FAQ: Parrot Training
Do you guarantee your parrot training?
Curious? Have a question? Email me and ask!
No. Be wary of trainers who guarantee parrot training results. Behavior is fluid and ever changing, and your bird is not a feathered computer that can be reprogrammed – it is a living, breathing thing with desires and feelings of his or her own. The success of any parrot training program depends on many factors, many of which can’t be ethically placed under a guarantee. I am dedicated to a better approach to training.
What I can, and do, guarantee:
- a commitment to the latest and most sound methods offered by the scientific community, including ongoing continuing education
- a commitment to humane, gentle and fun training
- Customized training plans that fit your lifestyle
- A kind, gentle and productive professional relationship (meaning that I will treat you, the human, with the same kindness, understanding and respect with which I treat your pets.)
Is my parrot too old to train?
There’s no such thing! Parrots are considered to be extremely intelligent, and like any intelligent animal, are capable of adapting learning throughout life. Sometimes learning new habits or behaviors can improve an older parrot’s quality of life (and yours, sometimes) immensely. The outcome of any parrot training program depends on many factors, none of which include age.
Does dominance theory apply to parrots? (Is it true that he should never be allowed higher than my head?)
In a word, no! There is no corroborating evidence from behaviorists, biologists, or ornithologists that parrots have any such linear social structure in the wild! Have a look at Dr. Susan Friedman’s article on dominance theory and other potentially damaging parrot training myths here: Straight Talk article
Why does my parrot BITE??
Birds bite for many reasons, among them: fear, frustration, territorial behavior, hormones, play, and because they’ve learned it works – for a bird in a human world, it’s often the only effective behavior when nothing else works. Birds generally do NOT deliver injuring bites to flock members in the wild, except in very specific and rare circumstances – this is an entirely human problem! The pressure of a parrot’s beak can range from extremely gentle (preening or gentle playing behavior) to bruising, to (depending on the size of the bird) bone-crushing, and its important to have a realistic definition of what is appropriate beak touching and what is not. Often people are worried that their baby parrot will become a “biter” because he beaks them gently on their hands or face, or grabs their skin, hair or lips gently – not so at all! Think of your bird’s beak and tongue like a hand – they will touch and explore things with it, and preen you affectionately with it; this is normal. It is only a problem when the pressure begins to hurt – that’s when you need some parrot training lessons! Parrots really can learn bite inhibition.
Parrots do not really bite for no reason; there is always a reason to the bird! It is extremely important to learn to read your parrot’s body language like an expert so that you can a) respect what he’s telling you and b) back off when you see a bite coming!
Biting behavior is something that can be very much improved or even corrected by training, proper husbandry, and behavior modification. Please come talk to me about this problem!
Why does my parrot SCREAM?
Because somehow, it’s meeting a need of hers. Screaming seems to be intrinsically reinforcing to parrots (read: it’s fun). Beyond that, each bird is an individual. Asking why a parrot screams is a lot like asking why a dog barks – there can be many different reasons, or more than one! Some of the more common ones include: boredom, happiness, fear, to locate a flock member, illness, frustration, and hormonal behaviors. Some amount of vocalization in a bird is normal, and a sign that she’s happy – particularly around dawn and dusk. Some species tend to be louder than others, although again, each bird is an individual. If you feel your feathered friend is screaming excessively (or if your neighbors are complaining), please contact me so that I can help you change that!
My budgie (or parakeet) or cockatiel isn’t really a parrot, is he?
Yes he is! He is a member of the Psittaciform order, and he shares the same defining characteristics of his “family” members – a curved beak and zygodactyl feet (two toes pointing forward, two pointing back). And, just because he’s small doesn’t mean he isn’t smart – my own cockatiel rivals my Amazons in problem solving ability, and a budgie named Puck holds the world record for largest vocabulary of any bird (1,728 words)!
