Tips&Instructions - How To Train Your Parrot

[churchill]

The most important thing that you have to accomplish before you begin to train your parrot is to earn his trust. If you want to succeed in the training process, you must to have a good relation of trust and love with your parrot.

• Only one person should be involved in the training process.
• When you want to teach your parrot find a place without distractions, for you and for your parrot. You should find a quiet room, with a clean work area and the perfect situation is when the parrot is in the same height as you. (During the lessons I use a high perch and stand, or on a high desk while I'm sitting).
• Be PATIENCE! Don't expect your parrot to succeed at the first time. If you are tired, or you don't think that you have enough power don't even get started the practice session. Getting frustrated will only give you the opposite outcome of what you wanted.
• Any training session should take about 10-20 minutes. If the parrot lost his concentration or interest DO NOT force him to continue. The parrot should see the training as something fun and enjoying - training should make your connection better! so don't break his spirit, continue the training later...
• I believe in only one training method - positive reinforcement. Don't shout at your parrot or punish him! You should reward him for every wanted action that he has done. Find your parrot favorite food and take it out from his diet, now this food will be his treat, he'll get it as a bonus for something good he will do. The way that works the best for me is this one: the main food in the parrot diet is special pellets for parrots (I use nutribird), veggies and a bit of fruits. As a treat for the training I use sunflower seeds or nuts.
• Try to use a training clicker (the one that usually used for dogs training) it works great!
• When you select a word for the order, its better if it will be short.

Now, for some practical instructions:

TURN A ROUND
Take the treat of your parrot and make sure he noticed. Now, pronounce the order you chose (turn, spin, turn a round...) and move your hand around his head. The parrot will follow you, but some parrot will not complete the turning, so according to your bird, at half a turn (180) or a complete turn (360) give him the treat and praise him (and/or click, if you have a clicker).
Repeat this process several times until your parrot know how to do it. After a while it is recommended that you will stop moving your hand around him (it was only for the teaching) and if you want make a small gesture of sppining.

Here is a clip that demonstrate the training:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQjWCFxwdBg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQjWCFxwdBg[/ame]

And this is a clip of the outcome: (it was taken three days after the first training session):
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR_3HuQKwRE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR_3HuQKwRE[/ame]

Flip

A trick that the training process is very similar to turn-a-round.

• Step one: Place the parrot on your finger, hand or a perch. Hold the treat in front of the parrot and as you move it downward pronounce the order word ("flip" etc). The parrot should go down, toward the desired treat. When the parrot hang upside down, give him the treat and praise him.

This should be the result of step one:
(sometimes Churchill's treat is accompanied with a scratch )

​

• Step two: as in step one, but this time you should complete the movement, meaning to move also upward, complete the circle around the finger/hand/perch. When the parrot follow your movement and perform a whole perfect flip (role) give him the treat and praise him.
• Step three: after you have repeated step two several times and your parrot performing it as wanted, it is recommended to stop with the hand movement and using only the order and a small gesture.

Several pictures demonstrating the training process:

Click this bar to view the full image.

A short clip of Churchill performing a flip:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXCcR2QKog4"]YouTube - ‫?'??'?? ????‬‎[/ame]


I hope that this will help you!
If you managed to do teach your parrot show us!



(Later when I'll find more time I'll explain how to practically teach more tricks)

 

[wildheart]

Thank you very much and you make it look so easy! Now, if I can just get my girl to sit still then I am going to start.

I would love to see more and more!

You dont use a clicker?

 

[churchill]

1. you just need some time and patience and you will do it. when i began with churchill he was realy young and hyperactive and didn't stop to move, but as you can see now he know a lot of tricks.
2. i am using a training clicker and in most of my vids you can hear it. (check my cahnnel: YouTube - OMParrot's Channel or here, where i post the best of the vids: http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/6309-churchill-my-sun-conure-tricks.html#post49381)

 

[Spiritbird]

Very nice. You are a good bird whisperer and trainer. They are much the same.

 

[JawzX]

thanks! It's great to see those step-by-step instructions and videos! I've got baby well recall trained, but I havn't really tried any "fancy" tricks beyond a session... I may have to start again now that you've made it look so easy

 

[antoinette]

Thanks you so much Ori, I can't wait to start later on tonight
You make it sound so easy and simple, and it looks so easy and simple.
I am going to try the flip, but done properly this time on command.
Mishka usually flips like that, when it's her bedtime.
All I have to say to her is nightie nightie and she flips.
I guess we share the same "bird brain"

 

[wildheart]

1. you just need some time and patience and you will do it. when i began with churchill he was realy young and hyperactive and didn't stop to move, but as you can see now he know a lot of tricks.

I started last night and I succeeded in keeping my girls attention for a full 40 seconds. After that she started flapping and flapping - flying somewhere that does not exist. I guess she is going to take A LOOOOOOONG time! But fortunately I have ALL the patience in the world with her.

She is +/- 4 years old.

 

[antoinette]

1. you just need some time and patience and you will do it. when i began with churchill he was realy young and hyperactive and didn't stop to move, but as you can see now he know a lot of tricks.

I started last night and I succeeded in keeping my girls attention for a full 40 seconds. After that she started flapping and flapping - flying somewhere that does not exist. I guess she is going to take A LOOOOOOONG time! But fortunately I have ALL the patience in the world with her.

She is +/- 4 years old.

Linky you had more 35 more successful seconds than Mishka and I

She only turned once, not even for a treat.
I tempted her with treats etc. NOTHING
Then I told her nightie nightie and guess what, she flipped,
AND THE WRONG WAY AROUND