What to train my baby

[ranechild]

Ok. Fats Waller, my 11 week old ringneck is getting warmed up to the house rather nicely. He came home on Monday and was very quiet. I handled him a few times on Tuesday, by the evening we had a new trick--I whistle, he does his "pew pew" yell. Contact calling. He also learned to climb up to my shoulder in various ways. up the front, up the arm, from the top of the head. Very good.
Yesterday, all he wanted to do was climb up my arm to my shoulder. Once there, he'd mew until I had him step up on my hand so he could walk up my arm again

I suppose I should start thinking about whether there are any tricks I want him to learn. I don't know what foods really entice him yet. He doesn't eat as much as I think he should as it is. He's nibbled on things that I've shoved in his face. Apples, egg, grapes... He ate a few sunflower seeds. That put my mind at ease--at least I know he won't starve having eaten those calorie laiden things!

What tricks do your birds do? I'm going to start a list of things to train him...
Recall (once he actually seems to know his name
Turn in a circle

errr... what else?

[InTheAir]

Heyo,

Great topic. I'm always trying to come up with new tricks to try on Nele.

I find Nele does flight recalls to the hand being held in position, rather than the vocal command. In fact he generally looks for a physical cue rather than a vocal one, but that could be because of my sloppy training...

We didn't really start doing much formal training until our bird was 4 or 5 months. Just stepping up and come, i think.
At 11 weeks your bird will probably be most interested in keeping his weight down and mastering flying, so flight recalls are great.

To add to your list; bat (upside down), wave, fetch, go to perch, fly away, ta, tunnel... (fly away is not an easy one for us, sometimes he just boomerangs back).

The things we we mostly spent time on was socialising Nele and getting him used to things like car trips, strangers, travelling cage etc. not true tricks, but really useful stuff.


Claire

[ellieelectrons]

I'd agree with Claire. The mistake I made with my guys is focussing too early on tricks and not enough on socializing and getting them used to being handled, etc.

I think turnaround is probably the best starting trick. I think mine learned the retrieve next (putting an object in a bowl)

Ellie.

[MissK]

Since Rocky hasn't got many tricks, I have to endorse his most impressive and useful trick - "Come!"

Not only is it very ego-building to have your bird fly to you on invitation, it's handy if you need to get some control, AND it really impresses your friends.

Congratulations on bringing that baby home. I love the little pic!

-MissK

[InTheAir]

Since Rocky hasn't got many tricks, I have to endorse his most impressive and useful trick - "Come!"

Not only is it very ego-building to have your bird fly to you on invitation, it's handy if you need to get some control, AND it really impresses your friends.


-MissK

Haha well put.

The other most useful trick for us, after come and 'Ta', has been teaching Nele to stay when we cup a hand over his back. We use this all the time to transfer him from the travel cage to the day cage at the workshop, or if someone opens a door while he's out of the cage.