Only young parrots can be trained. Indeed, the easiest way to educate a parrot is if it is young and has not spent long among other parrots, because. he quickly gets used to his "compatriots". But if you deal with the bird consistently, then the results will be. Yes, young birds are indeed more capable of learning. But if we draw an analogy with people, we can say the same thing: as children, we more easily absorb any information than at a more mature age. Birds are the same.

There is also an opinion that Boy parrots are easier to train than girls.. This is partly true, but if desired, even the most “arrogant” parrot girl will succumb to competent education.

Parrot girls cannot be taught to talk. In this case, everything depends only on the efforts that the owners make for training. Many simply “give up”, not getting the result immediately after the start of training. But any upbringing requires a certain endurance, strength and knowledge.

Only women can teach a parrot to speak. Many argue this opinion with the specifics of the timbre of the voice - maybe there is something in this, but parrots learn from those who speak with them more often and more.

It is impossible not to notice that some parrots are a kind of reflection of the owners, and the more harmonious the atmosphere in the house, the more they love the parrot, the faster and easier it learns. And absolutely everything that you invest in your pet, you will receive as a result.

How to properly tame a parrot

In order to properly tame a parrot, you need to follow a few simple tips:

To withstand the period of adaptation of the bird in the house. When a budgerigar enters a new environment, it becomes stressed. Some sit in a cage and do not chirp, some do not eat at all, and someone completely refuses water. So the bird is sad for the old environment. At this stage, you need to show maximum love for your bird: constantly change food, water, clean the cage, talk to it in an affectionate tone.

At the second stage, the parrot can be tamed. To do this, the bird must develop a certain level of trust in the owners. This is most often done with food. If the parrot does not fly out of the cage and does not go into your arms, you can slowly feed the bird from your hands. This stage may take more than one day, so it is important to do it systematically.

When the bird is accustomed to its owners, you can already teach it to speak. The most important thing here is to do everything gradually: start with the most simple words, and over time, when the parrot masters them, you can teach whole sentences.

It is important to remember that the most trainable parrot is the hungry parrot. If you encourage a bird for any of its results with something tasty (vegetables, fruits, bread with sugar, etc.), it will be more willing and faster to learn.

One of the most beloved pet birds are budgerigars. How to tame these cute creatures so that they become true friends of all households for many years? There are several rules for communicating with budgerigars that will help your pet feel trust in people.

Pet selection

Like any other pets, these birds do not immediately get used to the hands. The owner needs to be patient so that his budgerigars begin to trust him. It will take quite a long time to tame. Young budgerigars are best trained. How to tame such a bird? First of all, it is necessary to establish contact between the owner and the pet. Most often, this takes several weeks.

The taming of budgerigars begins from the moment of choosing and acquiring a pet. At the same time, there is one unshakable rule - the younger the bird, the easier it is to find contact with it and the easier it will be trained. That is why it is best to acquire chicks before 5 months of age. Older budgerigars are more difficult to get used to hands. Although with perseverance and desire, it is possible to raise an adult bird, but this may take more than one month.

It is better to choose your pet from the breeders of these birds, and not at the pet store. Parrots, which are on display in cramped cages, are in a state of constant stress. They will be much more difficult to tame.

Weaning from the pack

It is believed that the longer these birds are with their own kind, the more wild they will be in relation to people. This is partly correct. But there are also exceptions to the rule. For some people, taming budgerigars is easy even with several pets at once. The main thing at the same time is to give them a lot of attention and love, so that each of them enjoys communicating with his master. And for this it is necessary to regularly release the birds from the cage and communicate with them more often. Budgerigars, which are tamed by hand from time to time, will not get used to the owner for a very long time. In this case, there are problems when, having released the pet from the cage, the owner then simply cannot drive it back.

Although it is possible to keep several tame parrots at once, it is better to start with the acquisition of one chick. In this case, it will take only 3-4 weeks to train him, subject to daily communication with the pet.

Adult budgerigars

How to tame already grown birds? If before the start of training such a parrot lived in normal conditions, but did not communicate much with people, he will just need to pay a lot of attention and communicate with him daily for at least an hour. In the case when the parrot was abused before you, there is very little chance of taming it. Such birds will almost always be afraid of human hands and may even bite when trying to touch him. Of course, if you devote a lot of time to communicating with such a pet every day, then love and affection can change the parrot's attitude towards people. The main thing is to remember that with such birds you need to be as caring as possible, do not make sudden movements and do not raise your voice. This behavior can be very frightening to them.

