On my earlier post, I mentioned about Clicker and Target Training being introduced to Kermit, my Senegal Parrot. There’s a tremendous improvement in the training. Many have learned about Target Training from articles online, books from library and even a post titled “Introducing Target Training” written by me dated a few months back. But many still unaware and have little information about Clicker Training, some readers emailed me asking about details on Clicker Training.

Clicker Training is not something new in the animal behavior training culture, it has been established many years back. Currently now Clicker Training is commonly used in training domestically bred dogs, thus is never difficult to see pet dogs stores selling all sort different designs of clickers. I’ve got my clicker from the local pet dogs store too.

What is a clicker?
A clicker is actually a simple device that creates a unique distinct “click” sound and is easily recognized by all animals.

And What is Clicker Training?
Clicker Training is a process use to train animals (like dogs, birds, cats and even chickens) with the use of a conditioned reinforcer - the clicker. The conditioned reinforcer which is the clicker, which is able to mark the desirable behavior and rewarding it.

Clicker Training is actually based on both principles of Pavlovian Conditioning (also known as Classical Conditioning) and Operant Conditioning. Palvovian Conditioning (or Classical Conditioning) is a form of associative learning which means animal can learn to associate sound with food. For example in Clicker Training, we can teach our parrots to associate the clicker sound with treats. As for Operant Conditioning where our parrots have to perform a series of right behavior in order to receive treats.

In summary, based on the 2 theories, the clicker act as a stimulus bridge and a also a reinforcer which bridge the clicking sound as treats. Whenever the parrot perform the right behavior, the clicker can easily mark the desirable behavior at that very moment and rewarding it accordingly. This way letting the parrot understand that whenever it does the right behavior it gets treats.

Before we can effectively deploy clicker training on our parrots, they have to undergo a simple procedure called Clicker Conditioning. Clicker Conditioning allows our parrots to associate the click with a positive experience which is the treats.

Steps to conduct Clicker Conditioning:
When I tried introducing the clicker to Kermit, I did not hastily move into the step Clicker Conditioning. Instead I allow Kermit, my senegal parrot, to play with the clicker himself. This was to ensure that Kermit was not frightened by this “foreign” object, unfortunately Kermit was quite afraid of the striking blue clicker and refused to get any closer to the clicker.

I tried placing a few sunflower seeds around the clicker, this was to lure Kermit close the clicker. I allowed him to enjoy the treats but with close proximity to the clicker. After couple of minutes, Kermit was able to beak and try picking up the clicker on his own. The very first psychological obstruction was removed, but I foreseen another ahead which is the clicking sound from the clicker.

Basically I tried sound off the clicker. Bingo! I was right about my hunch. Kermit took off and so afraid of the clicking sound. I tried another by muffling the clicking sound by clicking the clicker under a sofa cushion. The clicking sound was much softer and less alarming. Kermit was able to accept the muffled but with a little trembling on his legs.

I had to consistently calm him down and talk to him and repeatedly introducing the clicking sound slowly. After couple of few sessions, Kermit was able to accept the clicking sound. This was when I’m really certain that I can go about moving into steps on clicker conditioning.

Basically moving into clicker conditioning is a breeze. It is fairly simple, basically just click and offer the treat immediately. Repeating the same sequence for about 2-3 session with 10-20 repetitions. Kermit was able to link the clicking sound with the treat immediately after the first session, thus I don’t see much difficulty.

My advise for introducing the clicker training, always exercise caution and eliminate all the possible fears in the parrot itself. By doing so will ensure that the parrot is not stress up and its safety is ensured, then it will be more willing to learn and accepting new things. It’s all about patience.

Related Posts:
Clicker & Target Training for Kermit
Introducing Target Training

Kermit is now 5 months old now and it has been a difficult task in training him up. I’ve tried just using positive reinforcement training as soon as he was fully weaned, but the results weren’t that satisfying. Kermit is totally different from my talented lovebird, Kiki. I’m forced to adapt a different way of training from the usual method executed on Kiki.

I have great luck in training Kiki just only with the use of positive reinforcement training. Kiki can easily pick up the new tricks and behaviors through the training. Kiki is truly talented, a Smart Alec that I will use to describe her as.

Based on my daily observations on Kiki and Kermit during their training sessions, here are some of the findings of the 2 comparisons:

Kiki during a 15 minutes training session

• Better attention span
• Proactive
• More enthusiastic and easily excited
• Responsive to human vocal commands

Kermit during a 15 minutes training session

• Poorer attention span (Tends to looks elsewhere)
• Doesn’t seem to be proactive
• Not enthusiastic nor easily excited
• Less responsive to human vocal commands
• Less confident

You can see the vast differences among the two species. It’s never surprise to see Kiki mastering a new behavior or tricks in less than 10 minutes. She’s more of the hyperactive and more enthusiastic participant as compared to Kermit. Kermit has a much shorter attention span as compared to Kiki.

