hooked on fids

Well Cleo is a Too and still nowhere near as bad as maggie, I've seen other umbrellas and they are needy but normal needy for a Too Maggie is a whole new thing for me. But no Murdock isn't bad really just very well sleepy, it's hard to get him excited about anything more than a few times a week. Mostly my birds just quietly watch me when I'm in the room and eat sleep and poop lol. Right now yes I'm the only one who teaches them, I just moved a few months ago to our basement suite but they seem at least a bit better down here more consistant. My gran comes down now and then they enjoy her visits and go all wacky but it's short lived. Any game, any words, anything I try to teach them my birds just get all squirmy and want to go, but let them sit on my shoulder and rub their head and that's ALL they want. On the upside I can do almost anything with them, I go bike ridding, roller blading, walking and on the bus or in the car with any of them on my shoulder and no problem. Cleo fly's to me and back to her cage, Maggie goes to her cage most every time she has to do her business than she comes back. Murdock greets me with a hello and calls me dad when I come home. But I'm greedy I want more for and from my fids, I know they have HUGE untaped potential. My biggest fear is even if I learn how to teach them really cool things they wont care at all to learn any of it. They just seem totally permanantly board and I feel like a failier.

My birds are NOT treat motivated for trick training and I cant get them to eat vegetables and yummy things like they did before I got them are they not truly happy with me or is it maby something else?

yes I am trying to basicly do what dr. pepperberg did but only I have no assistant so is there another way to accomplish the same goal?

My name is Aaron I have 4 fids, A Lesser Sulpher Crested girl named Cleo born in 1994, An Umbrella girl named Maggie born in 1994, ( both from the same aviary ) A Cockatiel boy named Moony born in 2007 and an a Blue fronted Amazon boy named Murdock born in 2000. Cleo had trust and major biting issues when i went to meet her but thankfully her wanting and needing me was stronger. Maggie had at least 2 homes before I met her and GIGANTIC fear issues she is LITERALLY afraid of her own shadow no exageration, but she has bonded with me very well and has grown back most of her feathers and is finally keeping them. Moony I got from 6 months old and is the sweetist little bird ever. Murdock had a short but good stay in his first home than he went to his second and longest home before I met him, This is one interesting bird and can he talk clear when he wants too. The problem is they ONLY want CUDDLES and ME, I can't seem to teach them anything they just aren't interested. I buy them toys and their like yeah whatever and they ignorr them. I buy them a huge new cage and they mostly stay in one small area. I leave and they perform wild stuff, I come back and NOTHING they just look at me and beg to come out. I mean I love the attention but their ADDICTION to ME is keeping them from acting like NORMAL BIRDS like I see and read about all the time it's just not healthy. I want to teach them as much as I can to benefit their thirsty bird brains, to have a more colorfull life with them and just to enjoy the majesty and ability they posses. One problem that may be a big one I don't know anything other than the model rival method and have friends but none that could help me. I have quite a bit of knowledge about birds and also many of the different species, but my training knowledge is sadly very limited. I really need help there is too much advice and way too many imposters out there, although I feel this is a fairly safe and reputable place to turn. Could anyone please either educate me or point me in the right direction for the sake of my fids ???

the rival training method is where 2 people stand in front of the bird one plays trainer the other student the trainer says something like what color and the student answers while the bird watches and listens than they switch roles and keep going apparently this is the best and fastest but also hardest to do training method

Does anybody know a training method as effective as the rival method that ONE person could use and succeed?