Category — parrot training

APDT Conference 2011- San Diego, CA

Many of you have asked about my trip to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers’ conference in San Diego in October.  It was fantastic!  Undoubtedly the highlight of my trip were the field studies at the San Diego Zoo and Sea World San Diego, especially since I work in multiple species and most of my clients live with more than one type of pet!  The trainers at these facilities were so gracious and endlessly patient in answering all of our questions about zoo animal training, husbandry, handling, and their education.  By the end of the trip to Sea World our entire group of dog trainers were all ready to ditch working with dogs and go straight to Orcas! (Not that that’s particularly likely … that water is COLD!)

And I have several videos as well:

First we met a cheetah.

Then, we met Daisy, the armadillo.

..And Tess, the sloth

And we talked with the marine mammal trainers, too.

And met Orchid the Orca

I can’t wait for the next conference!

And in addition (but making for less interesting video)  I learned all sorts of new and interesting dog training protocols, techniques, found some cool new equipment, met some brilliant animal trainers, and generated many, many new ideas which are already being integrated into my training of humans and animals!

The opportunity to receive continuing education in the very latest in animal training,  in such a hands-on, entertaining and integrative way, is so valuable in the dog training profession.  I’m very grateful for it.

Plus, I got my picture taken with Karen Pryor while simultaneously creating one of the most awkward, geeked-out fan moments of my career.  It was awesome.  The picture’s here on Facebook.

How to teach your pet to play Hide and Seek

Intelligent animals love games.  They also enjoy solving puzzles. Anyone who’s ever watched their dog work out how to open the cookie cupboard or their cockatoo how to open their cage door can attest to this.  I don’t think I’ve ever met a dog who didn’t enjoy playing Hide-and-Seek.  And as a bonus: I don’t think I’ve ever met a child (or child at heart) who didn’t love playing Hide-and-Seek with their dog.

This game can be modified slightly to be played with any animal who has learned to come when you call him (cats, bunnies, parrots).  You’ll just have to call the animal instead of relying on the animal to find you voluntarily.  But hey, then you’re practicing recalls, so that’s even better!

• Begin in your home, with two people and your dog (or dogs!) on a leash.  One person has a few yummy treats.  This person will be the “hider” first.  The other has the dog on the leash and no treats.
• The Hider steps away a few feet.  Stay close, and within plain sight.  We’ll start really, really, ridiculously easy at first.
  The person with the dog says, “where’s [insert name here]?” in an excited voice.  And waits.  And waits.
• Eventually the dog will get bored and go to the Hider to see if he’s any more interesesting.  “Hooray!” you both cheer, and the Hider feeds your dog several little pieces of treat in a row! Your dog thinks, “wow, that was cool!”
• Restart the game.  The Hider “hides” again, still VERY EASY and in plain sight, but perhaps he could step behind the sofa, or a few more feet away this round.
• Person with the leash: “where’s [name]??”  Dog will hesitate a bit, and again seek out the Hider to see if he can milk some treats.  “Hooray, you’re such a smart dog!!!” and several small pieces of treat from the Hider.
• Repeat, with GRADUALLY increasingly difficult hiding spots.  Don’t push it too fast, or your dog will feel he can’t “win” and give up.  At the same time, resist the urge to help your dog – let him figure it out!  He can do it, if you increase your difficulty slowly.  If you must help, have the Hider make a small noise, like a cough, to grab the dogs’ attention.
• Switch hiders.  Now that your dog understands the game, he can be taught to seek out other people, too.
• Take the game outside, to a fenced area, and repeat from the bottom (start easy, work to more difficult hides)
• Have fun, and be safe!

Hints: if you train with more than one dog, chances are one will do the actual seeking, and the rest will just follow for their treat.  That’s fine, but if it bugs you, you’ll have to teach each dog to play the game independently, then put them together.
Many times you can fade out the treat after a while – some dogs will play this game for the simple joy of it.  But if they lose enthusiasm, go back to rewarding with a treat or a toy.  You’re playing to have fun, remember?
Children love this game, but make sure your dog is comfortable with kids before you let them handle him or her.

Don’t get to 2nd base with your bird!

