They will not come when called, ever, unless they feel like it or you got treats.... lol. They actually won't listen to anything you say, unless you have treats, at which they might listen but will usually just bombard you until they get the treats.
Ducks can be trained some things, like i trained mine not to bite... but it's not 100%. From the time of day old, we disiplined them endlessly for biting (by tapping beaks, or holding a beak shut and saying no biting... On extreme cases a duck must be held lightly around the neck and forced to look at you whie you scold it telling it what it did wrong... I assoiciate a word or phrase with what they did wrong like, "No BITING!".
And you have to be relentless... You can spend three hours telling a duck not to do something, constantly didiplining it, and it will keep doing whatever it wants... if you're lucky, eventually you just notice one day it isnt doing the "Bad" behavior. And occasionally they will still do it and need to be disiplined.
MY ducks learned two other commands, but they are treat oriented. My ducks will jump up to my hand if i am holding a treat. It's fun to watch but they won't do it unless i got a treat. They also learned the word "Wait", which was supposed to teach them not to attack me when i have treats in my hand, but really, all it did was teach them to put their heads down for a second, THEN attack me. lol
THIS NEXT PART IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!
Ducks are not like dogs at all. Keeping a duck inside is not like keeping a pet, it is like having a baby. It needs to be cared for to an extra amount than anything you will read online. They require constant conpanionship (with their humans), being diapered and changed as often if not more than a human baby, a daily bath of at least an hour length, and a lot more chores. Daily, multiply times a day cleanings, are required. poop is very hard to control in a house as it smells and accumulates quickly.
I tell anyone thinking about an indoor duck these same things:
* A duck is not a dog, will not act like a dog, will not learn tricks, will not do anything to please you.....
* Once a duck is imprinted on a human and lives inside (after about 8 weeks) it can NOT ever become an outdoor duck. If dumped on a pond or put on a farm, it will die due to the stress (and predators, as an indoor duck doesn't know how to be a
"Duck")
* Ducks live a long time, usually around 10 years, but up to 20.
* Female ducks are the only gender that should be indoor pets, as male fight, can get aggresive, and they will mount other females if around.
* You can NEVER ever have only 1 pet duck, having only one will make it get depressed.
* Having a Duck as a pet is exactly like having a 2 year old human... They need to be watched/babysat/fed/bathed/changed etc. On top of being loved... But ducks have big sharp nails that leave scars, and not all duck appreciate being picked up or petted.
* If you think you are up to the challange, RESEARCH!!!! I researched indoor ducks for over a YEAR and was still not prepared for the amount of work it takes. You have to read every website you can, learn about every disease or possible injury (Trust me with them living inside you get very attached, and paying over 700 dollars worth of medical bills is not unheard of). There is one book you can read (in fact the only book about keeping a duck indoors) is called "DUCK, THERE'S A DUCK IN THE HOUSE" by Nancy Townsend. Read it, four times over.... and then once more...
Of course i offer any one interested in indoor ducks to ask me any questions you have, just PM me! I happily answer them... The worst possible outcome is that you get in over your head and can't take care of your duck. Dumping it anywhere outside is NOT an option and is a sure death for your duck and is cruel. Finding an indoor duck a home is next to impossible! I'm probably the only person who has indoor ducks on BYC right now, and there are a LOT of people on BYC.