Domestication of little chicks

In conscientious breeders, parrots get used to the hands of their owners from a very young age. They deliberately regularly take the chicks in the palm of their hands, not only for inspection, but also so that in the future they can be safely placed in other cages. Such birds, once in a new home, can literally become your true friends from the very first days. Manual budgerigar chicks differ from wilder ones in their behavior. So, when buying a bird, you can immediately determine which of them is the most calm and trusting. She can easily be picked up from the cage. It is these chicks that you need to choose.

What is necessary for a bird

Where will budgerigars live in your home? How to tame birds to the hands in the most as soon as possible? The solution of these issues must begin even before the purchase of pets. Such a bird should live in a cage specially equipped for it. It should be all thought out to the smallest detail. The cage needs wooden perches, a feeder and a drinker. This minimum set should already be at the time of purchase of the bird. For several days, the parrot should be in such a cage in order to adapt and quarantine. Only when he gets used to his new home, you can start taming him. In the process of further education of the parrot, it will be possible to buy special toys for him: a swing, bells, a mirror, etc.

The path from the seller to the new home is better for the bird to do in a specially prepared carrier, and not in a cage. For this, a small cardboard box with holes drilled in it for ventilation. The carrier is brought to the open door of the cage, and the bird moves to its new home on its own.

Separately, I would like to remind all owners of poultry that they can be released only in those rooms in which there is no possibility for a parrot to fly out a window or door to the street. There should be mosquito nets on the windows, because by negligence it is easy to lose your beloved pet.

Parrot adaptation to new housing

After the new pet enters its home, it is necessary to give it time to familiarize itself with the environment. The first 1-2 days the parrot stays in your house, you should not disturb him so that he calms down and begins to study everything that is happening around. The cage should be placed in a cozy quiet place where the movement of household members past it will be minimal.

Many people think about how to tame a parrot in their hands in the first days of his stay in the house. In fact, you shouldn't force things. It is necessary to give the new tenant to get used to the house and to the people present in it. On the second day, you need to carefully change the pet's water and food. The paper covering the pallet can be changed after 2-3 days so that the parrot is not afraid of its rustling. Just do not use newspapers and magazines that use toxic ink in their production. Any manipulations should be accompanied by affectionate words addressed to the parrot.

At first, the bird may be in a state of stress due to a change in the usual environment and separation from relatives. Usually she sits, ruffled, and does not eat well. In 1-2 days, a healthy parrot's behavior should change to a more active one. During the period of adaptation of the bird to a new environment, which can last several days, it is best not to impose your company on it.

First steps in parenting

Before you start communicating with a pet, you need to find out what temperament the budgerigar has. How to teach this agile and intelligent bird to your hands will become more clear after you observe it. All birds have different personalities. Some parrots are more frisky and sociable, others are calm and independent. The first ones make contact faster, because they are very inquisitive by nature, and therefore they are more likely to be tamed. More independent birds take longer to get used to communication, but with the right approach, they also begin to trust people.

After a few days of a new pet in your home, you should not immediately let him out of the cage, because he has not yet got used to people, and it can be very difficult to return him to his place. If the household starts chasing a bird that is not accustomed to hands and has not learned to return to its house on its own, throughout the apartment, it will be extremely difficult to catch it. She will fly under the ceiling, sitting on the cornices, then on the cabinets, where you definitely won’t get her. A frightened bird can even fall behind furniture, where it will get hurt and where it will be difficult to get it. Having made such an unacceptable mistake, the owner risks scaring away the pet for a long time.

Gaining Trust

So how to tame a parrot? First of all, it is necessary to ensure that the bird associates them with something pleasant, for example, with receiving some goodies. Starting training, the owner must extend an open palm with food and various treats to his pet right into the cage.

If the bird accidentally “slips” into the wild, it is necessary to close the windows and doors to the room where it flies so that the parrot cannot fly away from it. It is advisable to throw something on the mirror so that he does not get hurt on it. Also remove other pets (dogs, cats) from his field of vision that can scare the bird. Leave your pet in this room so that he can calm down and have time to get hungry. Most often, after 5-6 hours, the bird wants to eat and begins to creep up to the cage in which its food and water are located.

As a rule, birds climb to places where they cannot be reached (chandelier, cornice, closet), so you should not chase them. The cage remains open, and the entrance to it must be equipped with comfortable perches. You can also fix the door with something (for example, with a metal chain) so that when open it is horizontal. On it, it will be convenient and easy for the parrot to climb back into its house. After the pet calms down and takes a good look around, he will be able to independently fly up to the cage and go into it. The owner should carefully observe him, not showing a look in his interest. At that moment, as the bird climbs into the cage, you should quickly close its door. But there are also cases when a nimble pet manages to fly out of its house again before you get to it. Then everything will have to start over.

