Trick training

[InTheAir]

Hey everyone,

Do many of you teach your ringnecks tricks?
I'm an absolute newbie with parrots, and am trying to learn more.
I'm interested to hear about peoples experiences and techniques.
I've never come across an animal so motivated by food! He seems willing to try almost anything if he thinks there might be a sunflower seed in it for him.

I've also noticed very little success with purely vocal cues, the only one he seems to have picked up on without adding a visual cue is "Utt!" Which we use as no, only used when he chewing something he shouldn't, mostly cornices. It has just occurred to me that he also responds to "good boy" as well. So, both of those have a vastly different tones and inflections (not to mention actions which can be associated with them). Just wondering how much of ringneck vocalisation is used for communication beyond the contact call and alarm/warning tone? Can anyone enlighten me? I've noticed he accompanies everything he says to us with body language... Though I'm a little unclear on the contact call, as I'm generally not in the room when he does it.
Its very hard to find any literature on ringnecks specifically, and its hard to make any clear observations on flock behaviour when you only have a single subject...
He's very easy to work with, seems to have a great attention span for training and picks up concepts remarkably fast.

Any thoughts, experiences? or suggested literature or even docos on flock communication in similar birds?

Regards,
Claire

[nalukaikamahine]

I'm going to be using a clicker to train my IRN. From what I've read and watched on youtube, it's a pretty effective training method, especially for a food driven animal!

Sorry, I don't have much more advice. lol

[InTheAir]

Hey nalukai...

I haven't tried clicker training, but I'm sure ringnecks catch on to it quickly.
Are you planning to teach him/her tricks, or just basic good manners?
Our little bird has picked up tricks very quickly, and seems to enjoy little puzzles (for example; fetching his ring from different places, like wedged onto a perch).

They are fascinating beings, aren't they...

I'm quite interested in the model/rival technique for vocalisations. Hopefully the boyfriend, the bird and I will get some time when we are all awake and at home over the weekend to try it...


Claire

[nalukaikamahine]

Hey nalukai...

I haven't tried clicker training, but I'm sure ringnecks catch on to it quickly.
Are you planning to teach him/her tricks, or just basic good manners?
Our little bird has picked up tricks very quickly, and seems to enjoy little puzzles (for example; fetching his ring from different places, like wedged onto a perch).

They are fascinating beings, aren't they...

I'm quite interested in the model/rival technique for vocalisations. Hopefully the boyfriend, the bird and I will get some time when we are all awake and at home over the weekend to try it...


Claire

I'm willing to teach him as much as he's willing to learn, but we're going to start with good manners and work our way from there. I am having a hard time locating trick training equipment, like the little birdie sized basketball hoop and stuff, all I've been able to find is the miniature ring toss [teach him to retrieve and the like]

We've still got a ways to go before we get complicated though! Good luck to you. Let me know what you find out!

[MissK]

Just make your own b-ball hoop.

-MissK

[subodhhire]

good suggestion missk

Subodh

[InTheAir]

Heyo,

I've mostly got repurposed kids toys for training, i saw a basket ball training set at http://www.myparrotshop.com/training-to ... d_719.html though.

It seems a little pricey to me... I think the homemade one is a great idea.

Dave videoed our training session the other day www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVRrfdHDesw
It's rather long, due to the time it takes his highness to eat treats...
He seems to be listening out for vocal cues more now (possibly he's noticed my hand signals are way too inconsistent to rely on)...
Next command to teach "that'll do, bird"

Claire

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Claire

You've done a great job with Nele. He's doing so well! Thanks for sharing the video.

Ellie.

[MissK]

That's fantastic!

-MissK

[InTheAir]

Thanks guys.

I'm sure the credit is all due to Nele, what he lacks in coordination he makes up for in brain power!

