Words on Voice Command

Maui is now saying, "Work, work, work" on voice command.

She learned by watching me trying to teach Manzi. I heard him saying, "work, work, work," so I began to congratulate him after each time and give him a treat along with the voice command. After two days of this, Maui began catching on. Manzi still wasn't saying the phrase on voice command, but he was saying it enough to realize that him saying it earned him a treat. On the second day, I asked Manzi to say, "work, work, work." After a pause of about 10 seconds, Maui chimed in with the phrase. I was waiting for Manzi, so Maui repeated it. Within two days she was saying the phrase within a couple seconds of the voice command. I'll get a video of it later this week. Now we need to start on a new phrase.

In order to keep Manzi from being left out of earning treats, I have been doing blind flights with him, where I go into another room and do recalls. Manzi is getting really good at this. I always go to a different spot in the room, or even into the closet and he is quick about turning the corner, looking for me and changing directions. I need to get Manzi prepared as I plan to fly him this summer.

Hercules has been keeping under the bird's cages more clean. He eats all of their scraps without objection. It has been a couple of times that Manzi will try to take back some dropped food from Hercules. Manzi knows that he can intimidate Hercules to hide in his shell, whereas Maui keeps her distance from Hercules.