It's me again!

[bonnie]

I've noticed you all have EXTREMELY smart birds. Chicken is smart in some ways, but there are other ways that he is not so smart. Like Dot says... He just rides the short bus.
I have worked with him and taught him to play and do some things, but I don't think he would be able to figure out some of the foraging toys Lancelot can, and he has no interest in doing learning to wave or learn words. Which I know toos are not known for their ability to talk, but... well I don't know. About all I can get him to do on an extremely regular basis is his flip tricks, and I have control of that. Most of you know his story and the fact that he was neglected so badly before I got him. Do you think I've gotten as far as I'll get with him? I mean, I know they constantly learn, but will he ever want to do tricks like wave and stack cups? Are there any of you that have rehomes that are about his age (8 yrs old) that have got to the point where Larry is with Baby?

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Bonnie,

What have you done to teach Chicken how to wave?

And don't tell me that you waved at him and he didn't wave back. :rofl:

The wonderful thing about parrots is they continue to learn throughout their entire lives.

Cockatoos are acrobats and they love to perform. So - with them it is easy to teach new tricks at any age. Oh by the way... At the age of 8, Chicken is but a youngster.

Tricks do sometimes have a way of back-firing on you... like the time I was sitting on the couch and Baby was on the coffee table. She picked up a toy and walked over to me and dropped her toy in my freshly brewed cup of tea. She then looked up at me as if to say... "Aren't you going to say, 'Good Girl'"? :D

[bonnie]

Tricks do sometimes have a way of back-firing on you... like the time I was sitting on the couch and Baby was on the coffee table. She picked up a toy and walked over to me and dropped her toy in my freshly brewed cup of tea. She then looked up at me as if to say... "Aren't you going to say, 'Good Girl'"? :D
I have acutally learned this one. If he is on my arm and wants to flip he just flings himself forward, ready or not.

I saw him doing the wave on his own one day so I thought maybe somewhere back down the line he learned it, so I encouraged it with words and we had lots of fun with it that day. Then it never happened again. I've waved and talked to him the same way I did that first time on many occasions. I have never got him to do it again. That was the day we took the Christmas pics for you guys. I haven't even got to the point where I could offer treats to encourage him to do it. I must sound so stupid. lol I guess I have no idea what I'm doing.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Ya gotta bribe em and praise em...

I'll dig up some training info and DVDs for you. There are tricks to teaching tricks... it's easy when you know how.

[bonnie]

Great Larry, Thanks. Guess I just don't know where to start.:blsh:

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Look at these....


Parrot Behavior and Training #1
http://www.goodbirdinc.com/books.html


Here are some specific training DVDs...

http://www.goodbirdinc.com/digitalmedia.html

[Diane, Clouds assignment]

I saw him doing the wave on his own one day . . . . Then it never happened again. I've waved and talked to him the same way I did that first time on many occasions. I have never got him to do it again.

Maybe he feels there is no reason to do it again because he got you to wave back and has now checked that trick off his list of things he has to teach you.

Just trying to look at it from a birds point of view. :saythat:

[bonnie]

I think I will order the DVD. I want to see it done before I try it.

[bonnie]

Maybe he feels there is no reason to do it again because he got you to wave back and has now checked that trick off his list of things he has to teach you.

Just trying to look at it from a birds point of view. :saythat:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
I've learned SO much having this bird... I'd believe it!
I'm still laughing!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Which DVD?

[bonnie]

Parrot Behavior and Training #1

[Evelyn]

What are you all doing up after midnight? Don't you have anything better to do?

At least I have an excuse--I'm preparing for a hearing in the morning. Well, not right this minute. I'm taking a break. OK. I finished with the preparation an hour ago. I'm just addicted.

Evelyn

[Larry, Baby and Me]

What are you all doing up after midnight? Don't you have anything better to do? Evelyn

Okay Mommy -- I'm going Nye-Nye. But it was Bonnie making all the noise. :sadeyes:

[Evelyn]

Larry -

You have to be fresh for tomorrow's problems.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Bonnie... these are specific... http://www.goodbirdinc.com/digitalmedia.html

DVD#1 http://www.goodbirdinc.com/images/spacer.gifFree Clip - An introduction to Positive Reinforcement training
http://www.goodbirdinc.com/images/spacer.gifClip 1 - Target Training: Barbara explains the basics of training your bird to target
Clip 2 - Training the turn around behavior
Clip 3 - Training your bird to wave
Clip 4 - Step Up - Barbara explains how to train your bird to step up onto your hand
Clip 5 - Retrieve: Training your bird to retrieve

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Larry - You have to be fresh for tomorrow's problems.

I worked through the week-end... Silly me. :yeah:

[bonnie]

What are you all doing up after midnight? Don't you have anything better to do?

At least I have an excuse--I'm preparing for a hearing in the morning. Well, not right this minute. I'm taking a break. OK. I finished with the preparation an hour ago. I'm just addicted.

Evelyn

My husband works nights. I never go to bed before 2. I have a feeling that habit will change once school starts back up Thrusday:mad:.

[bonnie]

Bonnie... these are specific... http://www.goodbirdinc.com/digitalmedia.html

DVD#1 http://www.goodbirdinc.com/images/spacer.gifFree Clip - An introduction to Positive Reinforcement training
http://www.goodbirdinc.com/images/spacer.gifClip 1 - Target Training: Barbara explains the basics of training your bird to target
Clip 2 - Training the turn around behavior
Clip 3 - Training your bird to wave
Clip 4 - Step Up - Barbara explains how to train your bird to step up onto your hand
Clip 5 - Retrieve: Training your bird to retrieve

Yea, I noticed that, but I can't get them. I'm kinda software illiterate and my hubby (in all his manly genius:rofl:) put Vista on our computer. I can hardly do ANYTHING but get online with it now. I can not open word documents form XP or anything! I have tried to get him to put XP back on but he won't. I even called the help line and they told me that if they help me they would charge me like $70 for the call because my free 3 months was over. :sadeyes:I just don't know what to do!

[bonnie]

Okay Mommy -- I'm going Nye-Nye. But it was Bonnie making all the noise. :sadeyes:

And I don't know why you are trying to get me:ang:in to trouble! It's not even midnight here!!!!:nanana:

[Dot]

I've noticed you all have EXTREMELY smart birds. Chicken is smart in some ways, but there are other ways that he is not so smart. Like Dot says... He just rides the short bus.
I have worked with him and taught him to play and do some things, but I don't think he would be able to figure out some of the foraging toys Lancelot can, and he has no interest in doing learning to wave or learn words. Which I know toos are not known for their ability to talk, but... well I don't know. About all I can get him to do on an extremely regular basis is his flip tricks, and I have control of that. Most of you know his story and the fact that he was neglected so badly before I got him. Do you think I've gotten as far as I'll get with him? I mean, I know they constantly learn, but will he ever want to do tricks like wave and stack cups? Are there any of you that have rehomes that are about his age (8 yrs old) that have got to the point where Larry is with Baby?

Fergie is a re-home but I got her when she was nine months old. When she came to me, all she could say was "Shut up" and "My bad."

Leroy (YNA) is a re-home. I have had her a year. She is picking up their vocabulary, but unfortunately has already taught Blusher (RFM) to say "Shut up." When she got here, she would shout, "Shut up, Leroy" for long periods of time. Now she never says it.

My guess is Chicken will continue to learn. There are plateaus too. Fergie stopped being my precious, entertaining, adorable baby when she turned four. I suspect she is a male because her brains turned to mush. :D

Just keep talking to chicken. Talk, talk, talk, talk. Even if they don't understand each word, at some level they know what we are saying.