I am getting frustrated.

[dhorje]

I thought I could do better with Kilaya where I failed to do with Cocoa. All I am interested in is to be able to recall Kilaya at any time anywhere.

He responded well during the early stages. He was full of enthusiasm in indoor and outdoor recalls. I kept the training short and did it only once a day or max 2X. Now I can hardly get him fly to me indoor. And he no longer interested in recall training at the playground. The only place he responds well to recall is at the hiking place.

 

I seek advice from 2 experienced trainer friends. Both told me greys in general are not easy to train. They tend to lose interest very fast. This is very frustrating. On the other hand, my GCC can be recalled from anywhere at any time in the house without training.

[robopetz]

How old is Kilaya now?

[dhorje]

How old is Kilaya now?

 

Very young, 5 months.

[SRSeedBurners]

The thought going through my head before I even read your 2nd paragraph was the bird is bored. I would agree they are hard to train because they are so intelligent. It probably takes a higher level of expertise to train them successfully similar to training dolphins etc.

 

I've noticed with our three birds our Grey is an order of magnitude smarter than our Caique who I would compare to a dog that will repeat the same command many times.

 

You may be very surprised that you have an ultra-smarty bird and you need to move forward faster with advanced recalls etc.

[Greywings]

Suggest fewer sessions with more rewards right now until your Grey friend matures a bit. I agree with Sterling that boredom may be a factor with him. Try to relax Kilaya may sense your frustration making things more difficult.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Greywings

[dhorje]

In the begining of indoor recall training, he responded very well. He would fly to me during non training session when called. But now he doesn't do that any more. Whereas my gcc flies to any of my family members when he is called regardless he was busy or free. No wonder conures are best candidates to free fly.

 

Now I am going back to the basic training with Kilaya using target and clicker training, starting from scratch. Maybe he needs more basic training.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Your baby IS very smart! The first two years should be dedicated to learning stepup and stepdown, learning to accept a healthy diet including fresh fruits and veggies. ( my walls were painted with a refusual). Meeting new family members and learning to accept them.

Our next important step was practicing flight, to develop chests and muscles. One to step off for flight, one to receive. Obviously, flight practicing, only happened when Sophie trusted the person to receive her. Nancy

[dhorje]

Step up and step down are not a problem. I decided to concentrate more on outdoor recall. He respond better outside.

[Timbersmom]

What a cool pic! That is priceless

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

dhorje... your baby is amazing! What are your expectations of your baby? Do you want a grey that is amazing with knowledge and flight capability? Or one, that is a family member, that loves you to death, can empathize? I believe you can have both, but I think you are seeking it backwards!

Greys tend to follow the normal progression of infants to toddlers just like children. Routine, consistency and trust. Sophie trusts us, can fly quite well, but I don't push her for exceeding my expectations. There are times, she feels challenged , and " nips it". She makes her point. Nancy