Re: [Freeflight] Luna's Return - Stay training

["Douglas Delgado" <Dougandmona@m...>]

Well Sara:

It sounds like you are living in a more peaceable kingdom than I am. I am 
still in the "lunatics taking over the asylum" stage in some measure. 
Does Mercury let you prepare food when she is out? Do you have any tips for 
that, other than food bribery? My kitchen is practically in the bird room 
so the birds get a full birdseye view of everything I am doing...and insist 
on helping.

Of course, the ultimate "stay" and the one that works is to lock them in 
their cages...but, I don't always want to do that. Sometimes I will slam 
them in the cages and roll them outside on the deck. I feel like my 
mom...."If you can't behave in here, go outside and do that!"

Maybe I need to borrow Mercury and have her teach "stay"........Why not? 
Babylon taught Phinney to fly.

More likely, I am going to have to "up" the food bribe with Phinney and keep 
her on her cage. She does know "fly to your cage" very well...but she also 
comes back into the kitchen pretty darn fast. I guess I'm going to have to 
get more disciplined....sigh....

Upping the food reward isn't going to work with Babylon, though. Nothing 
is more fun than traipsing through whatever we are preparing....

I do have to say though, we all have an awful lot of fun with this 
semi-organized chaos...and we do seem to settle into predictable patterns 
that make it workable. I work hard to encourage flight and that makes my 
house a little different from people who don't. I also work hard to 
encourage the birds to be innovative and to play. I have always encouraged 
play and I am also trying to incorporate training ideas into play....and it 
sounds like that is what you are doing with Mercury as well.....

And so it goes......

By the way, Nate and I took our birds flying in a vacant building last 
weekend and everything went very well. We plan to do it again this 
Sunday. Most of this is practicing recall but it is fun. I also see 
Phinney progressing a little bit and becoming more exploratory with each 
trip we make to the building. Phoebe was shy at first but after some gentle 
coaxing, she was doing an excellent recall for Nate.

Mona in Seattle
Phinneus Fowl (aka Phinney) TAG
Pretty Rita Cockatiel
Babylon (Senegal Poicephalus)
Doug (spousal unit)

>
>So Mona, I don't necessarily agree with "stay" needing
>a typical training session environment. As I describe
>on my web site, I had to find what motivated her to
>fly when I did not want her to. Then, I could start
>her "stay" training. This particular training I have
>seen to be much different than most training. Usually,
>we are trying to get them to accomplish an action or
>sound they won't do. This seems quite opposite for
>"stay". I wait for my bird to make a move, and then
>teach her she can't do that.
>
>She has gotten to where she knows when she should
>stay, even if it is applied to something I have not
>shown her. She also says "stay" herself and carries on
>a dual role. I won't go into detail, as I have posted
>that story in the past - message #17471, I think. As
>everybody knows, I could go on and on about our
>training...
>
>Have a great day!!
>
>Sara Beth and Mercury in Alabama
>www.geocities.com/mercurybirdygirl
>
>
>--- Douglas Delgado <Dougandmona@m...> wrote:
> >
> > I think Sara had success with Mercury on the
> > Stay...
> >
> > First, I place Babylon on a chair or object. This
> > way, she knows we are
> > working on a behavior. I don't think this would
> > work if you don't set up
> > the expectation that we are working on a behavior.
> >
> > Second, I place my hand in front of Babylon and tell
> > her "stay". I can see
> > her little wings kindof quiver and she is looking at
> > me but I am just trying
> > to get her to understand "stay".
> >
> > Third, I walk away. At this point, only about two
> > steps because she will
> > keep flying to me. My goal here is to walk away,
> > hesitate and then turn to
> > her and give her the command, "come here" and then
> > treat her when she flies
> > to me....so, I am using dog training methods.....but
> > with a bird, rather
> > than a dog....but I can see the same behaviors in
> > the Senegal that I would
> > see in a puppy. She wants to jump the gun but I
> > do believe I can teach
> > her to stay....but, it is going to take practice and
> > persistence. You are
> > right, I am chaining two behaviors....the stay, then
> > the come here. I
> > guess I am basically trying to teach her to "come
> > here" on cue, rather than
> > have her "come" all of the time to me, but to do
> > that...she has to have some
> > understanding of what a "stay" means.
> >
> >
> > Mona in Seattle
> > Phinneus Fowl (aka Phinney) TAG
> > Pretty Rita Cockatiel
> > Babylon (Senegal Poicephalus)
> > Doug (spousal unit)
>
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