ssnthorne Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Hi there, im new to the forums. My grey is called Alex and hes about 10 months old and i have had him for about 4 months. I have been trying to train him but cant seem to find a treat that he likes to train him with, I have tried Sunflower seeds shelled and unshelled Pine nuts Millet unshelled peanuts Bits of bread Banana chips I need something that is quick for them to eat so i dont want to use grapes. Please help, i really want to start training him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 I have the same problem too,, although i am finding that an enthusiastic "good boy" is quiet good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearllyn Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Hi, it can be quite difficult finding a treat that your grey is enthusiastic for - Alfie is not food motivated at all (unless she is after a bit of pizza or garlic bread - then she would do back flips for those!) It's really trial and error to see what they like - other nuts to try are walnuts, pecans, almonds - just break a bit off so it doesn't take him long to eat it - raisins or a bit of apple or pear might be taken too. Hope you find something suitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 I also have a Grey that is really picky about treats. You might try fresh banana and other fresh fruits, which I've had great success with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 What's the training you're talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssnthorne Posted May 10, 2010 Author Share Posted May 10, 2010 im just on about training in general. Up / Down kinda thing. He climbs on me now, just not on command. He also flys to me when i hold my hand out but only when he wants to and not always on my hand sometimes he flys to my head or the next highest thing he can get to in my direction. I will try the fesh banana option. Thanks for some fast replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Spock here! I like pistachios, salt-free pretzels, a piece of raw pasta. Only logical..... Spock Live long and prosper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 (edited) There's really no such thing as standard *training treats*. It could be anything from normal stuff to the oddest stuff. That's just a matter of you first finding out what he can't resist. He flies to your arm/hand when you show your arm. That's what many people would like to achieve but it's difficult. You've passed that point so you're lucky. As far as him flying around you when you don't want him to and he lands where you don't like it, there's only one basic repetitive thing you must do----constantly and immediately put your bird back where he was, over and over. It'll take time but birds eventually get the idea. You can't train him to not land on your head. You can watch what he's doing and when he flies, put your arm in that area. All of this has to come before the *command* training begins. There has to be a starting point. He's not flying on your head to annoy you. He just wants to be with you and very young birds will do all of these things. The flattest, biggest, safest place is where they head to. Some birds will fly to a person's arm and when they land, they'll bite at the hand or fingers to balance themselves but some birds just won't let go. Your bird may not do this but for some people, a treat may temporarily stop him from biting but after the treat he may do it again to get another treat etc etc. SO, a person simply has to slightly shake their hand/arm so that the bird loses balance. Doing that quite a few times stops a bird from biting. So, just remember that there has to be a starting piont. ***He climbs on me now, just not on command.*** That's something that all parrots do. The first place they head to is the highest point (shoulder) and you can't train him to go up or down. It's just another situation where you have to remove him from areas that annoy you. Edited May 10, 2010 by Dave007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillyBeanz Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Harvey liked Cheerios when he was very young - I found that this bribed him mostly (not a treat, definitely a bribe!!) but then soon gave in! I don't have treats anymore - I'm a bit like Dusty in the fact that a jolly exuberant "good boy" seems to get the desired effect - and Harvey obviously loves the sound of my voice As for the climbing thing - I'm like Harvey's personal play stand! He gets in the most unusual positions and just hangs there - he's quiet, I just let him for the peace!!! Good luck in finding something that your baby enjoys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssnthorne Posted May 10, 2010 Author Share Posted May 10, 2010 I have been trying Alex with many treats today, first i left him in his cage and he took the different seeds out of my hand and came back for more. I was so happy i thought i finally found something but then when i took him out of the cage he just wasnt interested any more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 11, 2010 Share Posted May 11, 2010 My grey will do just about anything for a sliver of cheddar cheese, try that but you will just have to offer a variety of foods to find out what he likes the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2010 Share Posted May 11, 2010 (edited) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Edited August 9, 2010 by jacarual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillyBeanz Posted May 11, 2010 Share Posted May 11, 2010 I was so happy i thought i finally found something but then when i took him out of the cage he just wasnt interested any more Ha Ha! They are very picky! Harvey never used to like certain things, but I revisit foods after a few months and he loves them! His favourite at the minute is mashed potato - which he wouldn't touch a couple of months ago! Keep on with it - I'm sure you'll find something!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossfit Posted May 11, 2010 Share Posted May 11, 2010 I was very concerned about finding the right food treat for Hawkins as well. However, he seems to respond best to me saying very happily "good job". It works for me as I always have my voice when he does something I want to train and I don't always have a treat. It was odd for me to learn to train without treats as I have done a lot of animal training, including clicker. But I learned with our last pit bull who never was into food treats. What worked for him was to be petted on his chest when he got it right. So, the reinforcer has to be what they most want but doesn't have to be food. It might be a favorite toy or even time with you. Work with your bird as they are different than other animals and have a different kind of intelligence. They are still wild and what that means is that the desire to please humans hasn't been bred into them like dogs, cats, farm animals, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted May 11, 2010 Share Posted May 11, 2010 Darn it...you have already tried Pine nuts. It is a trick to find something that they love and is also quick to eat. Issac will accept Sunflower Seeds for a few positive reinforcement training runs, but he can be picky. Things I know he would just die for, pasta with red palm oil, plam nuts, and pine nuts all take time to eat, so not as weildy. All I can say is that takes time, but you will inadvertantly find something he likes. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssnthorne Posted May 12, 2010 Author Share Posted May 12, 2010 I have come to the conclusion that Alex just doesnt feel comfortable eating out of his cage he wont eat anything just throws it about the room. Maybe i need to work on letting him become comfortable about eating out of the cage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillyBeanz Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I have come to the conclusion that Alex just doesnt feel comfortable eating out of his cage he wont eat anything just throws it about the room. Oh, they are superb at that one! Are you sure he's not eating anything? He might be just having a swift nibble and throwing the rest (parrot olympic sport)!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I absolutely never get to see Issac eat his vegetables. It occurs sometime after I leave in the morning, and before I get back from work. Then they end up in a pile on the floor of his cage in numerous bits and pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessdecutie18 Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Lol am I the only one with a not very picky Grey? Yoshi will sample anything she sees you eat, and will do tricks for sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, fruits, other nuts, cheerios... absolutly anything she sees you eating she wants part of, even if she doesn't like it much and wastes a lot of it, lol. That's a tough one then... but perhaps as you suggested the problem is more being comfortable. Now that Yoshi doesn't get sunflower seeds in her main diet, she will do anything she can for one... and cheese drives her crazy. I can't think of any other specific suggestions than what was already given lol... But you know, Yoshi likes all these foods yet wouldn't accept anything when harness training as she was too busy being worried about the harness. Perhaps she needs time... she is still a baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now