I’m able get Kiki to perform all the behaviors and tricks that she learned over 20- 30 minutes continuously, and after 30 minutes (although not recommended as it can easily possible leads to fustration if the parrot failed to perform the correct act) she still has the attention on me. As for Kermit, his mind start to wander of after 8-10minutes. I will say it’s definitely difficult to maintain the attention from a Senegal Parrot as compared to a African Lovebird. Furthermore, the slightest sound or motion of an object (including a fly flying around the vicinity) will instil fear in Kermit, diverting his attention and disrupting the whole training session.

There are a few factors that contributed to the unacceptable results in Kermit’s Training session. I have to admit the failure of shaping the new behavior, partly the fault lies on me. At certain part of the training, when Kermit suddenly performed the right behavior, I wasn’t able to reinforce and treat immediately at that moment.

Next, there’s also disadvantages of using positive reinforcement training with treats, you have to offer the treat immediately when the parrot performed the right behavior at that very moment. By doing so, the parrot will then understand and link the right behavior with the treat. Thus the parrot will know that everytime he/she performed that behavior he/she gets the treats. But many times during Kermit’s training session, I committed the mistake of not offering the treat immediately at the split second when the right behavior is performed. Any time later than that, Kermit will not be able to link the right behavior with the treat. It’s definitely one stressful task!

Two weeks ago, I started introducing Clicker and Target Training along with positive reinforcement. The results were really amazing, and Kermit was able to perform the his first trick, the Turn-a-Round trick after the 3rd day of Click and Target Training. Kermit had learned to associate the clicking sound with food. With this great advantage, I’m able to sound the clicker at the very right moment when Kermit performed the behavior that I want him to do.

I’m truly amazed, the clicker training does enhance the training experience. I’ve yet to explore more on the clicker training and unveil the power of clicker training for new tricks and behavior training. Hopefully I will be able to get my brother to capture a full motion clip on Kermit performing his first ever trick, the Turn-a-Round trick. So do stay tune!

Lately I received couples of feedbacks and emails asking me what kind of food that I offered Kiki as treats during her training session, and leads me to a decision to write a post on incentive treats. I do hope it will be a useful information to all parrot owners.

First to begin, I need to define what is a treat and make it clear to everybody the purpose of a treat. A treat is something out of the parrot’s daily diet, which means it’s not a common food that he or she can find it his or her food dishes. Next the treat to be simple and small in servings, why? Small servings will not make our feathered friends feel too full, and making them yearning for more! Parrots are like humans, just imagine when you have lots and lots of packs of French Fries at one go, and later on someone offered you another pack. I’m sure you will definitely stop and not go on as you are full and rather sick of French Fries at that very moment.

Treats to be simple as in the parrot doesn’t have to waste time and effort to hull or crack open the treat (like nuts, sunflower, safflower seeds, peanuts) to enjoy. I’m sure you will not want to see your feathered friend losing interest in your trick training program and indulged in cracking open the treats, this way most of the productive and quality time spent in the training will be wasted. To avoid this from happening, and if you need to use sunflower, safflower seeds or nuts as treats, do ensure they are hulled or cracked open.

Most parrots, in fact I should say ALL parrots preferred seeds as their favorite food. They are naturally “programmed” to like seeds, I guess is probably part of their instincts. Thus selecting seeds as incentive treats will ensure that you will never gone wrong. Type of food possible as treats: Millets, Sunflower Seeds, Safflower Seeds, Peanuts, Peanut Butter. Most importantly is to find out what your feathered friend likes to eat. Kiki enjoys millets, it’s like candy to her. She can never find millets in her daily food diet, she can only expect them from me either through tricks training sessions or when performs a positive behavior. This way it creates a form of motivation for our feather friends to work hard in order to exchange for the treats. They soon will know that treats don’t just come in easy, there’s always a price to pay.

I’m not out on the street meeting client again today. Sounds like good news for Kiki, a full day attention from me. Lots of fun again and lots of trainings too. This late afternoon, I offered the special treats that I offer usually during weekends. What so special about the treats? It’s definitely not the usual seed mixes but a customized seed mixes with extra dried raisins. I think it isn’t that bad offering raisins since its a source of potassium, thiamin, niacin and phosphorous. These are great vitamins to ensure Kiki remains healthy and strong.

Kiki does has her unique taste from other birds. She never really enjoyed Sunflower nor Safflower seeds. In her thoughts, these seed are just toys for her to unhulled and left there untouched and eaten. Ever since my first introduction of some dried raisin to her usual “tea-breaks” during the weekends, she always yearning for more. She can simply ignore most of the seed & millets in her food dish and concentrate her enjoyment on these raisins. She sure need some exotic sensations to her taste buds.

Based on studies shows parrots have poor sense of taste of around 300-400 as compared to humans’ sense of taste of around 9000. But studies also shown that even though parrots have poor sense of taste, flavors of food does affect their choice and quantity consumed. That’s very amazing isn’t it! So why ill treating our lovely companions with only one kind of food in their daily diet? Just imagine you yourself eating only cereals everyday, aren’t you be bored? In fact, I’m still continue to expose Kiki to different kind of food. As long they are not toxic or unhealthy, I’m willing to give Kiki a try.