Clicker Training

[tacoeater411]

Can some one explain to me how a clicker actually helps birds learn? Why isn't a treat enough? I'm trying to teach my budgie, Charlten, some very basic tricks without a clicker and he seems to be doing ok. Would a clicker speed up the process?

[tielfan]

I assume that you're using positive reinforcement to train your bird. The clicker is basically an additional refinement to the process. Under the best circumstances it takes a couple of seconds to deliver a reward, so that the bird may not be 100% sure about precisely what he did within the last few seconds to earn the reward. Was it when he rang the bell or when he took a step away from it or when he looked out the window? The clicker helps eliminate confusion by marking the precise moment that the reward was earned, and can generally speed up the training.

[tacoeater411]

Ok, Thank you! I guess I'll go get one of those clickers now!

[tielfan]

If you'd like an excellent book to go with that, try "Clicker Training for Birds" by Melinda Johnson. Amazon.com has it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1890948152/

[tacoeater411]

Thanks, the book sounds good. I'm thinking of buying it.

[tacoeater411]

Just got a clicker from Petco and tried it out a few minutes ago. Instead of thinking "click=treat," Charlten believes "click=I better fly away before the clicker eats me." So I don't know what to do now!

[tielfan]

The clicker can be scary at first, and the bird can also be nervous if you're working with him in a place where he doesn't usually hang out. You can muffle the sound of the click by putting the clicker up against your body or in your pocket, or putting a piece of cloth over it. If you go with putting it against your body, you'll get a quieter sound if you put the clicker behind you. My birds were nervous at first, so I would hold the clicker behind my leg or against my back. Sticking it in your armpit is frequently recommended, but I haven't tried it myself. Once the bird gets used to the muffled sound you can work up to unmuffled.

If you're interested in joining a clicker training group, there's an excellent one at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bird-Click/ I'm one of the moderators!

[tacoeater411]

I hope my budgies get used to it soon.

I whent on yahoo to join the group.