Conure Ferocious with Chopstick

[Vivica]

I recently started my bird on clicker training. He sometimes viciously bites the end of the chopstick. I don't know whether to click or feed him the treat. Because he IS touching the stick. Am I teaching him that aggressive behavior is good? Help, I need someone to help me with this aggression he has for this stick!

 

[Von1983]

If a stick is new to him, then he's going to want to check for safety!

Cal did this at first. Also, I used a blue stick for her. Then one day I couldn't remember where I'd set it down, so I used a red one. She went CRAZY like this red stick hopped into her cage at night and beat her!!! I had the same reaction with a natural coloured stick!!! Strange girl....blue stick it is!

In answer to your question, I wouldn't give a treat or click until he gets used to the stick. Just reassure him with your voice. You'll only give him mixed signals introducing a clicker at this stage.

Good luck

 

[JawzX]

are you sure he's being aggressive? Sometimes, when we were stating out Ms. Beak would rather chew on the chopstick than get a food reward... So I let her! We went through several chopsticks before she settled down and now she just touches and looks for the treat or praise. Also, you are, if nothing eelse, directing the aggression to an OK-to-bite object. I would let him beat it up a little and then see if he wants a ewad for his well-directed destruction.

 

[Vivica]

interesting. Well my conure SOMETIMES attacks it like hell, but there are other times where he just nibbles it. I give him a treat reward if he just nibbles it. Hopefully he'll get the picture.

 

[pityu]

I read something similar on an info site.
And my advice would be to wait until he calmed down...THAN give the treat. So if you see that he is NOT nibbling it, but "attacking" it, you should wait until he calmes down and only nibbles it, then give him the treat.
I tried the same with my green lovebird. And after a while he learned to stop "attacking" it and calm down.
So now he is doing like:
He first bite it than when he calms down (nowdays only 1-2 sec fast decreasingly) he seems to remind what he learned and he only touches it slightly.
Good luck! And be patient...

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I'd recommend shaping the behavior. Reward any action toward the stick now (and no you will not be rewarding 'aggressive' behavior in any worrisome way). But each training session up the standards for what is required to get a reward (or click). Perhaps you could keep the stick a bit higher, just out of reach, so he can reach towards it but not grab on; click and reward.

Once he learns that just gently touching it gets the reward why would he go through all the work of biting it? So you want him to learn that touching is *sufficient* but you don't need to teach that grabbing it is bad (yet).

 

[wildheart]

I watched a video yesterday about a one person parrot who attacks all the other members in the house. (My girl does the same)

In this video you will see that the parrot also attacked the stick at first. This vet Ellen Cook really looks good!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9ep9rhVptY"]YouTube - Building Trust With Your Bird.[/ame]

 

[Auggie's Dad]

If there were one more fake and patronizing smile in that video and I'd puke all over the screen.

 

[wildheart]

If there were one more fake and patronizing smile in that video and I'd puke all over the screen.

I am very gullible, did you see something that I missed?

 

[wildheart]

I watched the video again and I know a lot of people that get a grin like that when they are nervous.