New Janey and Charlie videos

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ellieelectrons
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New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

Hi All

I've put some new vids of Janey & Charlie up today.

Janey doing the banking: http://youtu.be/ohueI2kMMNA

Janey and Charlie playing basketball: http://youtu.be/CKKLCpCoprE

There are a couple more new ones on the channel too, feel free to check them out:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ellieelectrons

Ellie.
Skyes_crew
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Skyes_crew »

I love how Charlie went off to find the basketball. And how Charlie thought he should get treats for janey putting the coins in the bank lol. They are so cute together :)
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

Thanks Melissa.

They are cute. Not sure why but Charlie isn't showing much interest in training at the moment - perhaps I should do separate sessions with them, but I don't like to separate them. Could be that he's just fixated on keeping up with Janey at the moment since it's breeding season - he's pretty much stuck to her like glue!

Ellie.
ezncharlie
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ezncharlie »

Those videos are adorable!

How long have you had Janey and Charlie for? How long has it taken you to get to this stage of training with them? They're so clever!

Fingers crossed I can do this with my Charlie one day!

- Erin
- Erin and Charlie!

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Skyes_crew
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Skyes_crew »

Ellie, I'm noticing a distinct difference in training with Skye and hamlet. Don't know if you heard or not, but I found out that Skye is a female. Anyway, Skye picks things up a lot quicker and is much better focused. Whereas hamlet seems lost in space sometimes, even with his favorite treat. Do you notice any differences in janey vs Charlie in trick training?? :D
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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InTheAir
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by InTheAir »

Wow.. I wonder if Nila was a girl, would he be even better at doing tricks... ;p
Skyes_crew
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Skyes_crew »

Well the females are superior in any species :wink:
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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InTheAir
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by InTheAir »

Skyes_crew wrote:Well the females are superior in any species :wink:
Hmmm... so I'm thinking if Nila was a girl we'd be playing monopoly against him by now, and he'd be winning!
Skyes_crew
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Skyes_crew »

Most likely :lol:
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

ezncharlie wrote:How long have you had Janey and Charlie for? How long has it taken you to get to this stage of training with them?
Hi Erin - I've had Janey almost five years and Charlie almost four years. The first trick I started with for both of them was the turn around and I started trick training pretty young. Most of the time they love training. Of course they like the treats but they also like the attention and the way we can communicate. I train at their pace, just when they feel like it.
Skyes_crew wrote:Ellie, I'm noticing a distinct difference in training with Skye and hamlet. Don't know if you heard or not, but I found out that Skye is a female. Anyway, Skye picks things up a lot quicker and is much better focused. Whereas hamlet seems lost in space sometimes, even with his favorite treat. Do you notice any differences in janey vs Charlie in trick training??
Melissa - there are differences between my two as well. Charlie also gets lost in space sometimes, although he generally likes basketball :). I have noticed the same with the Alexandrines I work with. The females tend to pick things up more quickly than the males. However, males do pick them up too, it just takes longer. My friend has a theory that females tend to be smarter than the males in Asiatics. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule (Nila as a case in-point). I'm also wondering if it's about the roles in the relationship between males and females, perhaps it fits more within the female's role to do the tricks and if you have a lone male bird it would be different... but I'm just conjecturing now, I have no proof at this point.

Ellie.
ezncharlie
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ezncharlie »

Oh great! You don't think that trying to train as early as 9 months is too much for them? I'd love to start with Charlie.
- Erin and Charlie!

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ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

Nope, 9 months is fine. You need a place they feel comfortable to train and have his fav treats on hand. If his attention begins to wander, give up for now and try again later. For me, all tricks take quite a while to teach, so be patient. Turnaround is probably the easiest to teach as you can start by getting him to follow the treat to do it. However, the most useful behaviours to train are husbandry and vet behaviours (eg. towelling, harness training, presenting nails for a trim, getting them used to being grabbed and handled). Unfortunately I'm not good at training ANY actual useful behaviours. Wish I knew why! :)

Ellie.
InTheAir
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by InTheAir »

I guess hens being quicker to learn tricks makes up for the fact that they are more temperamental and hormonal :wink:

Those useful tricks are really boring to teach! It's way more fun playing with rings and counters!

Hey Ellie, I forgot to ask how your guys going with the psitts puzzle? Nila can do it quite reliably now, but I'm convinced he still doesn't understand it. If he doesn't get a piece in first try he will just repeatedly smash it into any part of the board. .. He has about 80 % sucess rate in his first try with any colour. It's quite odd.
Jen&Bug
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Jen&Bug »

Awesome tricks Ellie! What approximations did you reinforce to get them to learn the basketball trick? I've tried to teach Bug to drop his whiffle ball into a cup, but only got as far as him learning that I wanted him to throw the ball - so now he throws it away as soon as I give it to him, and looks for a treat!

