clicker training 44-year-old re-home Festive Amazon

[lisark]

This guy is going to be a star!

We recorded this on day 3 of his new life here with us. Previous to the session on the video we did one charge-up session of about three minutes. Here's the video: YouTube - Charlie's first clickertraining session

Comments/constructive criticism welcome!

If you look closely on the table on which we are training you will see the T-stand perch that I use to move him from point A to point B. He has some problems getting in and out of his cage unless I use the stick. He needs the extra room the stick gives him in order to feel comfortable. He's never actually gotten me, or even made me pull back, but I can see by his body language and movements that if I were to stick my arm into that cage he would probably go for it. No biggie...we'll just keep using the stick. He seems really comfortable with it. When he is not in his cage he will readily step up onto an arm and allow me to pet his head and beak.

When we first started using the stick and when I put him into the new cage and onto the big boing, his lack of exercise was very apparent...he had no balance and was moving soooo gingerly...very wobbly and unsure. This has improved exponentially in the last two days and he is moving around a lot. This morning I secretly watched him systematically emptying his toy bucket, taking time to rip the tissue paper out of his wiffle ball and put a few good dings in a couple of the wooden toys. I was being quiet and still on the outside, but inside, I was just jumping for joy. He's been without toys in an 18 x 18 x 36 cage (smaller than the cage I have for my Hahn's!) for umpteen years. He hasn't been held in more than 7 months, and before that only rarely.

Clicker training, I think, is going to be something that he will love. He seems to already.

This morning when I told him good morning he moved to the cage door and said "c'mere wanna come out c'mere." So I did come over and let him out.

He has a dome-top cage with a perch at the top and I have discovered that he enjoys climbing down onto the floor and snooping around. He mangled my geranium, sliced all the plant shoots off right at dirt level. I won't be leaving him unsupervised like that any more! I came into the room and discovered him standing on the edge of my laundry basket, just chillin'. I swear he had a twinkle in his eye.

It just feels so good to see him enjoying things.

[mabird]

What a wonderful thing to read! I'm so happy for you... and most of all your new fid! To be that age and not have had the life he deserves, so sad! But that's all in the past now, baby!!

Great work... seriously. And I just love your attitude about using the stick... that kind of attitude is what is going to take you very far with this little guy.

Thanks for being just what he needed.

[lisark]

Well, on the way home he heard a hip-hop song on the radio and starting dancing and talking. I told him right then and there, from now on it's party time buddy. I think he's secretly a party-time kinda fella. I just need to facilitate it for him!

I am still shaking my head at the job he did on my geranium. SHREDDED!!! Wish I would have witnessed it, as it looks as though he had a great time. It was a huge geranium too!

Thanks for the comments, Mabird, I really appreciate them