Target Training
Now the first step to taming is Target Training. I have a special week Target Training course which I will go through with you.
You will need:
€ Preferably a chop stick or something along those lines
€ Your clicker
€ Treats
€ A table top for later on
Day 1: Poke your stick through the bars of the cage near the bird. Naturally the bird will come and touch the end of the stick curiously. When it does that click and reward. Do this in the one spot. Have a 10 minute training session three times that day. By that time your bird will know that touching the end of the stick will get it a click and a reward.
Day 2: Still inside of the cage touch train your bird to different sides of the perch its standing on. Like before have 10 minute training sessions three times that day. By then your bird will know that it will have to walk to the stick to touch it.
Day 3: Now begin to target your bird to different places inside the cage. This way it has to walk further or climb to reach the stick. Praise and reward each time. As usual 10 minutes 3 times a day sessions.
Day 4: Begin to target your bird to its door. So open the door and target your bird to perch on the edge of the opening. Do this as usual 10 minutes 3 times a day. Do not target or let your bird out of the cage at the moment.
Day 5: Begin to target your bird out of the cage and on the table top. This will get your bird familiar with the table top so it won’t busy itself with exploring the table top in the next two days of vital target training. Once again do the same amount of training sessions.
Day 6: Take your bird out onto the table top again and place one hand flat on the table. Do not target your bird to your hand. Simply target your bird around your hand so it will get used to target training in the presence of your hand.
Day 7: Now it’s time to get your bird onto your hand. Make sure that you haven’t fed your bird yet so it’s very motivated to reach the stick. Target your bird onto your hand. Most birds may be very hesitant, if your bird is like this quietly encourage your bird. If it doesn’t move target your bird around your hand again just to remind it that touching the stick will get it a treat then target onto your hand.
Now that you have completed the one week course that doesn’t mean that you stop target training and getting your bird on your hand altogether. You must continue to target your bird onto your hand until it is totally fine with stepping onto your hand even without the target stick.
Tips:
- Train your bird before it has its meal so it will be very motivated to co operate with you
- You don’t necessarily have to do 10 minutes; it depends on the attention span of your bird. Smaller birds are usually 5 -10 minutes and bigger birds are usually fine with 10 -15 minutes
- When you are up to taking your bird out of the cage and on a table top I found that it was more willing to step up onto my hand if I trained him in an empty room he has never seen so that the only familiar thing to him would be me
Now the first step to taming is Target Training. I have a special week Target Training course which I will go through with you.
You will need:
€ Preferably a chop stick or something along those lines
€ Your clicker
€ Treats
€ A table top for later on
Day 1: Poke your stick through the bars of the cage near the bird. Naturally the bird will come and touch the end of the stick curiously. When it does that click and reward. Do this in the one spot. Have a 10 minute training session three times that day. By that time your bird will know that touching the end of the stick will get it a click and a reward.
Day 2: Still inside of the cage touch train your bird to different sides of the perch its standing on. Like before have 10 minute training sessions three times that day. By then your bird will know that it will have to walk to the stick to touch it.
Day 3: Now begin to target your bird to different places inside the cage. This way it has to walk further or climb to reach the stick. Praise and reward each time. As usual 10 minutes 3 times a day sessions.
Day 4: Begin to target your bird to its door. So open the door and target your bird to perch on the edge of the opening. Do this as usual 10 minutes 3 times a day. Do not target or let your bird out of the cage at the moment.
Day 5: Begin to target your bird out of the cage and on the table top. This will get your bird familiar with the table top so it won’t busy itself with exploring the table top in the next two days of vital target training. Once again do the same amount of training sessions.
Day 6: Take your bird out onto the table top again and place one hand flat on the table. Do not target your bird to your hand. Simply target your bird around your hand so it will get used to target training in the presence of your hand.
Day 7: Now it’s time to get your bird onto your hand. Make sure that you haven’t fed your bird yet so it’s very motivated to reach the stick. Target your bird onto your hand. Most birds may be very hesitant, if your bird is like this quietly encourage your bird. If it doesn’t move target your bird around your hand again just to remind it that touching the stick will get it a treat then target onto your hand.
Now that you have completed the one week course that doesn’t mean that you stop target training and getting your bird on your hand altogether. You must continue to target your bird onto your hand until it is totally fine with stepping onto your hand even without the target stick.
Tips:
- Train your bird before it has its meal so it will be very motivated to co operate with you
- You don’t necessarily have to do 10 minutes; it depends on the attention span of your bird. Smaller birds are usually 5 -10 minutes and bigger birds are usually fine with 10 -15 minutes
- When you are up to taking your bird out of the cage and on a table top I found that it was more willing to step up onto my hand if I trained him in an empty room he has never seen so that the only familiar thing to him would be me