Parrot preschool is in session!

[Pajarita]

This is an article about this pet store that, now, in addition to classes on training puppies, is now giving classes on parrots but I have not been able to find a single training credential for this guy even though he, apparently, calls himself "a bird whisperer" (he has two psittaculas but I couldn't even find out how old they are). What interested me was the following paragraph:
Quote
Mr Richard said because parrots can live for so long, it was important to train them so that if an owner was to pass away it would be easier for the parrot to transition to another family.
Unquote

I don't know if I agree with it... what do you think?

http://www.moreechampion.com.au/story/4 ... life/?cs=7

[dragonlady2]

I am not a fan of trick training. That's just my personal preference. I would think the next family that the parrot goes to would have to have knowledge of the trick training as well. I think it's more important to socialize your parrot to be accepting and friendly to most people it comes in contact with.

[Pajarita]

Yes, I agree. All parrots that were treated right would step up and down on their own and that's about all you need at the very beginning... you can always teach them tricks later if that is what you are into. And, as you say, unless it's a private adoption and the circumstances are very unique, the chances that the new owners learn exactly how to get the parrot to perform are actually very slim.

[Vmax3000]

We adopted Gus from a family who had worked with him a little. He was ~5 months old at the time, and they had just had a baby. Because they had socialized him, to some extent, he wasn't wild. We had to get to know him, and he us, so I doubt that any trick training would have done anything. So, I agree completely on the socialization issue...it's critical, especially in the face of the unthinkable or unexpected life event. From watching the documentary Parrot Confidential (which I would recommend to anyone thinking of taking one of these creatures into their care), socialization from a patient and gentle standpoint seems to have the best results. Of course, this is me saying this, and only knowing my two little birds.
I have also wracked my brain to think of a "trick" that I would want to ask of either Max or Gus. We have stepping up and stepping down in the works. They aren't service animals, but companions. Their presence enriches my life, and by extension, I would try to enrich theirs.
I appreciate the attempt of someone to help others develop a positive bond with their companion animal, but I would also like someone to have had some pretty extensive experience with birds prior to me investing my trust, time, and the lives of my birds. Just sayin'......

[Pajarita]

I don't teach my parrots any tricks but I do teach them a lot of stuff that helps human/parrot and parrot/parrot cohabiting. Only these things are not taught in any kind of formal session, they are taught the same way a parent teaches a child, namely, as they happen, you correct and, when it happens again, you again correct using the same words and the same reaction to their action. I guess this way takes much longer but then what they are taught is much more beneficial to them as well as much more complex because the same action, depending on when and where is performed can get a different response - and they all learn the difference! So, for example, although they all mean almost the same thing, they do know the difference between just a simple "NO", a "That's NOT yours!" or a "I'm watching you!" - as well as the "Go home!" versus the "Leave her/him alone!"

One of the problems I have with teaching them tricks is that I think that people who concentrate on this type of training actually disregard the depth of parrots intelligence and feelings and often end up giving up on a much closer as well as a more complex and rewarding relationship with them.

[shiraartain]

I think step up and return are key commands to know, they can be easily relearned with a different verbal trigger.

But teaching other tricks? Parrots behave differently with each person and pay close attention to body language, so there's no guarantee someone else would be able to replicate the same behaviour. If I say 'Lemon DOWN' in a calm tone he won't listen. If I say it in a stern tone, he sometimes listens. If I stand up after saying it, he usually listens. And if I visibly put my hand on the stick they have a fear of, he immediately evacuates (theyre afraid of it bc it's large...just to clarify).

On the other hand, say the word "cage" in Fajr's presence and he's gone and nips you instead of stepping up.

Or if I say anything in an angry tone to him, same reaction.If I say "I'm going to make birdie kabobs out of you~" in a sweet tone (usually after he poops on clothes I was about to leave in), he'll step right up.

So your bird can and will develop a bond with any decent owner once it's able to trust them and understand their body language. Tricks as a mechanism for when you're gone seem to be more self-justification or for the ease of any future owners.

[Wolf]

Been holding back on replying to this one just to see what sort of response other people would share with us.
The original article was in a Sidney newspaper so I am not very sure of the accuracy of any statement made in this copy of it, especially the use of the term " bird whisperer". I can't say whether the reporter decided to use it to make the story more interesting of if the guy calls himself a " bird whisperer". Nor do I trust the accuracy of any quotes attributed to the man, I have been interview by reporters in the past and I was always amazed at the variety of words that they seemed to put in my mouth, so to speak.

Most of us appear to share a common ground in that socializing our birds and teaching them the skills needed to co exist in our households as being the most important training that we can do for them, as well as that this type of training is secondary to winning their trust and establishing a bond. I personally think that this is wonderful as it allows the greatest leeway to develop a relationship that allows the bird to be itself.

I have worked and lived with several different types of animals in my lifetime and all of them develop their own relationship with each individual human that they interact with on a regular basis. Dogs seem to be willing to transfer most of their trust to whatever human they are in contact with if that person will feed and scratch them. Many other animals are not so trusting of humans and develop their own individual relationships to the humans that they interact with. And by this I mean that just because a bird will step up for one person it does not mean that it will for the next person and so on. Mimi, our Amazon does trust me, but she has a much better relationship with my Lady and would much prefer to interact with her than with me. Kookooloo, our Grey will not interact with anyone other than myself. What I am trying to say is that this is not a transferable thing, they bird develops its own relationship with a given human on an entirely individual basis. Or at least it seems so to me.

I don't really do any trick training at this time with any of my birds, I feel that with their all having come from situations that were less than ideal for them that they are just now beginning to relax and trust me enough that trick training is even a reasonable option. After close to 4 years they have let go of enough of the baggage that they came here with that they have really just settled in and are finally being comfortable with their new flock and living conditions.

I do think that trick training may have a place in our relationship, but I am not sure that I want to devote the time to it just yet. I can see where it could be beneficial to them just as a new way of interacting with me and as a means of additionally stimulating their intellect in such areas as problem solving, not that they are not creative enough in finding ways to amuse themselves by keeping me on my toes. I can see that it could help to deepen our relationship to some degree simply by being a new way to interact with each other.

On the other hand I also see most trick training to just be a self gratification type thing for humans, as in a way to show off the bird to get a pat on the back from other humans, See my bird, isn't it such a smart little birdie it is, look at what I can get it to do. That type of thing.

I think that trick training can be used either way. I can see how it can be beneficial to the bird, but I think that it is done mostly just for human gratification and for human praise and not for the birds benefit.

[Pajarita]

Yep, that's also my feeling. I don't see anything inherently wrong with teaching them tricks but when you get somebody who has had the bird one week and is posting saying that he can't get the bird to do a certain trick... well, I have to admit that it raises a huge red flag in my mind because it seems to me that this person wants a bird more for what I call the 'YouTube factor' than out of love for birds.

And yes, the whole thing is the opinion of a guy that either works or owns a pet store and charges for the Parrot Preschool classes so we are talking BIG conflict of interest.

[liz]

With Rambo the only trick between us is that he does the training.

Myrtle's only trick came from something she was already doing and increased when I helped. When shot she does not die like a normal bird who has been taught to play dead. When Myrtle is shot she plays injured and dying with all the sounds that would be involved with a human being shot and injured.

[Pajarita]

Well, Liz, I would say that Myrtle is the better actor then because it's much easier to drop dead than to have a long agony scene.