Post by heatherg on Oct 19, 2024 15:10:19 GMT -5
My Willow is a blue Quaker about ten years old. He’s normally a quiet Quaker parakeet. He can be a but noisy in the morning but it’s usually to tell me to get up and fill his food dish. If I wake up, come out and say hi and feed him he’s happy and settle down.
But I don’t hear much noise or chatter from Willow. Lucy used to talk a lot. I mean I couldn’t shut her up; she would talk if I sneaked get into the grocery store and was trying to be sneaky. Jasper will be whistling and garbling away and Willow is in his cage silent.
Recently I had a guest who was quite loud and chatty. And Willow told me he was a “Good boy!” After she left. I was excited. I’d really like him to talk more and I don’t think I’ve changed hugely since I had Lucy. I’m wondering if there’s a way I can reward him so he will talk? How I can connect the rare noise with a special treat? I can’t reward accidental behavior if he never does it. Maybe I should just praise him for any noise?
We’re watching a video together during Bird Time, and I’m hoping that might help him to start talking. At any rate he may start yelling about “spam” after today. The problem is, if he’s just crunching his beak there’s no noise to praise. If I talk to him loudly, hoping he will do it back, he just moves his beak while looking at me. I don’t know how to get the message of “make a noise” into his head.
Suggestions?
But I don’t hear much noise or chatter from Willow. Lucy used to talk a lot. I mean I couldn’t shut her up; she would talk if I sneaked get into the grocery store and was trying to be sneaky. Jasper will be whistling and garbling away and Willow is in his cage silent.
Recently I had a guest who was quite loud and chatty. And Willow told me he was a “Good boy!” After she left. I was excited. I’d really like him to talk more and I don’t think I’ve changed hugely since I had Lucy. I’m wondering if there’s a way I can reward him so he will talk? How I can connect the rare noise with a special treat? I can’t reward accidental behavior if he never does it. Maybe I should just praise him for any noise?
We’re watching a video together during Bird Time, and I’m hoping that might help him to start talking. At any rate he may start yelling about “spam” after today. The problem is, if he’s just crunching his beak there’s no noise to praise. If I talk to him loudly, hoping he will do it back, he just moves his beak while looking at me. I don’t know how to get the message of “make a noise” into his head.
Suggestions?
