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2:56 p.m. 2012-04-15
Peachfront's Note: This post is used by permission from Meg at A Parrot for Keeps, which is jam-packed with great information for parrots of all kinds, not just Peachfront Conures. This piece is an excerpt from her post on Tuesday, March 13, Please and Thank You, which offers some brilliant insights on interacting with your pet parrot in a positive way. So take it away, Meg...
Whenever you go to interact in any way with your parrot, stop first and see what they are doing, ie, their behavior. If you want to encourage that behavior, such as playing alone, then go ahead and greet your parrot and continue with whatever you planned to do. More important than ignoring the bad is praising the good. Even for birds that have no glaring issues this is extremely important. How else will they know what you want? Even more than talking and doing tricks, a parrot that plays well on its own, is not overly loud, is friendly, and eats a varied diet is highly desired. So why just praise the talking and tricks? Praise the little stuff, since a parrot that does not wave on cue can still live in harmony with you, but a parrot that does not play? Not so much.
Going further, whenever I can, I will ask for a behavior before giving attention or food. In fact, many of you likely already do this by asking your parrot to step-up. Any time you request a simple behavior which they already can do before giving them what they want, ie attention, is a step in the right direction. Not only does this empower your parrot by allowing them the opportunity to shine (or not, if they choose), but it also gets both you and your parrot in the training mode. If you have a parrot that does not really like new toys, and you get them to beak a toy before picking them up, then the toy soon becomes associated with you and fun. Just as important, the idea that certain behaviors are rewarded is instilled at the same time, so if you choose several little things you can do throughout the day, your parrot will not only learn them, but also be on the lookout for new ones.
And last bit of advice on this subject? If you ask for said behavior (assuming they do indeed know the behavior), like step-up or as per my example beak the toy, and it is not given, you need to walk away. Really. Just walk away. I know you want to play with them, but you will send mixed messages by going ahead with that now. Once a behavior is asked for, if the request is refused, then giving in will weaken that request greatly. If you are consistent, you will very quickly find the only time you are refused is when your parrot genuinely does not want to play. And that means you now have two-way communication. In the words of that infamous ad campaign… priceless.
………by Meg, "with help from Linus"
Peachfront's Postscript: I just love the timely reminder that we need to reinforce small behaviors that we like, such as a parrot's ability to play quietly and to step up, not just the big splashy behaviors like talking or fancy tricks. Have you praised your Peachfront for its sweet behavior today? You know, it's amazing just how much more pleasant it is to handle a parrot, even a small guy like a Peachfront, who knows how to "step up." A Parrot For Keeps goes back to 2008, with lots of stories about rescues, success with fostering and adoption, great diet and health stuff, and plenty more, so I recommend that you check it out.
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