new user. I have a 7 yr old male. who has started squaking

[emillyb]

Hi! my name is emilly. I am the proud owner of a 7 year old yellow male IRN named Yokou.
He really is the best companion, so friendly, never bites and loves everyone. I have had him since he was 7 weeks old, and hand raised him. My training only got as far as being handled and not biting, he is no longer food driven and won't do anything for treats. cheeky bugger! (if anyone has any hints to get him food driver again? he used to do anything for a sunflower seed or a piece of fruit, now he just looks at me, takes it then drops it!)

Over the last 6 months he has been squawking more and more. He always squawked intermittently. Now he is squawking all the time, He has everything he needs (food, water etc) And he is out of the cage most of the time, either on mine, my boyfriends or anyone else who is heres shoulder or close by on the window sill. I give him a bath most days, which he loves. i put him to bed when its dark.
i think this behavior is something that i have created because in the past he has got what he wanted if he squawked, eg to get out of the cage, to get a something i'm eating or to get a cuddle.
My question is how to i curb this behavior with out wreaking our close bond. This is what i am trying... if he squawks more than 3 times in a row i walk over to him quietly without talking or making eyecontact, and put him into his night time cage and cover him up. I leave him there until he stops squawking. mostly he stops straight away but it can take up to 5 minutes. When he stops i go and get him out and praise him, return him to my shoulder or the window sill. i am also making more of an effort to praise him when he is being quiet.
i have been doing this for about a month now, its really time consuming and its not working. Any ideas??

[evaleen]

was he clicker trained? if yes, then u could use the clicker and click when he stops squawking, to let him know that he did a good job by stopping his squawking, then click again if he continues to b quite for 5mins then pull the cover away.
(u might not want to include a treat here, cuz he may then squawk intentionally, then keep quite all to get the treat repeatedly.)

either this, or u may ignore him completely. (and cover his cage if he goes on for more than 6 or 10 squawks)

thats all that i can think of...
tried to help... but i doubt i made much of an impact (sorry!)

but plz keep us updated on your progress!

[emillyb]

My new strategy! I have decided to put him on a pellet diet so that I can use sunflower seeds and fruit as rewards again. This way i will be qble to use positive reinforcement. I have introduced the pellets today, I think he will be only on them in a week or two! Then bring on the clicker training!
Once he will take treats again, I'm going to hide around the corner from him and when he is silent or offers a whistle I will clicker and come out and give him a treat and praise, if he swquawks I will walk away. I will try to do two sessions of this a day minimum. I will also do some other simple clicker training with him to get him used to the idea.
I expect this may take a while, but well worth it as I can't imagine him squawking every 2 seconds for the next decade!
I will keep you posted on my progress!

[evaleen]

oooooooo
yeah, that might just work!

how's it going?