I had this brilliant idea that I should try some dog agility tricks on him over the weekend... It's far from looking agile, but it's been keeping us in stitches watching him pattering around. I'm surprised how quickly he has realised going thru the stupid sticks leads to sunflower seeds, and it's cool how you can see him processing it.
http://youtu.be/RVJBdVx_Rdk

Hey Ellie, want to put a team together for the next Olympics? We should be good candidates for the funding they no longer want to put into the swimming team after last year ;p

[ellieelectrons]

Wow, he's doing well! Great work!

Hey Ellie, want to put a team together for the next Olympics? We should be good candidates for the funding they no longer want to put into the swimming team after last year ;p

We could try, although my guys don't learn nearly as quickly as Nele does!

Ellie.

[MissK]

That was great, too.

I've no doubt you two could make a team of swimming Ringnecks............


-MissK

[subodhhire]

Hi Claire,

Thats really amazing. I am impressed

Thanks for sharing

Subodh

[InTheAir]

Thanks again, I'll pass it on to Nele... Hopefully his head doesn't get too big to fit between the poles!

MissK: people where you live must talk funny! Nah, i like accents, I've always had trouble understanding my grandma who lives in Massachusetts though....

Ellie: don't worry, once your birds have their own physiotherapist to massage them and some groupies I'm sure they'll get more motivated. Just don't let them hang out with the mens relay team

Claire

[Redzone]

Thanks again, I'll pass it on to Nele... Hopefully his head doesn't get too big to fit between the poles!

MissK: people where you live must talk funny! Nah, i like accents, I've always had trouble understanding my grandma who lives in Massachusetts though....

Ellie: don't worry, once your birds have their own physiotherapist to massage them and some groupies I'm sure they'll get more motivated. Just don't let them hang out with the mens relay team

Claire

But you dont like australian accents darling?

Seriously i'm blown away by how well Nele is progressing. Obviously Claire puts in a lot of effort but i tell you what, this little bird is a star, wherever we take him people are amazed at his good behaviour, i often take him to the shops perched on my shoulder wearing his aviator harness. He still protests when we put it on him but he doesnt ever hold a grudge, so we have to be thankful for that. It really is true that socialising them and doing things you want them to handle whilst young is critical. We have a load of friends that want a ringneck now too, but i am not sure they are quite aware of how much effort we have put into training him to behave the way he does.

I am really not sure if all ringnecks are this trainable or amicable or we have just been really lucky. He was the runt of his clutch and has what could be problems with his toes curling in from pressure in the nest, or a calcium deficiency that could also be related to him being the runt, but i tell you what he makes up for any shortcomings with his personality! When we get him a mate, i'm sure we'll find out if it's just him or not

Ok rambling over

[InTheAir]

Wow, Redzone, Did you just say your thinking about putting a ring (neck) on my finger... Or were you just planning to get it for Nele?

[InTheAir]

Well I thought I'd give a training update in case anyone is interested.

We have been pretty slack lately. After Neles 'well bird' check it turned out he has high cholesterol, so we have been experimenting with healthy treats, which has rather dampened his enthusiasm for a couple weeks. He seems to have gotten it back since I started randomly giving him sunflower seeds again. It makes me think he doesn't actually like training, he just humours me for food.
He has also been really into talking, so maybe tricks are not quite so exciting compared to that.

We have been working on flight recall with Daves help, which has been fun. I have started using this to deal with contact calls when I leave the room, it occurred to me that it's a bit pointless to have a fully flighted bird that stays in the room you just left calling until you offer him a finger to ride on! He tends to get confused about how to fly downstairs, but it's improving.
We did manage to develope a couple new tricks also; waving his lil footsy (which I think is the cutest trick ever) and tunnelling under a piece of fabric.
Today he climbed onto the end of my finger and didn't have room for the other foot and was balancing on one foot, so I'd like to train that as a new trick. (most of the wave training was done in exchange for a toy- when he dropped a foot toy he had to wave to get it back... a precursor to getting him to take a toy with his foot, instead of beak)

Apart from that I can't think of any interesting tricks to try! Any suggestions?

Claire