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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
| Training Question |
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Hope that this is the right place for this question.
Maybe it is a dumb question...
As people have suggested on the forums, I've been trying to train Dewey to do some tricks using seeds from the seed mixture he used to eat before we got him transitioned onto pellets. However, his favorite seeds are sun-flower seeds and his second favorites are some kind of triangular white seed... both of these need to be husked. Do you think that by the time he is done husking the seeds he will even remember what he was doing before he recieved one? He works away slowly and methodically at each seed, opening it, daintilly holding eating each piece in his foot and nibbling at it, then checking each piece of the husk to see if he missed any. Also, by the time he has had a couple he seems happy to take a nap on my shoulder. Therefore, although the training session takes a long time, there don't seem to be many trials of what he is supposed to be learning!
By the way, we are having a great time using seeds as treats for the Budgies! In just a few days we have progressed to them being willing to sit on our hands and eat them! (Of course, Sugar only will do it if it involves knocking Kiwi off of the hand where he was eating  ).
Thanks in advance!
Marisa |
Friday August 4, 2006 8:52 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10070
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| Re: Training Question |
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Hey! There are no dumb questions! 
I think he'll remember what he was doing before he got one. Are you clicker training him? Or using your voice as bridge? 
Can you buy sunflower seeds that aren't in the shell? You can cut them up in pieces??
Great to hear about the achievement you made with the little ones! They learn fast, don't they?! |
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Friday August 4, 2006 9:33 pm |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
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I am giving Dewey verbal commands... we should learn more about clicker training, though!
He is already VERY tame but does not show the slightest inclination to do anything WE want. He will usually come when we call him eventually because he wants to be around us anyhow, but I want to work on him doing it right away... I figure this is important for safety if he ever escapes! We are also trying to work on talking, though he doesn't seem to have much of an inclination for that (he makes some noises that we like to iterpret as an attempt at "hello" but ... it's easy to THINK that is what he is saying ).
I am pretty pleased with the Budgies' progress. Today Kiwi let me carry him all the way from the living room to the birds' room (which is supposedly the office/guest room but you know how that goes), and then continued to sit on my finger while I got out the box of seeds and ate some from between my fingers!! Of course, Kiwi used to be trained to step-up on fingers, but has done it less and less as he always got chased away from humans in his previous home (where he was the beat up little budgie) and here, where Sugar is not tame at all. HOWEVER Kiwi is starting to get fat again after just a few days of this so we need to get careful (he seems to have a tendency to get fat).
marisa |
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Friday August 4, 2006 9:44 pm |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10070
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That's not what I meant..  (No offense meant)
I think you'll benefit from clicker training! It's very very easy and friendly..
Perhaps there are other seeds to practice with? Don't they like something with less fat? |
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Friday August 4, 2006 10:14 pm |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
I was trying to give more background but I probably don't know enough about clicker training to answer your question?
What I have been doing with Dewey is saying "come here, come here" and if he comes, giving him a seed.
As to the seeds I am giving the Budgies, they are a mixture of seeds, not very high on millet...so I don't think most of the seeds are especially fattening. But we are probably doing it too much because it is so fun to have them actually come to us! Kiwi has always had weight problems. We finally stabalized him at a good weight since they've been transitioned onto pellets and since we make sure he really comes out to play actively several hours a day. |
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Saturday August 5, 2006 1:31 am |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
I agree, when training you do need to give them something that doesn't take them long to eat. Maybe if you have any idle time, you could sit & shell sunflower seeds yourself to use for training. While you're watching TV or something.
It's funny, it seems to take my macaw forever to eat anything, even shelled sunflower seeds  |
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Saturday August 5, 2006 3:31 am |
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Jrmno1
Flying tumbler
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 2310
Location: Ohio, USA |
Hi Marisa,
We always use either shelled sunflower seeds or Pine nuts. We go down to the heath food store to by them. Then we give them as little as we have to. If it takes more then a bite or two it is to much. In order ti train them you must repeat as fast as you can as much as you can. So you don't want them thinking about eating or getting full. You want them to be thinking about getting thier next treat. It does not matter what you use to Cue (Hand signal, Vocal Command), but you have to develop a bridge to go along with the treat, the same thing every time ("Good", or a Clicker or anything) when they do something right use the bridge, then they will always know that a treat is coming.
Watch some of Fluffy Sue's Vids, she is good at training her birds..
John & Carrie |
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Saturday August 5, 2006 8:10 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10070
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quote:
Originally posted by gedoena
I was trying to give more background but I probably don't know enough about clicker training to answer your question?
I'm sorry I didn't understand that.. |
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Saturday August 5, 2006 9:00 am |
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