How to tame a budgerigar outside of a cage

If an untamed pet has broken free, you can try taming outside the cage. To do this, after several hours of being “in the wild”, you can put something tasty on your palm and bring it to the bird. The most determined parrots quickly figure out that the hand is a source of food, and can climb onto it. Some immediately begin to peck at the grains. Give the parrot time to eat a little, and then carefully transfer it on your hand to the cage. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly affectionately pronounce the name of the pet and say pleasant words to him, for example, “Gosh is good,” “Kesha is a smart bird.” The main thing is that the intonation of the voice should be calm. In some cases, the birds do not sit on the hand, but on the raised perch, on which they are delivered to the cage.

In very rare cases, when the parrot is very timid and frightened, it is better to bring the cage itself closer to it. Seeing its house nearby, the bird most often quickly climbs into it itself. Knowing how to tame a budgerigar outside of a cage can quickly gain its trust.

Catching a bird in the dark

If your pet, even after a few hours, is not given into the hands and does not climb into the cage on its own, you can use the proven method of catching it, which is the safest for the bird. To do this, after dark, one of the household members should be at the switch, and the second should be near the place where the parrot is sitting. At the agreed time, the light is turned off, and the person next to the bird carefully takes it with his hands and transplants it into a cage. This method of fishing is due to the fact that parrots do not see well in the dark, and this is the easiest way to catch them. The light is turned on only after the bird is in the cage. It is noteworthy that after this the pet will not be afraid of the person, because he will not understand how he ended up in his house.

Hand training a parrot

We are moving on to the final stage on the way to solving the question of how to make a budgie by hand. After a period of adaptation, during which the bird began to get used to the people and the voice of the owner, you can begin to intensify the exercises. The readiness of the parrot for this can be seen immediately. He does not shy away from people approaching the cage. It can easily climb onto the hand extended into the cage, and when flying out of it, it calmly returns back. It is necessary to stretch an open palm into the cage several times daily, on which there should be grains or the bird's favorite treats (for example, a piece of an apple).

If the parrot is still afraid to approach and climb into the palm of your hand, there is no need to rush things. You should hold your hand in the cage for several minutes so that the bird sees that nothing dangerous is happening to it. After some time, the parrot will begin to come closer, and then it will peck the food directly from the palm of your hand. After several weeks of such domestication, the bird begins to fearlessly climb onto the hand. After that, it is already possible to take it out of the cage in the palm of your hand and continue training outside of it.

How to tame a parrot? It is best to raise a pet in the morning, when the bird is hungry, cheerful and cheerful. If you remove the feeder at night, and bring food in the palm of your hand in the morning, the taming process will go much faster. Before communicating with a parrot, you can not wash your hands with fragrant soap and lubricate them with cream. Also, they should not have a strong smell, such as tobacco. Birds are very reluctant to such hands. Domestication and coercion to communicate are two incompatible concepts. The entire process of training a pet should be gentle and without pressure on him. In the future, you will have a friendly budgerigar. How to tame a pet is already clear. The next stage of communication with a bird may be its training in human speech.

Part 1.

Basics.

The need for basic education of a parrot is due to several reasons. One of them is that during the life in the house, the character of the parrot and its relationship with family members can undergo significant changes. On average, such a change in character occurs every 5-7 years, not counting the first time, which usually occurs in the second year after the acquisition (this period received a special name in English - terrible two).

No matter how dramatic these changes in character may be, we can prepare for them and from the first days create the basis for a long and harmonious relationship with the bird.

Another equally important reason to incorporate parenting into your daily interactions with your parrot is that parrots love to learn. Their social life in nature is extremely rich. Every day, a parrot contacts dozens, sometimes hundreds of individuals that belong to its group, and exchanges various signals with them. The family in which the bird lives becomes its social group.

Many issues related to the education of parrots remain unclear to the end and cause controversy. However, even today our attitude to what methods should be used to educate a parrot and what basic skills it needs in everyday life can be considered formed. There is no doubt that parrots respond more readily to parenting methods based on positive reinforcement and are extremely reluctant to give in to pressure. The reason for this lies in their social organization, which differs significantly from the organization of predators.

