# Training just getting started



## jessdavies (Jul 18, 2010)

I just got my cockatiel today, i want to start training it, teaching it tricks ect. I want to start asap while he is still a youngin 
Any recomendation on any book? dvd? ect?

Thanks


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

This book is excellent: http://www.amazon.com/Clicker-Training-Birds-Getting-Started/dp/1890948152/

And this Yahoo group belongs to the author. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/ You aren't required to buy the book to be in the group and the same information is in the group's free files, but the book is a LOT easier to read.


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## jessdavies (Jul 18, 2010)

Fantastic I was looking at that should I get the clicker to? What does the clicker do?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The clicker is used to tell the bird that it just earned a treat. Imagine that you're taking a picture of the bird doing the desired behavior. The moment that you would press the button on the camera is the moment that you click the clicker, and after that you deliver the treat as quickly as possible.

You can do positive reinforcement training without a clicker too. It takes a couple of seconds to deliver the treat though, and the clicker makes it just a little bit easier for the bird to identify exactly which behavior earned the treat.


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## kirbulous (Jul 21, 2010)

I completely agree with tielfan on clicker training.
Once I got Kirby clicker trained our training progressed much more quickly. His first trick was waving and he learned it in less than an hour. Then I taught him to nod his head yes and shake his head no. Kirby can also turn around in circles (left or right) and put his wings out on command.
I actually bought a trick training video from birdtricks.com. Here  is the video set that I tried. The money-back guarantee is absolutely legit. I actually went for the Advanced training program but it was a bit overwhelming for me so I returned it and kept only the basic training program plus all the bonuses. Although I did review the Advanced program and I was able to teach Kirby the first trick in the book which is to "put his toys away" or put all his toys into a bin. I'll post a video of that tomorrow.
If you are not interested in the large parrot tricks (which I absolutely believe our cockatiels are capable of doing) then you can try the Parakeet/Cockatiel Training Package. But I haven't tried it yet so I'm not sure what is in it.
At least you should submit your email for the free video. The one I got was about target training and when Kirby was young and wild it helped us to develop a bond. Target training is where you train your bird to touch the tip of a stick. This way you can get him or her to go anywhere you want it to go. This is also how he learned stepping up and helped to reduce fear of hands.
I never imagined cockatiels could be so smart and talented. It was really a pleasant surprise since I was pondering whether I should have gotten a larger parrot. Turns out cockatiels truly are perfect for me.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

A word of caution on Birdtricks.com. Ther company definitely has its fans, but many people consider the company owner (Chet Womack) to be an inferior trainer who gets all his ideas from better trainers, tweaks the techniques in ways that make them worse not better, then sells them as his own fabulous guaranteed method. His hard-sell advertising creates the impression that he's more interested in selling than anything else. People like Barbara Heidenreich are much more reputable, and sell training videos without all the hype.


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## kirbulous (Jul 21, 2010)

I had a hard time finding anything else that looked legitimate. But I'm definitely going to look into Barbara Heidenreich. Thanks for the tip! 
The hype did freak me out a little initially. I was really skeptical but then when the first few tricks worked I was so excited! And there were a few things he recommended that I disregarded because it didn't seem right. For example, to get your bird motivated for training he advises that you withhold some of the birds daily food to be used during training. I find that giving Kirby his full allowance of pellets and vegetables does not affect our training since he's always willing to work for seeds.
I was looking forward to posting my video of Kirby "cleaning house" but unfortunately my friend that took the video won't be able to send it to me until tomorrow. So hopefully I'll get to share it tomorrow. I'm really proud of him for learning this because I wasn't sure if he was capable. His ability to do this trick made me believe he could do almost anything if I put the effort into it.


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## jessdavies (Jul 18, 2010)

Wow that's fantastic i can't wait to get started! I ordered my books yesterday so hopefully I'll get them soon


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## kirbulous (Jul 21, 2010)

Just got the video from my friend!
Here's the link. I have to try to get a more recent one where he does it more quickly. This video was from earlier when he would be a little stubborn about putting them in the bowl.
Also if you notice at the end he tries to take things out of the bowl and put them back. This is because this was one of the steps I took to get him to put them in the bowl in the first place. I would hold the piece over the bowl and let him knock it out of my hand into the bowl. The sound of the piece hitting the metal bowl served as the click and the treat came right after. Then gradually I put the pieces on the table and pointed at them to indicate that he should pick them up and put them in the bowl.
The next step I'm working on is "saving money". I've got these plastic coins and a small bank box with a slotted hole. Kirby is slowly catching on to this. Good luck with your training!


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