc had a possible respiratory infection the first week i got him so,as you all know, I had to stick that dumb syringe in his mouth twice a day for a week and a half. Since then ive never really been able to start target training because hes afraid of anything that size going near his mouth. I tried rewarding anytime he even goes near it but no luck. Sigh

I never did target training because my birds always just accepted me and my hands so......If your bird is fine with you....it's just skipping a step.

You need to slow down-- you shouldn't be trying to do anything that scares him right now. Target training is a great tool, but don't try until you have built the trust back with your baby. Think of it this way--- a "reward" to you, is not a reward to your bird if it causes stress..


You know how some people HATE their birthdays and get genuinely upset when people celebrate them? YET, those celebrators insist on doing it because it SEEMS positive to them. A reward to you vs a reward to your parrot are not the same and the more you stress your bird out (even if you think it's positive) the harder it will be.


Slow down, rebuild trust, do not stress out your bird (only way to know is reading those signals etc). Hesitation is stress for a bird who hasn't formed a strong bond. I also want to say that this doesn't mean lock your bird up for 2 weeks-- if you have a plan and safety procedures etc, it is possible to let your bird out (not taking it out, but letting it CHOOSE if it comes out) if you have time and some planning-- There is more info on this elsewhere, so if you are interested, let me know.

Hi there! Much like you, when I first got our 'zon Salty, he had developed a resp infection and we did much the same. We let him settle down a bit before we started any training, BUT he stepped up with no issues from the first, so we were OK letting out of his cage. You want to always think of actions 'Is this trust building or trust busting'. If he's not stepping up readily, and you have to chase or grab him to get him back in the cage, then you might want to wait a bit, and develop a relationship again with him thru the bars. Offer fav treats every time you pass the cage, sitting close and talking or reading to him in a pleasant soothing voice, those kinds of things.

Noodles, above, has a lot of info on operant conditioning and other training thinking that is informative!

Without knowing the details of your recovery (I hope all is well), I’m leaping here, but I actually strongly disagree with above.

Target training is a hands off technique, which by its nature is applicable to distrustful birds, and develops the communication that facilitates bond building. So long as he’s healthy and you find the reward he loves, there’s no reason you can’t do it now. He’s can relatively easily be desensitized to the target object (which can be anything! A pen, wooden dowel, strip of fabric, whatever you want!): depending on the bird, it could be as little as 3 clicks of the clicker or maybe two days at most. EASY.

The applications to target training are endless: moving the bird around, desensitization to an object, teaching it to turn/spin, to name just a few.

My question is, is he fearful of YOU right now after the medical care?

GreenCheek44 said:

My gcc had a possible respiratory infection the first week i got him so,as you all know, I had to stick that dumb syringe in his mouth twice a day for a week and a half. Since then ive never really been able to start target training because hes afraid of anything that size going near his mouth. I tried rewarding anytime he even goes near it but no luck. Sigh

Click to expand...

See above- Chris. I'm all for target-training in a non-fearful bird..but you can't hand a reward if even the sight of your hands with a reward scares the bird...and MANY are scared of sticks or stick-like objects in-hand.


If the bird wasn't scared, I'd be all for it-- I think we may be agreeing in some backwards fashion...Even a fearful human can cause a bird to bite without meaning to, but both have to be in the right mindset in most cases

You don't have to use a traditional target don't forget. I have a Mynah who I'm working on targetting to a tiny cone shaped object. I think it's a place marker for a game. I reward her for going near it. Eventually I plan to move it around the room (actually I have 4 so I will place another one when she has targeted to the previous one). The only problem is that I don't have an easy way to remove it, so it possibly isn't as effective as a stick that can be touched and removed, but it has the same result.

In the past I've used a wooden spoon, I used the handle, but your bird might find the spoon end reminds him less of the syringe and so might not be scared.

Target training is just so useful! It also helps to grow trust and communication between you both.

Noodles, hands aren’t the only way to deliver rewards. Hands off techniques are actually perfect for fearful animals.

Even I had the same issues...my sun conure has respiratory probs n it took 10 days to make it alright....n den later I started developing a bond with it...by making it eat with me beside n making it fly in the hall by showing its favourite food. N now I have started with clicker training.

The simple answer to your question is: No. Target training is not the only method. In fact, there are several methods being pushed by individuals that specialize in training and pushing their book plus training tools. Once the individual has paid for the book, CD, and tool they are invested and full bought in on that technic being the only way.

The most important thing; Does The Parrot Trust You!

We start in the worst possible location and work from there to develop a Trust Bond. The Amazons that come to live with us are commonly older, ill, abused and have zero want to ever trust another Human. Because they are commonly ill, their first experience with us is toweling and providing medication. Climbing out of that hole is fully possible without any of the training methods.

Most individuals do not want to invest the time and effort into full developing a true Trust Bond as it takes much longer and requires their commitment to the Parrot.

I should have specified this in the origonal post but he finished his meds months ago. I think it was actually my first post here. He stepped up since day 1 and i beleive he trusts me. Hes just a little traumatized by skinny little sticks near his mouth

then refer back to my post. Its ok to skip a step if your on good terms.