How to make recall training more fun for the human?

May 2, 2021
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Exactly the title. I know recall training is essential, but I keep quitting after a month or two because even skipping recall for one day makes my brain go "nope, this is easier" so I stop. I need some tips.
 

foxgloveparrot

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Teach some flighted tricks? Those are pretty fun to watch as well as train. You could also try filming your birds in flight and see if you can get some good footage (if you like videography).
 
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May 2, 2021
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Teach some flighted tricks? Those are pretty fun to watch as well as train. You could also try filming your birds in flight and see if you can get some good footage (if you like videography).
Thank you for the suggestions.
 

clark_conure

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I do different positions to change things up....heres me in a recliner calling you, heres me on the floor calling you, heres me in anouther room calling you. Best i got.
 

Greenhouseparrots

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You don't need to do recall everyday, unless you're training for freeflight or something. Also you don't have to do it in "sessions", just calling your bird over to you once in a day would count as recall. I don't know if you have any experience with other pets but with dogs you generally don't have to spend ten minutes a day teaching them recall. Once it's taught you just reinforce and use it in your day to day life, such as when on a walk you'd call them a couple of times when they're going a bit far away or when you see another dog and owner.

For my birds I'll call them when I'm getting their food ready or if I just want them to come over and hang out with me. I also like to call them if they're too quiet as they're usually up to something they shouldn't be and calling them will distract them from it. Sometimes I'll spend some time making them fly back and forth to me but they don't need that everyday and that's more for the exercise anyway.
 
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May 2, 2021
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You don't need to do recall everyday, unless you're training for freeflight or something
I’m not training for free flight (I wish), I’m training so that if anyone escapes again it will be much easier to get them. I am also training for the birds sake, they do not get enough exercise and have become somewhat lethargic.

I can’t just β€œcall them over”, they live in their own room since I’m allergic to them. And I don’t have a bedroom so bringing them in there wouldn’t work either. I try to go in their room a couple times a day to say hi and clean the room and feed them.
I do different positions to change things up....heres me in a recliner calling you, heres me on the floor calling you, heres me in anouther room calling you. Best i got.
Interesting
 

Greenhouseparrots

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Crimson bellied conure- Tequila
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Pearled cockatiel- Malibu
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Yellow budgies- Pina Colada and Houdini
Blue budgie- Lightning
White and blue budgie- Ciroc
I’m not training for free flight (I wish), I’m training so that if anyone escapes again it will be much easier to get them. I am also training for the birds sake, they do not get enough exercise and have become somewhat lethargic.

I can’t just β€œcall them over”, they live in their own room since I’m allergic to them. And I don’t have a bedroom so bringing them in there wouldn’t work either. I try to go in their room a couple times a day to say hi and clean the room and feed them.

Interesting
Can't you just call them over to you when you go into the room? I don't spend ten minutes a day calling my birds or anything and they have decent recall. I also have mine in one room so I can't call them around the house. If I have a new toy, or something is happening outside or I just can't see them then I'll call them. I think I'd get bored if I tried calling them over and over in a training session , and I know they would too. In fact I have done that in the past and their recall got worse as it was something they got very bored of.

Do you spend much time with them? Mine want to spend time with me the more I'm around them and they become much more tame and better at recall. They spend most of the summer outside in the aviary (nights are still in the house but I put them out and bring them in each day and then visit them a little bit outside) and by the autumn they go slightly more wild and less tame and I have to build a good bond up with them again which I do by spending time with them as they're indoors and we're in each others space.
 

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