Training Tips for Alexandrine

[kuruptz]

Hey guys

Sorry for another thread just thought the title of this one would bring more people, I am looking for some tips for training my Alexandrine so i will have a nice tame little man.

He's a male and around 9 weeks old, he steps up pretty well now (3 days I've had him) but doesn't step down too well(like when i want him to get off i say "down")

Any tips for training and some tricks i can teach him?
How do i teach him to talk? (im just always saying "hello", "Hello Jet" as these are easy things to say, i just repeat these alot)
If possible how do i go about training him to poo at the cage?
Any other tricks that you guys have taught your birds? if so how did you do it?

How do i go about bonding with him and getting him to be my little pal, do i just constantly spend time with him?

Thanks alot.

[vankarhi]

Well to teach him to talk you are on the right track, and then you will find he will just pick things up too. My eclectus just picks things up she never repeated anything we tried to teach her and she is by far the best talker I have ever owned. She even will ring like the phone and then answer it "hello" then you hear a pause, then it is "yeah" pause "oh ok" pause "then jibber ......... conversation" then pause etc. Yesterday when hubby was on the phone I could hear skye in the background going "ohh yeah" ahhh, yeah, alright ok etc. It was very funny.

Shrekie was talking when my son gave her to me, but she has picked up stuff now that Skye says..........but she is not as clear as Skye. Takoda is trying to talk too and it is mostly imitating the other birds.

As for bonding.............just spend time with him..........

I have to go now, but will be back later this arvy or tonight and talk about teaching some tricks, I have taught Skye and my Bo (deceased now) some tricks. Skye I used a clicker and Bo I didnl't. If you do a search on this forum for posts by me you might actually find some info. It probably is under training.

Catch ya later ............. going to Rockhampton to do some shopping for furniture and linen. will check the pet shops out too of course

[vankarhi]

ok back again

Basically just spend time with your bird for the first couple of days or week or so, getting to know him and him you. Every time you put your hand near him to step up..........actually say "step up" and when you are putting him back down..........say "step down" ........ they are the words i use. It shouldn't take too long before he doing this properly. Step down can be a bit more difficult, because the don't want to go, but all mine do it no problems............except Skye sometimes.........she will bite if she doesn't want to step down and I know when she is going to bite because she will not let go of my fingers (with her claws) so I have to then be very careful and quick. lol

I taught my galah to lift her wings on command many years ago with out a clicker. I just tapped her head, pointed my hand/finger up and said "up" while trying to lift her wings too with my hands. It took about 1 week but she did clue on. Every time she did it with my help at first I patted and scratched her head. Bo was not food orientated and would toss food, but she would almost anything for some loving. lol Then when i would say "up" and she sort of started to lift her wings I would praise her and give her a pat and scratch. Etc etc

With skye i clicker trained her to do about 5 simple tricks (I will try to find my homepage link so you can see ).. I am going to try to find my previous post and just copy it for you........saves me having to re type it all again.

[vankarhi]

You can find the entire thread in "training tips" on the home page of this forum................under the name "training tips for conures", I only copied this one post of mine.

I know nothing about conures except they are small. LOL and can be noisy. LOL

About training birds. In the past I have had no problems with teaching/trainiing my birds "manners" eg to step up and step down and to come to me when called (they were clipped so they waddled/strutted/jumped etc depending on the bird). I had taught my galah to dance, and lift her wings on command and she would hang upside down on my arm and swing upside down and lift her wings (drop them really when upside down) when asked to lift them. She was very easy to train because she loved to be patted and scratched and would almost anything for attention. But if I tried to bribe her with food she would toss the food and put her head down for a scratch - she was a female with a mind of her own. LOL she has since passed away 2 months ago.

I have had my ekkie for about 14 months and she is now 18 months old. I joined a clicker training group who purely talk about training birds. I am really amazed how easy it has been to teach skye the tricks I have so far just by clicker training. The trick to clicker training (no pun intended) is to find what reward your bird will do anything for. As I said Bo loved physical attention. well that did not work with Skye she is food orientated. So I found she loved passionfruit seeds and crunchy cereal like cornflakes or muselie. First you need to condition the clicker to the bird, by just "click" and treat for a few mins. Until the bird realises that "hey click means treat". then you teach the bird to target. I taught skye to target to a knitting needle, but other people use spoons, toothpicks - anything that the bird might move towards or touch - then click and reward.

