Coco is "targeting..." reluctantly.

Coco is targeting...

Coco started touching the target for every sunflower seed.  At first he bit it, but then he got it... and just touched it... for the seed.  I'll take whatever time it takes to get his "ducks in a row."  He had bitten me again earlier today when I tried to get him out of the cage for a shower.  He has a temper.  He's never been a biter.  Puberty seems to have brought this behavior, a perfect reason to get him back on track with training.  So, I ignored the bite, waited a few hours, offered the seeds and target... and he got it.  Whew!  It's a start.

I weighed the birds yesterday evening before bed at 7 PM to verify that they weren't losing weight on the training diet.  Coco the lesser sulfur crested cockatoo (LSCC) and Bobby, the Timneh (TAG) could both use a little more weight.  Coco's a picky eater (wants only seeds) and Bobby is a quivering mess of nerves.  Lucy is about perfect weight (Congo Grey) and Gracie is too heavy (TAG).

Lucy    428 grams
Gracie  306 grams
Bobby  278 grams
Coco    274 grams

Target/clicker training was again easy for Gracie, but she was seemingly less hungry today, so she would only take a few seeds before I had to up the treat to a cashew.  She did "target" the stick when it put it clear across to the opposite side of the cage from her.  She threw all of her all natural bird food (kibble) on the floor of her cage.  Clean food was returned to her food dish.  In other words, if it didn't land in "anything," then I recycled it.

Bobby targets well, but he's so scared all of the time, he often drops the treat.  The Avian vet told me that peanut butter could be harmful to the birds (a mold, Aspergillus flavus, that can be found even in cooked peanuts) and we should avoid it.  But, the birds have had peanut butter (organic, freshly ground) for years, so I am using it as an ultimate-treat to tempt both Bobby and Lucy to calm down and focus on the target/click/treat training.   Lucy bit the blankety-blank-blank stick again (in anger/frustration) when I tried to give her a sunflower seed.  She took the cashew, but threw it (demonstratively) away and glowered at me.  So, I pulled out the peanut butter for now.

My plan of action:

-->Desensitize all 4 birds to the clicker and stick and get them used to target/click/treat over the coming week or so before attempting anything new.

-->Reduce and eliminate peanut butter entirely within 4 weeks by getting the peanut-butter-loving birds used to the training, the training diet, and replacing the peanut butter with almond butter.  Right now the almond butter is not enough of a prize to calm Bobby or incite Lucy to train properly.   Coco only marginally likes peanut butter and Gracie hates anything sticky, but she does like peanuts.  Again, peanuts will be eliminated.

-->Continue target/click/training at least twice a day for each bird and the dog (in front of the birds).  Move the "target" and get the birds to follow.  Get Bobby targeting more confidently and Coco/Lucy, less aggressively.

-->Shower the birds regularly!  Gracie and Coco got a shower today.  Game plan also includes one bird gets a shower every day.  Why?  Individual time spent with birds that also inspires relaxation for them.  (Also, less bird dust!)

Today was a good day, in spite of my very sore finger.  I've handled Coco many times after the bite.  He loves me.  I know that.  He's a wild-child and it's my responsibility to help him change that.

Highlight!  The bonus treat!  When Coco had successfully targeted the stick a few times in a row, he got 3 sunflower seeds instead of one.  After a few more single treats, he got a nutriberry.  Jackpots are proven to work in dog training, so hopefully it is helpful in bird training.  All the greys also enjoyed a "jackpot" of several bites of their favorite after a few single-treat-target-click rounds.

Tomorrow is a new day and all 4 birds (and dog) have shown greater understanding of what I'm doing.  I'm happy and I have a whole big box of band aids.  Let's hope I don't have to use any more of those!  <%

Coco was holding out, so I upped the anti and it worked!

Coco, 6 years old

Coco has been "holding out" on the training.  I've got him on a training diet (no seeds) and he's been getting grumpy.  Still, he has refused taking his favorite sunflower seed from my hand to eat it.  He does occasionally take it and throw it down in disgust.  ):  The first stage is getting him to figure out that the click from the clicker means "treat."  So, I try to give him a seed and then click when he takes it.   In dog training, they called it "loading the clicker."  You just build an association of treat=click.  The next stage is "target" where you get the bird to touch a target... you click (good bird!) and then, treat.  For 3 days Coco won't even take the treat!!!  So, after another failure this morning, I upped the anti:  Nutriberry!!!  It worked!  He took it.  I clicked and walked away.  I can't repeat it for a while because it takes a little time to "eat the treat."

Bobby:  He is too scared to stand on my hand all the way to the bird stand, but he only flew off once on the way there and not at all on the way back to his cage.  I've decided to "talk to Bobby" more, telling him where I'm taking him.  It seems to work.  Small breakthrough:  I was able to get Bobby to focus through his fear long enough (on the stand!) to target-click-treat three times before he freaked out.  You have to understand that Bobby is too nervous on the stand to even eat his warm lovely breakfast, so taking any food at all on the stand is a step in the right direction.  Go Bobby!

Gracie:  Gets it!  Target/click/treat is very straight forward for her!  Go grey girl!  She's a foodie and no seeds in her cage is motivation enough to target/click/treat!  :D


Lucy (CAG):  Jealous.  Angry.  Irritated...  Targeted once, click, took the seed... threw it on the floor and threw a hissy fit!  Hahaha!  I continued to work with the other two greys and Lucy got more jealous.

Birds back in cages.  Gave Lucy a peck on the head and a washed out yogurt carton to work out her frustrations on.  She just told me she was a "good girl" in my husband's voice, complete with Swedish accent.  How can you not love 'em.

PS  Cindy, the little doggie got her target behavior-click-treat lessons too.  She went through Pet Smart's entire 3-tier program, but I've been too lazy to keep her on her "paws."  We're all in  training!