Dodo's Flock (Ongoing Thread)

[sdodo]

Since I started clicker training Max and Kiger I've wanted to keep track of their progress. So I'm starting this thread to keep track of their adventure in clicker training!

I've been working with both for a few weeks now and things have been fun.
Kiger, who is very food motivated, picks up on tricks fairly quickly. He knows 'turn around', 'down/up the ladder', and 'come here' for the most part.

Max...well Max is his own personality. Where Kiger is mostly fearless these days Max is not, and that's ok! I just take things slower with Max. We are working on 'down the ladder' right now where I'm asking him to touch the pointer a little farther down the ladder then the day before. There are nights where we take a step back but there is progress!

I'm not sure what to start next with Kiger. I want to work on 'wings up' but when they do stretch both wings I'm normally not ready with clicker in hand. I need to work on that. I'm so excited to be working with both boys!

[FaeryBee]

Wonderful! A training journal will be an excellent way to help keep track of Max and Kiger's progress.
I'll look forward to seeing how things work out.

[StarlingWings]

I also look forward to hearing how things progress with your little ones!

[sdodo]

Max went down the ladder last night! I asked him to touch the pointer once at the top of the ladder, and then asked him to touch it from the bottom of the ladder. After a long moment of deep thinking on Max's part he opted to go for it. Get the treat and then I would ask him to go up the ladder with the pointer now at the top of the ladder. It is far easier to get him to go up a ladder then down....

Kiger wasn't so motivated last night, Max was out of sight (bed time cage just out of sight but in the same room). I kept things short and just had Kiger do a review of 'turn around', 'down the ladder', and 'up the ladder', before starting on 'wave' and 'shake'. He did well all things considered. When it came to 'come here' though he was not having that. He still needed exercise time so I did what I do for Max (who doesn't know 'come here' yet...don't know if/when we might get to that but I don't think it will be any time soon with him.) and had Kiger step up onto my hand, I'd turn and walk away from the cage to the other side of the room before asking him to fly back. Repeat a few more times before putting him home for the evening. Exercise!

[sdodo]

Well, one step forward two steps back...Max doesn't want anything to do with the ladder. So I let it go for the night. A situation I find myself in with him is, while he is hand tame enough to step up and 'come here' from a very short distance away (a hop away at farthest) and he will mouth at my finger tips from time to time, he has times where he isn't so keen on my hand being by him. Last night was one of those nights. So, I spent the rest of the nub of millet with my hand by him and giving him the rest of the millet.

Kiger was a bit out of it tonight, it took him a bit longer to agree to go down the ladder. He was all for 'shake' and 'wave' and 'turn around'. I kind of want to try 'roll over' but he is a bit to... all over the place...to be ok working on any other surface then the perch... maybe that will come with time. I'm going to need to start with the come here command because if I wait until after everything else he is simply done with training at that point.

A total side thought/thing. I put together a play area in the room where I work on training with them, and where their bed time cage is. Its a few ropes and ladders and a swing between the bed time cage and the old cage. Now this is new, and its also a change to routine, so I'm not all that surprised that they haven't taken well to it yet. I shouldn't give up hope on them using it yet though right? Also they aren't the most active pair. They are quite content to sing on top of the cage. They don't fly around much...again new area, change of routine, I just need to give them time to adjust right?

[sdodo]

update!
I skipped training Monday, I was just to worn out by the time I got home. So last night I worked with both boys. Kiger is as uh...easily distracted as ever. He is fairly good about everything I've already taught him, but we do have a thing about turning around when I do the motion and ask him to wave...Need to work on that.
What has me excited is Max! He went down the ladder and back up like a good little boy. So I started on shake...Thinking he was going to be his usual no touchy self. He let me hold my finger by his foot, I'd click and reward him when he did without moving away. We did that a few times before I asked him to shake by nudging at his foot gently, he put his foot onto my finger, I'd do the motions of shake and click and bonus treats! I was so happy with him
It throws me for a loop working with Max sometimes. One day he is chill with everything, the next, he is wary of the pointer, and is all about not being touched. (other days he is really jumpy) I know its all trust. I don't expect Max to trust me as much as Kiger does, he simply hasn't been around as long. I think there is more to Max's wariness then just the difference in time each bird has been with us. This thing with his primary feathers has made things difficult for everyone involved, and not been helping the trust building. But he does still eat from my hand, will sometimes step up and will come to the bars of the cage if I have a nub of millet there, not as fast as Kiger if Kiger sees the millet but again, trust. That's why I'm so thrilled that he did do shake last night. Its a little bit of trust that I didn't have before.

[FaeryBee]

I'm very impressed with the progress you're making with Kiger and Max!! Well done.

[sdodo]

Well...Max will shake with only a little hesitation now. However he does hesitate with the 'touch' command, and wasn't all that keen on turn around ether last night. I blame myself its been a few days since I last worked with them on tricks.

Kiger was more open to training but he takes his dear sweet time to eat whatever little bit of millet I give after he does a trick. It does work out to my advantage because then I can work more with Max on 'touch' some more. With how long it takes Max to first inch toward the pointer, maybe start to reach for it before stopping...twice...before finally touching it Kiger is done working at the millet seed he got for doing a thing and is looking for more. I'm still kinda perplexed with Max's behavior but I am just rolling with it. Its a Max thing and that's ok. At least we can shake now!

[sdodo]

Well, Kiger is working on hanging upside down from the perch, and Max is working on going down the ladder...
Kiger is adorable when Kiger does 'wave' He is a little confused with shake, so I will back track and work on that a bit more with him.
Max and the ladder...he was fine with touching the pointer last night but not so fine with following the pointer and going down the ladder. It was near the end of the session and he was a bit distracted by Kiger in the cage so I couldn't get far anyway. I aim to start the next session with a brief warm up and then go to working on going down the ladder.
I cant help but giggle a bit when Max shakes.

So Kiger knows: turn around, down the ladder/up the ladder, wave, and shake (kinda...)
We are working on shake, and upside down (where he hangs upside down from the perch.) My goal is to turn upside down into going around the perch in a loop...

And Max Knows: turn around, and shake. Working on down/up the ladder. Eventually I will work on wave with him but upside down is still a fair distance off in things I plan to train Max to do.
I really need to get my act together and work on teaching wings up/stretch. I'm concerned about starting a bicker match but I'd just have to be quick about treats...or something. I'm open to suggestions on how to work on this one.

[FaeryBee]

Great job!
I'm so impressed that you've accomplished all this with them in such a short period of time.
Way to go!