Noah is a challenge when it comes to feeding time. He screams and is very territorial over his food and water bowls. We are employing the following techniques for feeding:
- When he screams, we continue what we were doing or stop dead in our tracks. Any behavior that is different is perceived by the bird as reinforcement of the current behavior.
- If we are in the process of going over to feed him we immediately stand still until the screaming has stopped.
- When we go to place the bowls in the cage it is always a 2 person job. Brian targets him on the opposite side of the cage with a peanut in one hand. He tries to incrementally increase the time that Noah stays on the opposite cage before giving him the treat. To get both the food and water bowl in the receptacles requires at least 4 targeting/treat scenarios.
Targeting Treat Scenarios for feeding:
- Brian shows Noah the peanut on the opposite side of the cage. Noah goes toward the treat. Brian says "Stay". On the "Stay command", I open the water receptacle door and remove the dirty water bowl. Meanwhile Brian has given the bridge word "Good" and then the peanut. Noah precedes to go towards the water receptacle door, which I have shut.
- The above technique is then repeated for putting the new water bowl in, removing the food bowl (where Noah shows the most aggression), and replacing the food bowl.
The above technique over four days has dramatically decreased Noah's aggression towards his bowls. At the onset aggression was displayed for both the water and food bowl, now it is only the food bowl. The targeting and small approximation technique is demonstrated in the DVD:
Parrot Behavior and Training #1
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