# Recall training failure lol.



## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

So even though I am the one Buddy is most bonded with (and the only one he accepts [and demands!] snuggles and scratches from), he will recall with my partner from short distances (his wings are clipped) but not with me... He often comes to me when I call him if he is on the floor or perched somewhere where he can reach me from but not in flight.

He's not a major fan of treats (other than millet). He will happily eat them but it seems he does it only when he wants to eat and not because it's a treat. Usually, as soon as I get home he is on his front perch ready for me to pick him. My partner just opens the cage and he comes out on his own. With me, I give him my finger to step up and he crawls up my arm to my shoulder and starts rubbing his head on my neck straight away to say hello. 

Yesterday I didn't pick him up and just sat in front of his cage calling for him (from a very close distance). Instead of doing something about it he kept calling back for me as if saying "You expect me to move?!?!?" lol). After a few mins. of him pacing back and forth frustrated on this perch calling for me, I got his food, shook the container to remind him what was in there and held it by my chest whilst I kept calling for him. His response to that? Started climbing in his cage screaming lol. Tried with millet; same response. Eventually I gave up and decided to pick him up and just put him up on his playgym. Gave him my finger to step up to, which he very willingly did whilst attacking my moving hand lol (not painful but it was aggressive).

So in summary he is lazy with me and got mad that I withheld him his food and millet from him with my recall game lol.

Is persistence the solution or is there something else I should try? I refuse to accept that he will recall with someone he is less bonded with but not with me...

Thanks everyone.


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

haha he's just being a lazy little critter! Bjorn struggles with excessive laziness as well 
start small with him. i had Bjorn jumping from one knee to the other, and getting a bite of spray millet as a reward. NOT a lot of work, so he was generally willing to do it.
have you target trained Buddy? it helped with Bjorn. i just used a pen as my "clicker". i taught Bjorn that everytime he touched the tip of a stick he'd get a bite of millet. it just helped as reinforcement. "touch, *click*, millet".
keep perservering. start very small - like 15 cms. and don't give in to him. with Bjorn, i once sat there for 1\2 hour waiting for the crazy boy to come to me. Bjorn only gets spray millet when he's training, so that's an incentive for him. if he doesn't come to me, no millet.
i'm sure Buddy will be able to learn  good luck! and stay consistent!
i'm going to start training Ollie soon - now THAT will be hard!! she's the flightiest "do her own thing" bird ever!!


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

OMG! 

So I just tried that. I knew that getting him to jump from one knee to another wouldn't be an issue, especially with millet involved seeing as he's always jumping from knee to knee anyway. So success immediately there. Then I grabbed a chair and put him on it with the millet on my knee, he jumped. Got a little further away, he jumped again. Then finally when I increased the distance again, he flew to my knee!  When I tried to get him to fly to my chest by holding the millet up failure lol. I think this knee thing was a great starting point, thanks for the idea.

We started clicker training him when we first got him. Unfortunately we didn't follow through with it but we do need to get back on it...

Thanks for the suggestion


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

yay! there's hope  you could even have him do just a knee-to-knee jump for a few days. and slowly extend it - he probably wouldn't even notice!


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## RowdyTiel (Jan 24, 2013)

I need to start recall training with Maverick!


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

Maybe I should do the knee for a few days or until he is doing it on command (without millet) and then increase the distances. Patience is definitely not one of my strength but I guess that's where the 2 way street comes in and I'm learning from him


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

Can we get a like button (like fb) on here? Lol. 

@RowdyTiel- Like! Lol.


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## RowdyTiel (Jan 24, 2013)

pinkspikez said:


> Can we get a like button (like fb) on here? Lol.
> 
> @RowdyTiel- Like! Lol.


LOL! :lol:


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

that'd be awesome! i think some people use the "thanks" button for "liking" :lol:


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

ollieandme said:


> i think some people use the "thanks" button for "liking" :lol:


 I've done that before and made the suggestion caz I was about to do it again lol.


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## bobobubu (Dec 12, 2011)

ollieandme said:


> that'd be awesome! i think some people use the "thanks" button for "liking" :lol:


I always do that lol

I think Buddy loves the ritual of you picking him from the cage and doesn't want to give that up; he's right, it's such a sweet thing, he waits for you!
Bubu does the same every morning, he waits for me to pick him up; I do, then I give him a kiss on the chest, and ONLY AFTER that he will proceed to fly around the room to say good morning to the world! 
They love their little routines


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

Yes! That's exactly it! We also have that routine in the morning, kisses, head scraches etc. Then the day goes on lol. I think recall training from his cage should be the last step considering all that but neither in the mornings or when I get home from work in the beginning... Baby steps right?


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## catalinadee (Jan 1, 2011)

I wrote this on recall training birds. It is a really, really short guide to how I do it but I have trained aviary birds using this method  

http://daisysflock.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/recall-training-with-hands-off-birds.html


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

I highly recommend Daisy's technique! I used a modified version for Bjorn


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## Pinkspikez- Buddy's Mama (Dec 25, 2012)

catalinadee said:


> I wrote this on recall training birds. It is a really, really short guide to how I do it but I have trained aviary birds using this method
> 
> http://daisysflock.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/recall-training-with-hands-off-birds.html


Great guide! Thanks for that. I took a quick skim through it and on this paragraph it makes so much sense.

"Before you begin, start feeding your bird at set times throughout the day. Once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. Make sure your bird eats everything in the bowl, if not, don't put as much in. If they do, put a little more in until you have found the perfect balance. This way, your bird will be a little peckish (no pun intended) and will be far more willing to work for a little treat. "

That is precisely the reason he isn't into treats (except for millet). I've been aware of this for a while however I have been unsure how to approach it. He never eats all his food at once. He picks on it for about 5-10mins at a time randomly through out the day. I don't want to starve him so how long should I leave the food out for and how long should he go between feeds? 

Thanks


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