PROBLEM SOLVER
REWARD
ALWAYS REWARD YOUR BIRD FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR, FOOD IS NOT THE ONLY POSSIBLE REWARD THAT WILL MOTIVATE A COMPANION PARROT. MANY PARROTS ENJOY ATTENTION, AFFECTION, AND PRAISE, AND THOSE ACTIONS MAKE EFFECTIVE REWARDS.
IGNORE BAD BEHAVIOR AND REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOUR.
IF YOU WANT A BEHAVIOUR TO GO AWAY, DONT REINFORCE IT. IF YOU WANT A BEHAVIOUR TO CONTINUE, REINFORCE IT. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE COMMON SENCE, HOWEVER IT IS ASTONISHING HOW EASY IT IS TO FORGET THIS SIMPLE CONCEPT.
WHENEVER YOU WANT YOUR BIRD TO PREFORM A BEHAVIOR, YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF, "DOES MY PARROT WANT TO DO THIS" IF YOU ARE USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, YOUR PARROT WILL USUALLY BE EAGER TO PREFORM.
PARROTS ARE MESSY EATERS.
IN THE HOME OR IN THE FORREST, PARROTS ARE MESSY EATERS. A PARROT OWNER MUST COME TO ACCEPT THIS MESS AS PART OF LIFE WITH THEIR PET.
A TYPICAL DAY FOR A PARROT.
Parrots usually forage from 6am to 9am they can be more vocal first thing in the morning. They like to rest during the afternoon, this state of rest can be very deep. They tend to become vocal and active again late afternoon and feed again anywhere from 4pm to 7pm. They can be vocal and active again one more time before roosting for the night. when parrots begin to roost they grind their beaks, we can actually hear this, and dont worry its perfectly normal for parrots to do this. Many parrots sleep on one leg, again this is normal and in fact the sign of a very healthy bird.
PREENING
Paired parrots engage in frequent bouts of mutual preening, called allopreening. Companion parrots often look to their owners to provide this kind of attention. Parrots sometimes become ill when deprived of normal social interactions. During preening parrots attempt copulation with their owners which is always unsuccessful. theycan beg for food from their owners by bobbing their heads, they can often try to feed their owners by regurgitating their food ( a sign of true love) they can become frustrated and sometimes masterbate (sorry but it is what it is)..lol
your parrot may expect you to preen its head, in the areas it just can reach itself, and it may even try to return that favour by preening your hair and even eyebrows and eye lashes, please be careful in the eye area, as even the gentlest of birds can be clumbsy or even get over excited. a great amount of long term trust needs to be gained, before allowing your parrot to preen your eye area.
TOILET OR POTTY TRAINING.
THER ARE MANY WAYS TO TEACH A BIRD TO POOP WHERE YOU WISH IT TO POOP, HOWEVER I THINK THIS METHORD WORKS THE BEST. FOR MANY YEARS WE WERE TOLD TO COMMAND THE BIRD TO GO TO POOP, BUT THEY THEN FOUND THAT LOYAL PARROTS AS THEY ARE, WOULD SIMPLY SIT IN WAIT ALL DAY LONG HOLDING IT ALL IN UNTIL ITS OWNER CAME HOME TO COMMAND IT TO GO POOP. THIS PROVED TO BE A VERY BAD THING FOR A BIRD TO DO, WHICH COULD LEAD TO INTERNAL ORGAN DAMAGE OVER LONG TERM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THIS SIMPLE METHORD A GO, YOU MAY BE VERY SUPPRISED HOW EASY IT ACTUALLY IS.
WAIT UNTIL YOUR BIRD IS OUT OF THE CAGE, AND SIMPLY TAKE NOTE OF WHEN IT DOES ITS NEXT POOP. IF ITS POOPED LOOK AT THE TIME AND TIME HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN UNTIL ITS NEXT POOP E.G. IF IT POOPS AT 4PM AND AGAIN AT 4.15PM, THEN ITS POOPING ON AN AVARAGE OF EVERY 15 MINS, NOW TIME IT FROM 4.15PM, BUT THIS TIME TAKE THE BIRD ON YOUR ARM OVER TO THE TOP OF ITS CAGE AT EXACTLY 4.14PM, AND SIMPLY WAIT, DONT SAY ANYTHING, DONT COMMAND IT TO GO, JUST WAIT. HOPEFULLY AT AROUND 4.15 YOUR BIRD SHOULD DO ITS THIRD POOP. ONLY THIS TIME ITS DONE IT OVER THE CAGE TOP TO THE CAGE BOTTOM. IF IT WORKS STRAIGHT AWAY, THEN PRAISE YOUR BIRD, EVEN TREAT IT ALSO, BUT MAKE SURE IT KNOWS YOU ARE VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT AND WHERE ITS DONE IT. DONT WORRY IF ITS ALL OVER THE PLACE TO BEGIN WITH, SOME TAKE LONGER THAN OTHERS, AND SOME WILL NOT POOP WHILST ON THEIR OWNERS ARM. IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN PLACE THE BIRD DOWN ON THE CAGE TOP TO POOP. IN TIME ANY BIRD CAN BE TAUGHT THIS, BUT YOU MUST KEEP UP THE PRACTICE IF ITS TO BE A SLOW LEARNER. LASTLY, THE REASON FOR THE CAGE TOP WITHOUT COMMAND, IS SO WHEN THE BIRD IS ALONE, IT WILL SEE NO DIFFERENCE FROM POOPING ONTO THE CAGE FLOOR AS NORMAL, OR THROUGH THE CAGE TOP WHEN YOU ARE HOME, REMEMBERING THAT YOUR BIRD CAN NOT LET ITSELF OUT TO POOP, SO WITHOUT COMMANDS, IT WONT HOLD IT IN UNTIL IT CAN COME OUT, AND WILL SEE THE CAGE BOTTOM AS THE PREFERED TARGET.
GOOD LUCK
TRACY-ANN X