Stewie got tired of the “put the ball in the cup trick”… not sure why, but he just doesn’t want to do it anymore.
Here’s a picture of him when he was still eager to do it:
We’ve been working on “put the ring on the peg” but this one has been difficult. To tell the truth, I’ve sort of abandoned the clicker. I’m terrible with it… my timing is off, I’m inconsistent, I’m uncoordinated (I need three hands to handle the prop, the clicker and the treat at the same time). So I’ve been trying to do clicker training without the clicker. It’s slow going.
Here’s an example of the prop:
I originally got him the small version of the toy (I can’t help it, I keep thinking of him as a small bird, not a medium-sized bird), but it was too small. This is a picture of him with the medium-sized Ring Toss prop.
He’s still not very good at it, but he’s done it a few times where I was holding the peg and helped him get the ring onto it. Today I spent a bit of time playing with the rings and peg, picking up the rings in my mouth and putting them on the peg like I want him to do (rather than doing it with my hands). And he did it a few times by himself!
He also likes to throw the rings off the side of the cage, which is cute too (but doesn’t earn him a treat).
Update:
Stewie has gotten much better at putting rings on the peg. He’s not as good at it as he is with some other tricks, but he knows exactly what he’s supposed to do.
Check out this post for a list of cool parrot trick training toys and places that sell bird training props.
[…] new trick I’m working on a new trick with Stewie. I’m trying this one without the clicker, because I just don’t have the coordination to deal with […]
[…] I enjoy having a tame bird who likes interacting with me. Here are some pics of him doing tricks: More Bird Trick Training (with props) « Best in Flock – Blog About My Conure Parrot I haven’t done any training (new tricks) with him in a long time — I’ve been lazy — but I now […]
You can use the word “OK” instead of a clicker if you’re bad with the clicker. Or a whistle, or anything really just to tell the bird when he did something right.
That’s cute you’re doing the trick too! That’s how I taught my galah to nod yes, by shaking my head til it hurt and she got it! 🙂
Hi,I have been looking for a bird of my own and i would like to know about yours! What kind is he? Was he easy to train? And Most of all what kind of bird is he? I want a bird that is not too bgi but one that is not to small! But i also dont have a whole lot of money to spend on a bird either! What would u think would be the best type of bird for me?
Amber – I have two birds. The one in the picture above is a sun conure. He is about the size of a cockatiel (around 105 grams). Parrots are a ton of responsibility and not cheap either, so I would highly recommend doing a LOT of research into what kind of parrot best fits your lifestyle and budget.
Check out my post on the cost of owning a parrot for an idea of the basics. (Not counting the cost of getting the bird, for a medium sized bird like a conure, expect to pay at around $150 for a cage, $150-$300 for annual vet visits, plus food and toys.)
Sun conures are lots of fun and very smart, but they are LOUD. I do not recommend them for people living in an apartment or with other people who are not fond of loud birds. Keep in mind that even small parrots can have a lifespan of at least 20 years, so you need to consider not just your life right now but where you think you might be many years from now.
I can’t really recommend a “best type” of bird for you, since I don’t know anything about your budget, your current living situation, or even what you’re looking for in terms of personality. I recommend doing a lot of reading and research, narrowing it down to a few species and then visiting a breeder or some local rescues to meet potential matches to see if you “click”. Once you have it narrowed down, you can also visit a bird forum to ask specific questions.