Clicker Training for Beginners - Lesson 2
Mechanical Skills
One of the most important things to work on when training is your timing and mechanical skills. We have to work on our mechanical skills BEFORE bringing the learner (our birds) into the training mix. So, that is what we are going to work on now.
This lesson will be done without your bird present. This is for you to practice your mechanical skills without causing problems for your bird.
I want you to get the treats that you found were most reinforcing to your bird and play around with how you intend to deliver those treats to the bird. Will you be putting a handful into your hand and then "pez dispensering" them to the bird? Or maybe you will just put a small pile of them on the counter or desk next to you and grab them one at a time? If you are using millet will you be holding the spray of millet to offer for each click or will you break pieces off and offer them that way? If you are using mash or something soft (I sometimes use baby food or smashed sweet potatoes) how will you deliver that? Will you deliver it from a spoon? Will your bird take food from your hand or will you need to drop treats into a bowl? Experiment with this and decide how you think it will work best. Do this for all your top reinforcers.
Still with no bird....
Now, I want you to practice clicking and then practicing the delivery. You will find that adding the clicker changes things. Now, you have to decide which hand you will click with and which hand you will feed with. Practice on both hands.
Interview Your Learner
At this point I want you to start thinking about things that you may need to know about your birds personality or history that may affect how you will carry out your training.
For instance, I have a dog who has impaired vision and is flat faced so I have to think about delivering the reinforcer so he can see it and find it easily. Another example, Papaya, my rescue Regent Parrot is fearful of hands so only comes out of his cage on his own. For right now, I will train him in his cage.
You want to think about specific things that will affect your training so that we can plan for them. If you have a bird that is extremely fearful of hands, you may need to drop the treats into a bowl for them. These types of things.
Please feel free to ask questions. And, hang in there, we are going to be training very soon!!!
Mechanical Skills
One of the most important things to work on when training is your timing and mechanical skills. We have to work on our mechanical skills BEFORE bringing the learner (our birds) into the training mix. So, that is what we are going to work on now.
This lesson will be done without your bird present. This is for you to practice your mechanical skills without causing problems for your bird.
I want you to get the treats that you found were most reinforcing to your bird and play around with how you intend to deliver those treats to the bird. Will you be putting a handful into your hand and then "pez dispensering" them to the bird? Or maybe you will just put a small pile of them on the counter or desk next to you and grab them one at a time? If you are using millet will you be holding the spray of millet to offer for each click or will you break pieces off and offer them that way? If you are using mash or something soft (I sometimes use baby food or smashed sweet potatoes) how will you deliver that? Will you deliver it from a spoon? Will your bird take food from your hand or will you need to drop treats into a bowl? Experiment with this and decide how you think it will work best. Do this for all your top reinforcers.
Still with no bird....
Now, I want you to practice clicking and then practicing the delivery. You will find that adding the clicker changes things. Now, you have to decide which hand you will click with and which hand you will feed with. Practice on both hands.
Interview Your Learner
At this point I want you to start thinking about things that you may need to know about your birds personality or history that may affect how you will carry out your training.
For instance, I have a dog who has impaired vision and is flat faced so I have to think about delivering the reinforcer so he can see it and find it easily. Another example, Papaya, my rescue Regent Parrot is fearful of hands so only comes out of his cage on his own. For right now, I will train him in his cage.
You want to think about specific things that will affect your training so that we can plan for them. If you have a bird that is extremely fearful of hands, you may need to drop the treats into a bowl for them. These types of things.
Please feel free to ask questions. And, hang in there, we are going to be training very soon!!!
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