# Month 2: clicker training Boswell



## Lopburi (Sep 11, 2014)

So it's been almost two months. When we got him, he wouldn't take treats from my hand, wouldn't leave the cage, wouldn't play with toys (old ones, new ones), was bonded to his mirror, screamed a lot, and of course, would only eat seeds.

I started with the clicker a couple of weeks ago. At first he didn't like the clicker sound - too loud. I could only get a dog clicker at the local store. I gave up for a while. This week when I came back I started again. Every time he took a nibble I clicked. Eventually he got used to it.

Once he knew the click meant a treat I wanted to train. But it was tough at first because I wanted to start with a prop behaviour. I didn't want any begging. ...I didn't want him obsessively doing stuff in his cage for treats. I started with a spoon, to try to get him to touch the spoon with his beak. That was a big failure. He is terrified of the spoon. And this was the general problem with everything. He is scared of everything new. It doesn't matter if it hangs or sits on his cage outside for a while. Once it goes in, it's a foreign object and he hides in the corner. Forget my hand touching him, anything new would be a disaster.

I decided to try a wooden chopstick because it looks a bit like his wooden perch, but smaller. He was afraid of it at first. I clicked and treated for anytime he looked toward it. This was confusing for him. He thought turning his head meant a treat, at first. It took a few days. I mimed gently pecking the stick a lot, and treated him if he did something that looked remotely like that. Anyway now he KNOWS. He KNOWS to grab the chopstick gently. I am SO EXCITED!!! I can do target training now!! this is so great!!

So far I have been able to desensitize him to a new rope perch (he wouldn't have it in his cage before), and he has pecked at a cracker and the new perch. ALSO I think he understands the word "peck" and now if I touch the target with the chopstick, and say peck, he will peck and then look at me for the treat. EUREKA!! this is so much fun. Also he is getting a lot of treats.

Such a smart boy...


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## CloudySkies (Jul 11, 2014)

They ARE so smart, right? I love that the miming seemed to be the tipping point for him really getting the concept and that is awesome that he understands what you want when you say "peck". I'm wondering that once he really gets going with the training, if it will give him more confidence and something to sort of chew on mentally and if that will then translate into him not getting freaked out by new things so much. 

I am looking forward to hearing how he progresses!


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## amberwydell (Oct 13, 2013)

This sounds great! You and Boswell have made great progress  I can't wait to start clicker training my baby in the next couple of weeks...


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## RowdyTiel (Jan 24, 2013)

That's awesome!! Such a smart boy!

Isn't clicker training fun!? I love it! ^^


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