Center for Avian Rehabilitation & Education

CLICKER TRAINING

We've recently discovered clicker training as a way of incorporating positive interactions with our parrots. This website can provide more detailed explanation of what clicker training is.

We hope to have an Introduction to Clicker Training workshop scheduled at the Center sometime during the next few months. In the meantime, you can read all about clicker training in this book. Additionally, you could join this yahoo group, which has fantastic how-to information in its files, and knowledgeable moderators ready to answer your questions. We have clickers for sale at the shelter. Check back for updates as to when the workshop will be held.

One of our volunteers has been training her four parrots for several months, and they all LOVE the opportunity to do tricks. When they see the training supplies pulled out, one starts saying "Want some!" and they all begin dancing around, excitedly. They do various tricks such as wave, ring a bell, turn around, flap their wings, shake hands, do a somersault through a loop, roll over and play dead, etc., etc. And all of this is accomplished with 5-10 minutes per bird, per day.

Clicker training isn't just for teaching tricks. One of the friends of our shelter has been using clicker training techniques with her african grey for several months. She writes, "I used clicker training to get him to target a new toy. Maybe you remember, I mentioned his phobia of new toys. This doesn't get him to play soon with it, but 75% of the time, he isn't cowering after the new toy is placed in his cage. So that is great progress, in my mind! I have him target the new toy while he's on his stand, away from his cage. After I hang the toy in his cage, while he's perched on my hand, I have him target the toy as I put him in his cage. After a few days, or so, he then does play with the formerly scary new toy."

If you're looking for a new way to bond with your bird and help channel some of her intelligence towards positive means, clicker training may be for you!