How did you give them the idea that the ball has to go through the hoop?
Doodlebug
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Doodlebug »

God I love IRN's. They're so beautiful and clever. And yours are both :)
Loo :)
ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

Hi Jen

With my guys I taught them the retrieve first - giving them an item and getting them to drop it in a coop cup. The approximations for this behaviour were something like this:
1) give them the object, put the coop cup directly underneath them so as to ensure catching the object when they drop it. Try also using the command "give" or "drop". The second they drop it in the cup say "good bird" and give them a reward.
2) move the coop cup slightly so that they have to make an effort to put it in the coop cup.
3) don't give them the object - just place it somewhere. Then they have to come to the coop cup and put it in.

When I then taught them basketball I would start by holding them over the hoop and giving them the ball and getting them to drop it in. Then I'd move them a little closer to the ground/table until they could do it themselves. I hope that makes sense.

I'm wondering if it might be easier to teach initially if you used something with a bigger mouth than a cup and possible an object smaller than a wiffle ball?

Ellie.
ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

Claire - the psitta puzzle has taken a backstep for now. Janey is in full-on nesting mode. At the moment the only trick she is interested in doing is harness training (go figure). She gets excited about sticking her head in the harness for some reason. Then she flies away. I think I'll wait until the nesting season is over.

Ellie.
ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

BTW - Janey can also do soccer http://youtu.be/zmwMWgtXW90

Was surprisingly hard to teach because she kept wanting to put the ball over the bar instead of in the net.

Ellie.
InTheAir
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by InTheAir »

She's a funny bird!

Targeting is actually quite a useful way of extending the birds learning for tricks like basketball also. Now that I have noticed it is the way I have trained all the obscure tricks, I'm quite sold on it.
Jen&Bug
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Jen&Bug »

Thanks Ellie, that's helpful. We might try this again once I have my boys back home again (see Oh my dog! post).

I must say, it's eerily quiet here in a birdless house...jJust as well I have your videos to get a dose of IRN entertainment.
ellieelectrons
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Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

lol Jen. I hope the new introductions go well!

Ellie.
Skyes_crew
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by Skyes_crew »

ellieelectrons wrote:
ezncharlie wrote:How long have you had Janey and Charlie for? How long has it taken you to get to this stage of training with them?
Hi Erin - I've had Janey almost five years and Charlie almost four years. The first trick I started with for both of them was the turn around and I started trick training pretty young. Most of the time they love training. Of course they like the treats but they also like the attention and the way we can communicate. I train at their pace, just when they feel like it.
Skyes_crew wrote:Ellie, I'm noticing a distinct difference in training with Skye and hamlet. Don't know if you heard or not, but I found out that Skye is a female. Anyway, Skye picks things up a lot quicker and is much better focused. Whereas hamlet seems lost in space sometimes, even with his favorite treat. Do you notice any differences in janey vs Charlie in trick training??
Melissa - there are differences between my two as well. Charlie also gets lost in space sometimes, although he generally likes basketball :). I have noticed the same with the Alexandrines I work with. The females tend to pick things up more quickly than the males. However, males do pick them up too, it just takes longer. My friend has a theory that females tend to be smarter than the males in Asiatics. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule (Nila as a case in-point). I'm also wondering if it's about the roles in the relationship between males and females, perhaps it fits more within the female's role to do the tricks and if you have a lone male bird it would be different... but I'm just conjecturing now, I have no proof at this point.

Ellie.
I don't have a female Alex to compare to so I don't know how fast they should learn, but Cyrano took to targeting like a duck to water. He can wave, turn around, drop a ring where I want it, take a treat with his foot. And he's only 4 1/2 months old. Hamlet will be 7 months and I have trouble getting him to turn around. Skye learned that trick in 20 minutes. Maybe he's my special boy :wink: Nila I believe is just a prodigy fid :lol: definitely one in a million :D
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way :D

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MissK
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by MissK »

I'm really impressed with you guys and all your tricks training! It's not for us, at least not now, but it is really cool to see. I've noticed Rocky has a natural tendency to put stuff in or on other stuff, so if we ever trick train, should be a natch for basketball! :D

-MissK
-MissK
kanundra
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by kanundra »

Very impressed with your birds. They are beautiful and very clever. :)

I've just started training Bobby to fetch his balls and drop them to me, but he seems to more like going for my fingers sometimes too... oops.

He's lost so many feathers, looking very scruffy. He's also growling and regurgitating at everything still. Fingers crossed his hormonal stage won't be for too much longer.

:)
ellieelectrons
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Re: New Janey and Charlie videos

Post by ellieelectrons »

kanundra wrote:Very impressed with your birds. They are beautiful and very clever. :)
Thanks Kanundra :)

Janey turned five yesterday. We are currently going through some crazy hormonal behaviour too. Hubby and I copped a few bites today but at least they didn't draw blood and we know why she's doing it, so it's easier not to take it personally. I looked inside the box in my hubby's office she's been trying to nest in and I saw that she's been shredding a power cable (it's not plugged in or anything) to try to use it as nesting material. Had I realised I would have removed it sooner as the bits of copper wires, etc. could hurt her.

Ellie.
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