I know it sounds obvious, but it’s not. Probably 90% of the parrot behavior problems I address are due to hormonal behavior, often stimulated by their owner petting and cuddling them like a dog.  Cockatoos are especially susceptible because of their love of touch.  Improperly touching your bird can degrade your relationship and cause aggressive behavior, egg binding, territoriality, health problems, and general bad attitude. I’m not saying don’t touch your bird – that would be miserable for both of you – I’m saying do it properly!  Please email me to learn how to interact in a friendly, but appropriate way with your bird!

And if you don’t believe me, or if you want more information, have a look at this article from Barbara Heidenreich, world recognized zoo animal trainer gone parrot behavior consultant.

I didn’t just make that word up, I swear!  It’s a real term:

Researchers have coined the term contrafreeloading to describe the phenomenon that animals choose to perform a learned response to obtain reinforcers even when the same reinforcers are freely available. For example, given a choice between working for food and obtaining food for free, animals tend to choose to work, often quite hard, with a bowl of free food placed right next to them. This phenomenon has been replicated with rats, mice, chickens, pigeons, crows, cats, gerbils, Siamese fighting fish, and humans (Osborne, 1977); starlings (Inglis & Ferguson, 1986); Abyssinian ground hornbills and bare-faced currasows (Gilbert-Norton, 2003); and captive parrots (Colton, et al., 1997). There are several interesting hypotheses explaining why this phenomenon occurs. For example, contrafreeloading behavior may be motivated by innate foraging behaviors that are otherwise frustrated in captivity; animals may be engaging in information seeking behaviors as they work to predict the location of optimal food sources; or they may be responding to the additional reinforcement provided by stimulus changes when one works for food such as the sound of a hopper. (Friedman, 2005) [definition stolen shamelessly from Good Bird Inc here]

Incidentally, kudos to whoever coined the term for descriptiveness and sheer chutzpah.

Basically, there is a substantial amount of evidence that captive animals (including pets of all species) will literally choose to work for food instead of attain it for “free,” with no effort.

I know you’re thinking … What?

But it’s not so far-fetched.  Anyone with children will attest to the fact that they often prefer to perform the behavior of putting a dollar into a vending machine to receive a soda, even if the same soda is available for no effort at all in the same room.  Why?

Studies suggest that animals display this same behavior phenomenon too, and there are a few theories on why:

1) the studies in which this phenomenon was demonstrated were flawed; the food received for performing a behavior was different than the food offered for “free,” thus corrupting the results.  In my opinion, this may have been the case in some of the studies, but I’ve personally seen this phenomenon over and over in working with animals, so there has to be something more going on here.
2) “working” for food provides additional information to the animal about how to attain that food once the “free” food source runs out; thus it makes ethological sense to instinctively work for food that the animal could earn for free in the immediate future, but may become difficult to attain as time goes on.

3) it’s fun.  If it were possible to take a poll of zoo animals, pets, and other captive animals, I’d wager a bet that most of them suffer from chronic understimulation.  They will find a chance to use that powerful brain wherever they can.

4) It gives animals an outlet for natural behaviors that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to perform in captivity. It makes sense; any pet owner will tell you that dogs appear to love to scent, chase, and chew; parrots love to forage, chickens love to peck, rats love to explore, cats love to hunt, horses love to graze.  If they were given the choice between eating out of a bowl or performing an instinctive “job” to attain food, perhaps the additional intrinsic reinforcement of performing natural behaviors offers enough additional reinforcement to outweigh the lure of free nourishment.

I’ll let you make your own conclusions about this phenomenon; no one really knows why it happens, so your guess is as good as mine.

The moral of this story is, however: it is OKAY, even BENEFICIAL, to make your pet work for his or her food! Given the choice, they will often choose to do it themselves!  There are a variety of food-dispensing foraging and puzzle type toys made for dogs, cats, and parrots – invest in a couple and watch your pet bloom.  Present them with intellectual challenges that they can conquer with a little effort, and watch their enjoyment of working with you expand.  Take a Super Tricks! class and be amazed how quickly your dog can learn English.  Play some K9 Nose Work and watch your dog tap into that long-forgotten scenting/hunting instinct.  Teach your parrot to say phrases; teach your cat to jump through a hoop.  It’s enrichment, it’s healthy, it’s fun, and it’s bonding time between you and your pet.

If you have an idea for the Training Tidbit, just let me know!  What do you want to know?

Uncovering the mysteries of language using parrots and babies

Prosidy: A linguist’s term for “the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech … reflecting the emotional state of the speaker; the form of the utterance (statement, question, or command); the presence of irony or sarcasm; emphasis, contrast, and focus; or other elements of language that may not be encoded by grammar or choice of vocabulary.”  In other words, it’s gibberish that sounds exactly like conversation, but doesn’t actually contain words.

