Target - Aquired!

Tonight was day three of training for the boys. Crash and Pippin are very proud of their accomplishments. They told me to tell you not only did they get to eat millet for 2 training sessions each, but then they were given peas, corn, and carrots as a special treat for doing so well at training. (SHHH, says Tricia, don't tell them it's healthy to eat their veg; or they might not like them as much as they do!!)

Tonight's game plan: Start target practice
Description: teach the birds to nip the end of a target (in this case a mechanical pencil w/no lead). For each nip, they get a treat. Each nip we move the target, first left and right, then slightly up and down. Work towards taking steps to reach it (likely multiple sessions).
Steps:
Introduce target, give birds time to become comfortable around it.
With both birds out, choose one to train with
Place training bird on table w/ targeting stick (other bird on Trev's shoulder, playing w/ him or watching)
Treats when:
-bird looks at pencil
-bird walks towards pencil
-bird leans towards pencil
-bird beaks pencil
Then, picking up pencil into hand, treats when (also clicks):
-bird touches pencil anywhere on pencil (we'll shape the behavior to touch only the tip later)
-bird leans towards pencil and almost touches (it is still very big and scary)

Notes:
We started out with a pencil that was un-sharpened and had an eraser. This was too big and scary for the birds. We decided to try the non-lead mechanical one. Yes - much better.
Crash started. He started w/ the regular pencil and did manage to walk over to it. I was clicking and treating for position the whole time. But, he hissed at it a bunches. Pippin wouldn't even go on the table with it. Time to try something new! Mechanical, held in hand, and only the tip showing...Good idea, glad I'm reading this book! Yay, another step forward.

Crash:
Crash did v. good w/ the reg. pencil, gradually moving towards it, getting many clicks and treats. Mental block over touching it though. Started to lose interest, gave him praise and he flew to trevs shoulder.
Second round, much the same (still reg. pencil)
Third round, mech pencil - held in hand. Soon if it was placed in front of his nose, he would nip it. Many clicks and treats. he went up high for it and received a jackpot. (then back to trev's shoulder)
Fourth round, a bit of moving around, but lost interest faster. Also by this poitn Pip had decided it was a fun game, so he wanted to play too. More juggling two birds.

Pippin:
First round: NOT going on table w/ big, scary bird eating alligator - er - pencil. (Pip, there are crocodiles where you come from, not alligators!) (Mom, I'm from the Twin Cities, it was an Alligator. The dogs I used to live with, and the other birds, told me ALLL about them!)
Second round: On table, 1/2 way to pencil (still reg)
Third round, mechanical. Had to do this round on Trev's shoulder. Click and treats 4 times. Then lost interest.
3.5 round. Becomes interested in Crashes 4th round.
4th round, many clicks and treats. Seems to 'get it' (of course I do, mom!) Gets a jackpot at the end for going after the pencil that was up by my shoulder (he was sitting on my 'shelf perch' - Mom's have them just for cockatiels to sit on, you know)

All and all, the birds and Trev and I were very excited about their progress today. I learned a few things about holding the target and where to put target, clicker and treats. The birds seem to be learning, slowly, about whose turn it is when we're training, although I think we need a better solution than Trev's shoulder. 1. he'd like to start training them, too, once they get used to the idea of training and 2. What if only one of us is home?! As mentioned above, the boys got fresh corn, peas, and carrot bits for a treat after their millet because they were so good. (SHHH, really, it was part of their dinner, but the love it so much, we dont' want to disuade them). I tihnk we'll continue with this first prop training for a few more sessions at least, until both birds are going at least 6 steps towards their target. Then we might introduce the original pencil back into the equation and see if they will target that. Easire to take that with us, and Trevor wants the mechanical back to do Sudoku with.