Clicker & Target Training

JerseyWendy · Mar 4, 2016

Our (old) previous sticky on Clicker Training unfortunately had invalid links.

So, here's the new, and hopefully improved version on both Clicker & Target Training.

Anansi · Mar 4, 2016

Re: Clicker & Target Training

I'm particularly impressed with the first article that you linked, Wendy. Very informative on clicker training, as well as giving a general glimpse of different behavioral conditioning models.

Definitely a worthwhile read.

Anyone who would like to contribute either personal observations or additional helpful links should feel free to do so.

JerseyWendy · Mar 5, 2016

Found another GREAT video.

DexMom · Mar 5, 2016

Thank you! We're just getting ready to start target training, so these resources are super valuable to me and right on time.

DRB · Mar 7, 2016

very helpful land cool

but don't the birds get fat from all the treats at some point?

JerseyWendy · Mar 7, 2016

DRB said:
very helpful land cool

but don't the birds get fat from all the treats at some point?

ROFLMAO! Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I honestly don't know because my fids actually respond to verbal praise MUCH more than any treats. My big macs get pine nuts - sparingly - cause they're quite....expensive.

Anansi · Mar 7, 2016

DRB said:
very helpful land cool

but don't the birds get fat from all the treats at some point?

The trick is to give them treats in small, bite-sized quantities. I, for instance, mostly use almonds and pecans for their treat incentives. But each nut gets broken down into small pieces. Enough to entice, but not enough to become anywhere near a significant portion of their diet. One or two pecans can probably serve for an entire training session for one of my birds.

And if they're flighted, it's even easier. Jolly is constantly flying back and forth, burning off any extra calories he may get from the treats.

For Maya, however, I manage the size of the portions much more carefully. She never got the opportunity to fledge, and therefore rarely indulges in flight. So the danger of her getting overweight is greater than it would be for Jolly. But again, we're talking small portions, here.

DRB · Apr 5, 2016

Is there an ideal age to start clicker training? I have the clicker, Perjo is used to the click noise, but we haven't formally taken it to any exercises yet?

She will be 18 weeks old soon.

Christinenc2000 · Apr 5, 2016

I tried the Target Training with BB. He ate the stick

wrench13 · Apr 5, 2016

Salty's pine nuts get broken in half, when training. First he gets a whole one, which signals the session is starting, then 1/2 nut for each trick, and then a nut smushed up into tiny, little pieces that he eats from my hand to let him know the session is over.

Last nights color training went really well, he got 50% of them right, picking out a red or blue key from a pile of colored keys. And the first time he trained in front of an audience.

wrench13 · Apr 5, 2016

Lol @ bb !

Anansi · Apr 5, 2016

DRB said:
Is there an ideal age to start clicker training? I have the clicker, Perjo is used to the click noise, but we haven't formally taken it to any exercises yet?

She will be 18 weeks old soon.

You could actually have started already. You want to start by establishing an association between the clicker noise and getting a treat. Then between performing certain actions when prompted and hearing a click/getting a treat. Repetition and consistency will do it.

Christinenc2000 said:
I tried the Target Training with BB. He ate the stick

Hahahahahaha! Funny visual.

Anansi · Apr 5, 2016

wrench13 said:
...Last nights color training went really well, he got 50% of them right, picking out a red or blue key from a pile of colored keys. And the first time he trained in front of an audience.

I'd love to see this. Any chance of you capturing the session on video?

StephenAndKyleigh · Apr 5, 2016

DRB said:
Is there an ideal age to start clicker training? I have the clicker, Perjo is used to the click noise, but we haven't formally taken it to any exercises yet?

She will be 18 weeks old soon.

I started my blue and gold at about 10 weeks and shes done fine!

Christinenc2000 said:
I tried the Target Training with BB. He ate the stick

Bring the stick further back so that the bird has to lean in order to barely touch it with his beak

Christinenc2000 · Apr 5, 2016

StephenAndKyleigh said:
DRB said:

Is there an ideal age to start clicker training? I have the clicker, Perjo is used to the click noise, but we haven't formally taken it to any exercises yet?

She will be 18 weeks old soon.

Click to expand...

I started my blue and gold at about 10 weeks and shes done fine!

Christinenc2000 said:

I tried the Target Training with BB. He ate the stick

Click to expand...

Bring the stick further back so that the bird has to lean in order to barely touch it with his beak

I was joking . Well kinda. He kept breaking it . Yes I watched and red moved it and no issues BB was 20 years old . Estimate when I adopted him. Would have been a lot easier if he had been younger....... i imagine.

Anansi · Apr 5, 2016

Hmmm... I'd forgotten BB was 20 when you got him. You've done a great job with him, Christine.

Christinenc2000 · Apr 5, 2016

Anansi said:
Hmmm... I'd forgotten BB was 20 when you got him. You've done a great job with him, Christine.

Thank you. That is what the vet told me anyway. Who knows . Sometimes I think he is younger .

DRB · Apr 5, 2016

wrench13 said:
Salty's pine nuts get broken in half, when training. First he gets a whole one, which signals the session is starting, then 1/2 nut for each trick, and then a nut smushed up into tiny, little pieces that he eats from my hand to let him know the session is over.

Last nights color training went really well, he got 50% of them right, picking out a red or blue key from a pile of colored keys. And the first time he trained in front of an audience.

Are you training him by saying just the color or are you also including the fact it's a key?

Reason I ask is I plan on training Perjo to do many of these things but also recognize some different matter and materials if possible. My plan was to teach color by using colored paper first, then reinforce it with colored numbers while introducing the concept of numbers and quantity.

StephenAndKyleigh · May 2, 2016

Target training basics

I made this video for folks on my blog that ask about it. I figured I would share it here.

Operaman20 · Jan 12, 2017

So what happens if say someone (me

) got so excited with trying this training that he skipped the initial clicker conditioning and went straight into target training, but it worked? Coco responds quite quickly to the target and loves his treat afterward. He even moved across the cage to touch the stick. My question is: should I go back and do the conditioning or should I move forward with target training?

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Clicker & Target Training

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So much progress!

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