Many parrots who are just learning to talk, and some who are already skilled conversationalists, demonstrate prosidy.  We hear it in small children, as well.  Does this offer a hint as to how parrots learn? Is it similar to the way a human child learns, first imitating, then learning meanings and refining their speech skills?  My guess would be yes, but it’s just that – a guess.

Have a look at this article, and the links within it. Interesting stuff!

Training Tidbit for May 2011:

The difference between reinforcement and bribery

This comes up in training sessions ALL the time, usually brought up by someone who has been told by a well-meaning friend or professional that they are one and the same, and are now afraid that by using positive reinforcement to train they are going to “spoil” their pet.

…But, there is a difference, and it’s small, but very important!  We’ve all known pets who will “only do [insert behavior here] if he knows I have a treat!”  Well, here’s why.

Bribery is defined (by dictionary.com) as: to promise, offer, or give something, to procure services or gain influence; any persuasion or lure
Reinforcement is defined as: to reward an action or response of (a human or animal) so that it becomes more likely to occur again.

Now, let’s pretend I need you to clean my bathroom.

Scenario A: I offer a bribe to you as incentive for performing a desired behavior.  “See this $100 bill? I’ll give it to you if you clean my bathroom.”

Scenario B: I provide reinforcement to you after the behavior is offered.  “Oh my gosh, thanks for cleaning my bathroom! Here’s $100 – go buy yourself something nice!”

Sweet deal, right?  Now, let’s pretend a week goes by, and I ask you if you could clean my bathroom again. Think about it: what would your reaction be (Other than, “why can’t you clean your own bathroom?”)

Chances are, if you were in scenario A originally (the bribe) you would be thinking: “Wait a minute … last time she offered me $100 for this job! What gives?!”

If you were in scenario B, you might be thinking: “Oooh, maybe she’ll surprise me with a gift again!  Heck yeah I’ll clean your bathroom!”

Now, let’s pretend that you are a nice person and do chores for me all the time, and every once in a while I surprise you with $100 for doing a good job.

How are you going to feel about doing me a favor?  Pretty positive, right?

How are you going to feel toward me, as a friend?

How would you feel if every time I wanted you to do something, I dangled that $100 in front of you?  What kind of quality work would you do for me? How would you feel about me, as a friend?

This is what we’re doing to our animals when we’re training them.  If you routinely bribe your pet, they are smart enough to look to see if you have the payment in your hand before performing the desired behavior.  (He only comes when he knows I have a treat!)

An animal who has been unexpectedly reinforced with something wonderful, however, will be willing to perform all sorts of behaviors to earn their “paycheck” without checking to see if it’s in your hand first.  They trust that at some point, it’s coming.

Bribery is not necessarily a horrible thing; it gets the job done sometimes.  It can also help an animal to understand what you want; luring an animal is a form of bribery.  But, it’s not the best option because of the unintended side effects, and so we want to fade it as fast as possible.

This is certainly an oversimplified explanation, but hopefully it makes things a little clearer, and helps you to avoid the pitfalls of “bargaining” with your pet!  Bribing an animal to behave is very different than rewarding good behavior!

If you have an idea for the Training Tidbit, just let me know!

Penguin tickling: the latest almost-fatal dose of CUTE going around the internet.

Don’t we all shriek a little when we’re tickled?

*Once again, the behavior nerd in me has to add: this penguin is not actually “ticklish.”  Can anyone guess what little Cookie is really doing?

If you give up, click here for the answer.

When a bird is socialized to live with humans, it happens.  It happens to our pet parrots, too, and can lead to behavior and health problems. However, it is fixable if you learn how to interact properly with your little feathered buddy.  Ask me if you need help avoiding this type of relationship with your pet bird.

Training Tidbit – April 2011

The Golden Rule of animal training: Don’t ever, ever call your pet to you (or ask your bird to step up) then punish them.  Animals are not stupid; they learn by association and consequences, and if there is an unwanted consequence for coming to you, they will be reluctant to do it again!  Especially if you do this more than once.

