Positive Feedback and Getting Back on Track!

Bobby waves "hi!"

My husband and I were on a wee vacation for a week to celebrate a big birthday!  What fun!  However, there was a lot of work to do to prepare for leaving the birds (and dog) behind and we had to give some thought to the training diet and routine. 

First of all, the cockatoo (Coco) goes to the neighbors.  They love him and take good care of him. Coco bit Connie last time she watched him... bit her hard.  Just after that, Coco bit me too!  That was the reason we needed to re-think Coco-culture and attitude.  Connie was given a list of Coco's allowed food and instructed in the very basic command to target-click-treat when Coco wanted a sunflower seed.  She fed him only the bird kibble and birdie bread and only gave seeds and treats after a successful target-click-treat sequence:  RESULT:  Positive Feedback!!!  The whole family told me Coco was a changed bird!  His attitude went from defiant and throwing his food all over the place to sweet, attentive, and much better mannered.  What a difference a little human leadership can make in a bird's life!  He didn't bite anyone and he is welcome back to their house! 

Gracie and Bobby (TAGs) and Lucy (CAG) were cared for by a real bird person who came in daily to feed them and take care of them.  She happily provided bird kibble and a "wet" dish of fruits and vegetables every day AND continued modified training for all the birds in order to give them the coveted treats.  Upon returning, I noticed that all three grey parrots were much more effective in eating their birdie kibble (not so much food thrown to the bottom of the cage and more in their crops!) and, of course, they were glad to see me.

We have been home now 3 days (this is the 4th).  I've slowly re-introduced a twice-a-day training regime as their attention was poor the first days (more interested in mama than food)!  This morning all 4 birds did all their stuff even after a big helping of scrambled eggs blended with winter squash and some fruits.  (All four birds have been cycled through the shower already and that made them happy!)

Coco remembered the turn around and stepped right up for his seeds.  He got 2 seeds when he answered "hello" to my "hello!"   No aggression.  All positive.

Gracie "woofs" a lot, hoping she'll get food for that.  She is struggling with "mama touch," much to my surprise.  She allows me to touch her normally, but this "trick" worries her a little bit.  More training  needed here.  She feigned a "bite" when I tried to touch her, so I upped the treat to a cashew before I said "mama touch," and she managed to bend her head down for a quick "touch" to get the treat!  <%

Bobby, the scared boy, can't target yet.  He's scared.  He knows what to do, but is too scared of the stick.  We treat for "meow," "wave," and "step up."  I need to keep him in the loop of training without scaring him.  I ask for step up, bring him to me to kiss, and return to the perch before clicking when I feel he can tolerate it.  Then I give him praise (bridge) and click (another bridge) and give him a BIG treat when he's been very brave.

LUCY has shown no aggression at all for the training stick.  This is the whole goal for Lucy... to get her to feel confident and not to feel that aggression is necessary.  She's doing everything perfectly like a real Texas lady and daintily taking the treats from my hand.  YAY!  She is becoming, obviously, more open to being touched... more relaxed.

I'm pleased with the results of a few weeks of diet change and training on my part.  It takes time on my part to train them, but it is time I should have spent earlier.  They sometimes want "me" more than the treats, which pleases me.  I am not strict on the "training diet," as we don't have a deadline to train everyone to do everything in a brief period.  I want my birds to be successful, healthy, and happy.  I've been giving them each a spoonful of their favorite seeds every evening at bedtime.  Snacks are relaxing and I have assigned "human emotions" to them, whether that is correct or not.  They seem to like it and it doesn't interfere with their eating of the birdie kibble.