You need to shape the behaviours that you want. In other words do things in little steps. So when I was teaching Skye to target (usually the first thing to teach so it can help in future training - I needed to target SKYE a few times for her to realise I wanted her to come to me on command). when she looked at the target - click and treat, when she moved toward the target - click and treat, when she touched the target - click and treat etc etc. As the bird learns to expand the behaviour i do not treat for a lesser behaviour until I get it to where i want. Eventually you fade the clicker, but not necessarily the treat. I always say "good girl" then treat after I have clicked. Then when I drop the clicker from the training for each behaviour, she still associates "good girl" with doing something correct that will earn her a treat. So far she has learned to retrieve a ball, put a leggo into a container, do hi five with her foot to my hand (avatar), turn around and fly to me on command (she loves to fly to me anyway)

I hope I have explained this clearly. My understanding is any bird can be clicker trained, you just have to have your timing right with the behaviour and when to click and be patient and do not click for something you do not want the bird to do. Also reward regular - so lots of rewards for correct behaviour even if only a little improvement. That is why it needs to be in small steps, so they get plenty of rewards and hopefully the small steps lead to the correct behaviour in the end. I have taught each trick to skye in a matter of a few days (retrieve took about a week) with only a few mins of training once or twice a day.

if my website is at the end of my signature, check it out as I have pics of some of the tricks skye does plus I posted pics of her flying to me - the other day.

[kuruptz]

How do i stop him biting, It seems when he has been sitting somewere for awhile and u try to make him step up he bites.

How do i stop this "No" doesnt seem to work

[vankarhi]

Well I have always in the past tapped their beak...........but quite a lot of people think that is a big NO NO. I never hurt the bird but just enough to get it's attention and say "NO" very sternly too. The thing I have done with Takoda is when he started to bite me at about 14 weeks of age (maybe a bit older) I had heard of "dropping them' when he bit me, I just pulled my arm out from under him and he dropped to the floor. I only did this once but it seemed to help. The other thing I have heard works and have tried it twice ........... is put your finger further back into their beak...........sort of like pushing it so their head goes back........not too rough so you hurt them but just enough that they get the idea you are not scared of them. The other thing is to try to not put yourself in a situation of being bitten.....which can be hard sometimes.

Most birds go through a biting stage...........they are testing you out...........and this is the time to show them you are boss not them. When they bite you can tell them no and then straight back into the cage..............when they have done their punishment they can come back out........but if they bite again...........back they go, eventually they learn.........hey I like being out here so maybe I should not bite. if you choose to pull your arm out from under them, let them walk around for a about 10 to 20 secs then pick them up, if they bite again........repeat, then i would pick them up almost immediately and put straight back into the cage for a while. They are like kids and need to learn some manners.

[kuruptz]

omg im gonna die! when i went out a few times i left him with my dad all day (9-5) just so he had company, now when he hears my dads voice or see's my dad he starts whistling and making noise and trys to get to him!!!

This is very bad as he doesn't even do this with me! have i lost my little boy

I thought it was just a one off thing but he does it every time he see's or hears my dad.

The bird always seems happy to see my dad and it kills me to see it , he doesnt do it for me

What can i do!!

[vankarhi]

try to handle him more yourself. do you still live at home??? Unfortuneatley we cannot stop who our birds prefer to be with. Yes it can be heartbreaking too. My galah loved men........would do anything to be able to strutt her stuff and get to the male human. But she new who i was and would still come sit with me and have a head scratch.

he is still a baby, just make sure you handle him when you are home, give him treats when he sits with you.....sort of like bribing him. Maybe ask your father not to spend soooo much time with him and explain you want this bird to bond to you, but to be able to go to other people without fear of biting. Tell your dad not to give him treats either............save that for you to do.

[vankarhi]

can you take him out with you sometimes when you go out??? Maybe for a drive in the car etc, more bonding time with you. My birds love a car ride...........although lately Skye seems to get a bit car sick.

[kuruptz]

Yes i live at home, I could take him in the car but my i got new car so i wouldnt want his poo on my seats. How do yours go in the car ? in a cage?

Also his wings are clipped but he can still fly no problem, so there not clipped enough, which means he would need to be left in the car, this would get too hot wouldnt it? even if i was to leave the windows open a bit.

[vankarhi]

never leave a pet or child in a locked car never!!!

You will need to clip him more.......it might only take a few extra mm of each wing (or one wing however you clip). Mine travel either in their cage (travel cages..........a small parrot cage and a cat carry cage) or on my shoulder .......... if they are amiable to doing that and used to travelling.