Continued from page 1Commands #3 & #4
Command #3 is 'No and I don't think anyone needs any explanation of this one -- heaven knows we all use it with varying degrees of success! However, the human companion will be delighted to find that this word gains tremendous potency when a parrot is properly trained. After all, when your boss says No, you listen! The fourth and last command is Okay and I really like this one. This is the command you use when your bird is going to do something no matter what you do -- so you say ''Okay" and it becomes YOUR idea, NOT the bird's. For example, the bird is on your hand but obviously really wants to go to your spouse -- so you say ''Okay'' and your spouse says ''Up''. And again, the decision becomes yours, NOT the parrot'sÉ.which is the whole point.
Lesson Time and Place....
To teach these commands, you only need a neutral room and a neutral perch.
In this situation, ''neutral'' is defined as something the parrot does not already consider to be his own property, such as his cage or his jungle gym. To attempt to teach commands with the parrot sitting on what he considers to be HIS turf is an exercise in futility. We humans tend to underestimate just how territorial a bird can be, and learning this can be a painful lesson. Just remember that propagation of the species is the prime directive for any animal, and protection of one's nest falls under that heading. The subject of cage territoriality is a very important one, and it will be addressed at length in a future column.
Lessons should be given once or twice a day for no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. If done more than once, they should be several hours apart. You should make sure you are relaxed before you begin, or it is guaranteed the lesson will not go well. Parrots are incredibly empathic creatures that often mirror our moods -- so if you start a lesson in an angry or aggressive mood, for example, don't be surprised if you get bitten! Smile, be patient, and always end the lesson on a positive note.
Be Mod Philosophy
The concept of behavior modification is quite simple -- to give positive reinforcement for good behaviors and to (and this is the hard part) ignore bad behaviors. So when the parrot follows a command, smile at him and/or tell him he is wonderful. When he does not, ignore the transgression and simply repeat the command, pushing gently but firmly at his legs or lower chest. Say the command clearly and decisively, like you expect the parrot to do as you say. If you don't really expect him to behave, he probably won't.
Always remember that parrots prefer to step up than down, so hold your hand a little above the perch for an Up command, and slightly below for a Down. Your hand position is also important -- hold it as if you are going to shake hands, except that the hand is held parallel to the perch on which the bird is sitting. Your elbow is bent and held close to your waist so there is no clear, inviting pathway to your shoulder.
And while you are teaching your parrot to step up onto your hand, take a few extra minutes and also teach him/her to step onto a hand-held perch on command, also. This will come in handy later, especially with headstrong birds like amazons, who can become quite aggressive during spring nesting behavior. An amazon in full display (neck feathers up, tail feathers fanned, eyes dilating madly), is an animal better handled with a perch -- your healing time will be greatly diminished. This trick will also come in handy if you have an inexperienced bird handler baby-sitting when you're out of town. Inexperienced people are often much less afraid of parrots if they don't have to get the bird to step directly onto their hand, so your feathered friend will have a better chance at getting out-of-cage time if heÕs perch trained.
To Shoulder Or Not To Shoulder...
The subject of shouldering is NOT a controversial one. Every parrot behavior consultant I know agrees that the owner who allows a bird to shoulder is an owner who is asking for trouble. Forget the pirate movies you watched as a child -- allowing a parrot on your shoulder is ASKING FOR TROUBLE. Yes, it is convenient, and yes, most people think it is cool... but be very aware of exactly what you are accomplishing by doing this. By allowing a parrot on your shoulder you are putting him above eye level. When you put a companion parrot above eye level, you are giving him the nonverbal information that HE OUTRANKS YOU. Consequently, all your little training sessions might very well be a waste of time -- they will not negate the parrot's belief that you are subservient to him (after all, that's what you TOLD him!).
The second critical thing you accomplish by allowing a bird to shoulder is that you have exposed a tremendously vulnerable part of your anatomy to that beak. After twenty years as a veterinary technician, I have plenty of scars in a variety of places and frankly, scars generally don't concern me. If I cared about getting scars, I would've found an easier way to make a living! But from personal experience, I can tell you that being bitten in the face is a completely different story. Even without the danger of loss of an eye or other permanent disfigurement, being bitten in the face can have a permanent negative effect on your relationship with your parrot. Psychologically, it can take a long time, IF EVER, that you will learn to trust the bird again. It is simply not worth risking permanent damage to your relationship -- as well as your anatomy.
And even if you don't care about the potential of losing a nose, ear or eye, I wish to point out one more thing: forgetting a bird is on your shoulder and walking outside with it is one of the most common ways people have lost parrots -- especially if you haven't been paying attention and the bird's wings are starting to grow out.
Conclusion
From my experience, if you follow these guidelines and use these commands clearly and consistently, life with your parrot should improve immensely. You must be patient, though -- habits can be hard to break, both for your parrot and you.
It took time for your parrot to learn the behaviors he exhibits and it will take time for him to change. But more importantly, it will take time for you to remember to be consistent with the commands, and until you are consistent you cannot expect much change in the behaviors of your feathered friend. But believe me, it is well worth the time and effort for years of enjoyable cohabitation with that amazing little life form called a parrot.
| Liz Wilson | About Liz Wilson |
Published by permission of the author.
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