training a tiel

[Debz]

Well, not sure if it's really discipline, or just an understanding that we've come to.
Mind you, this bad habit started with me.
I dont know how many of you make it a daily point of eating with your fid. Something I try doing often because it's a bonding activity.
A few years ago, I’ve established as morning routine, to eat breakfast as they eat theirs on their play area. But somehow somewhere something went awry. Gradually, our lovely bonding ritual became a chaotic “get out of my plate” “no! make me” game. That is, game for them, and nightmare for me. Cat of course is not as defiant. And when told to “nummy your food” flies off to her designated dish. Pipz on the other hand, enjoys a good game of countertop obstacle hopping. Running away and dodging my hand’s attempt to make him step up . I swear, if that bird could stick out his tongue at me he would. I knew it was time to regroup and find a better solution. This morning it dawned on me that I already have a solution, just forgot to apply. There he was, dodging and hopping I got close to his face and said: “Naughty. Pippo naughty.” I use this word to tell them that I am not pleased. I repeated this a few times and turned my back for 3 seconds. Then I turned around and said “fly home, nammy your food.” He stopped what he was doing, stared at me for a few seconds , flew back to his dish and ate his food. Well, blow me down with a short stubby feather!!! It worked! 
So, I have a question for you all. Anyone else have a word they used to stop “naughty” behaviors?

[Erithacus]

I show Cocoa a spray bottle to stop her. She is afraid of water.

[Debz]

so, how do you bathe her?

[Ditty]

countertop obstacle hopping   

I can so picture Pippo sticking out his tongue at you!  I have to put Yoshi in his cage if I am eating or he will literally dive into my plate.  Zuri will lean way over but not aggressivly as Yoshi to share and HW just keeps asking "is it good" over and over till I give him some. 

Yoshi I will give a peice of something yummy and tell him to take it home and he will until it is gone then right back where we started.  HW I say "HW nah nah nah" and he knows he is doing something wrong.  Zuri just the tone of me saying her name she will stop what she is doing.  Yoshi is just too stubborn.  I say Yoshi no and he will beeline for what he was going for. 

[BPMar]

Sometimes Kito will get a little over zealous when he is asking for scritches and kind of fake bites.  It startles you so he gets a finger waved at him with "no" with a mad face and then no more scritches.  So as you walk away he will cluck at you and start scritching his own head.  D likes to rough play with him sometimes and I think that is where he is getting that from...the over zealousness.

[Sondra]

I discovered years ago that "No!" to a bird means try again in a few minutes so I use "ut-ut" and it works quite well.

At meal time we give the birds their own plates - toddler dishes work quite well for them. They each get their favourite foods plus a bit of our meat, this saves us from having to dodge tielie feets as they are running around our plate grabbing whatever takes their fancy, when we are trying to stab something with our fork. 

[Mi Amore]

i dont have any words or gestures that work so debz this is a good thread for me and perhaps others that need to find ideas that would work. my quaker sidney does this scream like a little girl if we dont do what she wants.. like feed her everything we eat,if we leave the room she does it. i will try out some of the things you all have put down and if it works i will let you know.. thanks again debz and all for the ideas.

[BuffaloParrot]

I discovered years ago that "No!" to a bird means try again in a few minutes so I use "ut-ut" and it works quite well.

We surely know here that any excited reaction whether the bird is doing good or bad will enforce the behavior they were doing.  I think Mar has more a problem with this because I do this game with him.  Then she comes to him and sometimes reacts this way, thus startling her and feeding Kito his amusement.  With me there is no fear or reaction.  It is OUR game.  When I walk by when I don't think he is paying attention I will make a fart noise, and lightly touch his tail feathers.  He goes nuts and to those who would not know it would seem extreme.  I then put my finger up and big, bad Kito threatens to bite and I let him though it is not a bite.  He latches and I swing his head around.  He loves this and is always waiting in anticipation for this interaction.  It amuses him so I have no problem with it.  It is not ruff either.  If I do walk by him without doing this he will make his own fart noise at me!

[BuffaloParrot]

Plus, Kito plays mind games with me.  I cannot go in the kitchen or cook without him constantly doing his cluck noise and dance until I cave in and give him something to eat!

[Debz]

lol! Ditty...is it good?   I just love our fiddies...
"I discovered years ago that "No!" to a bird means try again in a few minutes..." Aint that the troot, sista!

[Sondra]

I know we are getting off topic but.........

For screaming the key is consistency.
For screaming in the same room as you, or fairly close, if you whisper they will almost always stop to hear what you are saying.  Many birds scream because they need to know where you are, so tell them "I'm going in the kitchen", or where-ever, if they scream softly, yet loud enough for them to hear you, answer them with "I'm in the kitchen". If they stop screaming count to 3 and high-tail it in there with lots of praise and/or treat. Next time count to 5, then 7 - you get the picture. BE SURE THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE DOING YOU STOP AND GET RIGHT IN THE ROOM AND PRAISE. This will take time, but you can break the cycle.

[Debz]