Duck Training.

[elizabethbinary]

I'm started to absolutely fall madly in love with my drake

He's not poultry, he's a pet, you know how it can be. He was my first duckling I ever raised from a tiny little baby and he seems to love me too. He follows me around and wags his tail and begs for treats and I can even grab him and give him scratches and cuddles. He really likes it when I rub his carbuncles! (I really hope carbuncles are what I remember them to be....)

Anyway now he's becoming a lot more of a pet I was thinking about training him a little. He seems trainABLE because we got him to stop negative behaviours - but how to instill new ones?

Like my husband would allow him inside to be with me if he learned to poop outside and not wherever. Which, well... ducks. Is that even possible? I heard chickens can learn! Ducks seem smarter.

I'm already teaching him to bow for his food by holding it up high and then lowering it below his chest a couple times before I feed it to him. So now he dips his head twice before grabbing treats.... so he can learn...

I'm obsessed aren't I? He's like a PUPPY though - just like one. 'cept he has feathers and hisses. But he barks! And he protects! And he loves to play!

 

[FenDruadin]

Quote:

Well, "caruncles" are the red bits around a muscovy's face, so if that's what you meant then, yes, it's quite decent to mention rubbing them in public.

It sounds like you're already doing a lot to train him. I don't think they can be potty trained, because they don't have any control over their bowels. But several people on here diaper their ducks, so maybe that would work for you.

Training... you could train him to hop onto a perch on demand, maybe? Bow to an audience, and then perform a series of tricks? You could be a traveling show!

I gotta run, but I'm going to rack my brains for more training ideas & get back with you.

Oh, I do think that rather than training to a voice command, you might want to focus on training to a hand command, since ducks communicate a lot with their bodies. Just a thought.

 

[elizabethbinary]

Awesome I'll probably do that! I didn't know ducks can't control it - that explains so much. And thank goodness those ARE his carbuncles...

I have this secret fantasy of making him a harness and taking him on walks.... can you imagine it? A girl walking a muscovy?

Maybe I can teach him to lift his leg up for a shake like I did my dog, hahahaha.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Theres a person whos a member of BYC that make harnesses for ducks and geese also diapers and shoes, yes you saw right shoes! contact her by PM or at [email protected]

 

[Miss Lydia]

I love my Muscovy drakes they are very sweet.

 

[FenDruadin]

You're gonna love this:

Ducks can be walked on leashes, taken to nursing homes, and trained to do many of the same things other pets are. I can't find it now, but I've seen videos of ducks walking on leashes in parades, and on therapy visits.

It's just a matter of figuring out what motivates them, and getting them in the right habits. Have fun, & post videos of your ducky's tricks, please!