Whats my next step?
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Whats my next step?
My Merlin has been taken peanuts and grapes off me for about two weeks now but only takes it from one spot of his cage and only when im laying on my bed next to his cage. i want to know what the next step is and if hes ready. he does threaten me with biting the air to show me hes unconfortable. hmmm
Re: Whats my next step?
Hi, I'm fairly new to the forums and by now means an expert. But I would definitely think about getting a clicker and using it everytime you give a grape or peanut. Let him associate the click with the treat. And that it's a good thing! Maybe someone else can chime in and explain better.
I have been using the clicker and target stick with Gracie now for 1 1/2 months. She's doing so so so good!
I'd also try to change up routine. Offer the grape from MErlins comfy spot, click, treat, then another spot close to his comfy spot, and work your way further from the original spot. I've been doing something similar with Gracie but in a different situation. She was scared of her training perch. So I put it where she saw it and used the clicker, treat,,when she felt better that it was there. Then closer, clicker, treat. Then closer, clicker, treat. And so on. Now she is ON the training perch each evening and doing targeting and also turn arounds! It's just little steps to get your Merlin more comfy.
Hope I helped in someway. I'm still learning myself!
And learning more patience than I ever have too! And I'm a very patient person!
I have been using the clicker and target stick with Gracie now for 1 1/2 months. She's doing so so so good!
I'd also try to change up routine. Offer the grape from MErlins comfy spot, click, treat, then another spot close to his comfy spot, and work your way further from the original spot. I've been doing something similar with Gracie but in a different situation. She was scared of her training perch. So I put it where she saw it and used the clicker, treat,,when she felt better that it was there. Then closer, clicker, treat. Then closer, clicker, treat. And so on. Now she is ON the training perch each evening and doing targeting and also turn arounds! It's just little steps to get your Merlin more comfy.
Hope I helped in someway. I'm still learning myself!
And learning more patience than I ever have too! And I'm a very patient person!