Ollie and I started working on the "wave" several weeks ago, and she mastered it in just a few days but this is the first time I've got it on video. Please disregard me, I look ridiculous throughout the whole thing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsjICxg9fmA

To start with, I would give her the verbal command "wave" and hold out my finger like I wanted her to step up. When she reached for my finger, I would pull it back, CLICK, and give her a reward (an almond).

I've found this to be a controversial technique because of the claim that pulling your finger back could cause trust issues. I didn't find this at all when working with Ollie. Perhaps it was because she already trusts me, so a few times of pulling my finger back when she thought she was supposed to step up didn't bother her. Plus, she got an almond (her favorite treat)!

I use a clicker, which isn't necessary, but I've found it to maximize the quality of our training sessions because as soon as she sees the clicker in my hand she knows that if she does what I ask her to, she will get a treat, so she is more apt to work hard. The only things I actually train with a clicker are step up, big wings (which we're currently working on), and her 2 whistles that we're working on cue words for.

ohhhhhhh how cute!
Sydney will shake my hand if I ask, and Emma will act as if she is shot if I hold my hand up like a gun and say "pow"
Thats it in my household!!!!

Nice Camille! I can see in the video how well you take care of your birds, playstand, lighting, etc.

Awwwwwww! Very cute! Not doubt in my mind you two love each other!

Lisa, The gun trick is so cute! How did you teach Emma to do that?

Yes, Ollie is spoiled rotten...she has her big PVC gym and her hoopball in my bedroom, and her boing and Bottlebrush hanging gym in the living room!

My tiel back at home with my parents has just one gym, but he prefers to play on my mom anyhow!

Camille, great job! That didn't take long at all for Ollie to learn.

Emma is a ham, besides the Queen of Drama Queens.. She taugh me actually. When you hold her, you have to pin (sorta speaking) her feet because she doesnt hold on at all. She falls everywhich way like the old toys called Weebles. She started falling backwards when she didnt want to go nite nite. So as a joke, one day I put my hand up like a gun and said pow. She fell backwards like a bad b rated actor in a death scene.....and so her talents were revealed.

Spike (cockatiel) knows how to wave, just instead of speaking the word wave, i wave my hand and he waves back. Tequila (quaker) never really took to the wave very well, but she will shake my hand when asked.

I should probably teach her the signal too, that wouldn't be difficult. Once they learn it one way, its easy to incorporate other ways of commanding it. All of my dogs know voice commands as well as hand signals. It would be cuter if when I waved, she waved back!

That was so cute, I love to see what we can train birds to do for us...beside make it easy to love them. Keep the teaching up... thanks for the video.