You’ll also have to consider what your pet views as a “punishment.”  Sure, a time-out, scolding, or taking something away from them (GIVE me back my sock, you bad dog!) is obviously a punishment.  But, look at it from your pet’s perspective.  If your dog loves playing in the park, clipping on the leash and going home is a punishment.  If he doesn’t like go outside in the rain, putting him out to potty in the rain will be a punishment.  If your bird hates getting a shower, that is a punishment.  If your cat hates going in her carrier, that is a punishment.  Look at it from your pet’s perspective.  Is it a consequence they’d enjoy, or one they’d dislike?

If you need to do one of these despised things to your pet, you have several options:
1. Call me for a private lesson. I will teach you how to help your pet enjoy these things; then there will be no worries about accidentally punishing them!
2. Go get your pet.  This is why dogs wear collars.   If you have a parrot or a cat, good luck with that.  (see option 1 above!)
3. Bribe.  This is not our favorite option, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures, and it’s better than ruining your recall (or step-up). And don’t use your recall word!  Just show the animal what you’ve got, then wait for them to approach.

The bottom line: no matter how much you want to throttle your little friend, reinforce the behavior of coming to you.  This will make he behavior likely to happen again when you need it most.  Then change your pet’s environment or training so that your dog can’t steal your sock, your parrot can’t harass your cat, the cat loves going in her carrier, etc.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results!

Next month we will discuss the difference between reinforcement and bribery (there’s a big one!)  and why we prefer one over the other.

If you have an idea for the Training Tidbit, just let me know!

My Parrot is Screaming!

Excessive vocalization is one of the most common complaints parrot guardians have.  Unfortunately for our ears (and our neighbors!), even happy, healthy parrots can be very loud.  Screaming seems to be self-reinforcing for pet parrots.  Wondering whether the level of bird noise in your household is normal or not, and how to modify it?  Here is a quick, but by no means comprehensive, outline:

Normal vocalizations:

• Commonly heard around dawn and dusk, or at a certain time of day for usually about 20 minutes or so.
• Contact calls are loud, repetitive calls with a pause in between, as though the bird is listening for a response. They’re naturally used by parrots to locate flock members who may be miles away.  It’s generally advisable to call or whistle back to your parrot to reassure him that you’re OK.
• Screaming can be a common response to fearful stimuli; an alarm call generally sounds very different from other calls.  Remove what is scaring the bird or contact me to get help with desensitization and counter conditioning.
• Vocalizations commonly escalate when the ambient noise in the room escalates; birdie see, birdie do!  Turn down the television or whisper when you’re talking, and the bird may become quieter, too.

Abnormal vocalizations (these require behavioral intervention ASAP):

• Boredom screaming can be repetitive, mindless, unending calls over a long period of time – this type of behavior is called a stereotypy, and is similar to dogs barking mindlessly in the backyard all day
• Fear and separation anxiety: screams can be desperate-sounding, perhaps prompted by you leaving the room (more severe than a contact call)
• Attention seeking screaming often accompanied by body language that reveals this screaming for what it is.  Often accidentally reinforced by the humans, by telling the bird to shut up!

To make the overall noise level of a healthy, well adjusted parrot go down:

• Make sure your bird is healthy and is having its needs met by visiting your avian veterinarian. Ill birds or those who need something (ex. A better diet, more stimulation, training) may exhibit more excessive vocalization. There’s no point in trying to correct a medical or husbandry problem with behavioral intervention.
• Reward/reinforce, with a tiny treat, toy, or attention, good vocalizations (which in this case is anything and everything that doesn’t hurt your ears) – these should increase over days or weeks, gradually taking the place of unwanted vocalizations.
• Do NOT punish your bird for screaming.  This can make screaming worse – especially if it is anxiety-based – not to mention break the trust your little prey-animal friend has in you.
• Increase enrichment activities: foraging for hidden food and special toys, “field trips” outside in a harness or carrier, interactive play, destructible toys, showers or baths, physical exercise on a playgym, etc.
• Start some trick training: even teaching silly tricks gives your bird something to focus on that has nothing to do with screaming, reinforces your parrot for appropriate behavior, and teaches appropriate attention-seeking methods.  It also provides enrichment.  Besides, who wants to tick off the person with the treats?
• Make sure your bird is getting a good 12 hours of dark, quiet, uninterrupted sleep per night.  Many species live near the equator, where this is naturally what they would get.  Inadequate sleep is a very good way to create an irritable, frustrated, immune-compromised bird.

• Seek professional assistance!  Even the best tennis player in the world has a coach; there is no shame in asking for help.