For further consideration, we define a few terms:

1) positive encouragement- immediately after performing the action - the command, the bird receives something that it aspires to (delicacy, affection, verbal encouragement)
2) negative encouragement- in order for the parrot to execute the command, an element is introduced into its immediate environment that the bird seeks to avoid (for example, seeing a towel, the parrot leaves the hand or climbs into the cage)
3) Punishment- any action that follows an act of a bird and reduces the likelihood that this act will be repeated in the future
4) positive punishment- a hostile (aversive) stimulus that is used as a punishment (a jet of cold water, etc.)
5) negative punishment- depriving the bird of access to a stimulus that it considers positive (for example, the society of a person to whom the bird is attached - TO (time out)

Most professional trainers and behavioral consultants recommend limiting the use of PP And HH, raising a parrot. This is not to say that methods based on hostile (aversive) stimuli do not work. However, the possibility of their use is very limited, and they can cause a response, an aggressive reaction from the animal. In extreme cases, it is recommended to combine aversive methods and encouragement. For example, a bird goes into a cage when it sees a towel (an aversive stimulus) and is immediately rewarded for executing the “into the cage” command.

Any training should start with the fact that you find the parrot's favorite treat and never put it in the feeder! Only out of hand and only for good behavior. Some parrots prefer petting to food. In any case, the reward should be that VERY likes the parrot (and not what we think it should like). It is better to have 2-3 possible rewards so that the bird does not get bored with the activities.

The second step is to determine the amount of the reward. You are interested in giving as little as possible in order to prolong the lessons. The parrot would like to get as much as possible ... It is important to find a compromise. Sometimes it's better to give a big reward for big success than many small ones. On the other side, NECESSARY reward the parrot for ANY attempt to execute the command, no matter how small it may seem, until the bird begins to execute the next step with confidence.

You should always break up training into small steps, because. we can't expect a command to run perfectly the first time. The smaller the steps, the faster the progress.

With rare exceptions, a parrot can concentrate on any action for a relatively short period of time. Therefore, you should not engage with a parrot for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. 2-3 sessions per day for 10-15 minutes are considered the optimal schedule.

Remember to reward and praise your parrot for acceptable "parrot" behaviors. The bird should not only come to the hand and speak, but also calmly stay "at home", play with toys.

Regarding terminology. You may come across the following designations:

Good things begin POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT P+
Good things come to an end - NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT N-
Bad things start POSITIVE PUNISHMENT H+
Bad things end NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT R-

In clicker training (as well as in parrot training) we mainly use P+ And N-

Part 2.

Commands "forward" and "back".

Learning basic commands, as well as actually taming a parrot, should begin with the “forward” and “backward” commands. Let us stipulate right away that these commands do not mean the direction in space, but the approach or removal from the owner, which becomes the center of the bird world for the duration of the education session.

It is understood that you have already determined what kind of reward the parrot prefers, the bird does not receive it outside of training sessions and easily takes it from your hands (if it is a treat).

The place for training is chosen depending on the nature and degree of domestication of the parrot. In the most general case, it is recommended to start training in a room specially designated for this (not the one where the parrot lives permanently), when the bird sits on the training stand, and not on the cage in which it lives. However, some parrots refuse to leave their cage. In this case, you can use it in the first stages of taming.

Remember that the parrot is trying:

move from a less familiar subject to a more familiar one,
move from a low perch to a high one,
choose the most stable support.

It is sometimes recommended to teach the parrot to step on the perch you are holding in your hand before you try to pick it up. The reason for this is simple: the parrot checks with its beak the support it is about to stand on. Inexperienced owners mistake this gesture for an attempt to bite and withdraw their hand. In addition, some wild-caught parrots are afraid of hands due to traumatic experiences. If you are using this technique, we recommend resting the free end of the perch on the perch where the parrot is sitting. Firstly, it will be difficult for you to keep the perch and the parrot on the weight, and stability, as we have already said, plays an important role in the early stages of training. Secondly, the proposed position will make it easier for your pet to move from one support to another, because. he must not step through the empty space between them.

In any case, a well-bred bird should step on the hand or on the perch that you hold in your hand, at the first request. However, such a result can be achieved only by systematic training for a sufficiently long time. For more early stages most parrots show a clear preference for one type of support or another.

Never be in a hurry when dealing with animals. Hasty, fussy actions are characteristic of individuals that are the first to fall prey to predators. The parrot instinctively avoids the person with nervous hurried movements. Renowned horse trainer Monty Roberts says, “If you walk into a paddock with the intention of finishing everything in 15 minutes and feeling like time is running out, you are likely to be tinkering with your horse all day. However, if you feel like you have a lot of time to study, the chance of getting what you want in 15 minutes is pretty high.”

Be careful in choosing subjects for training! In an excellent article by Greg Glendell (Greg Glendell) it is suggested to use the chairs as a training stand. Such an opportunity exists, but it is not suitable for everyone. You can teach a bird not to sit on certain objects in the apartment, but to teach it not to gnaw on what it sits on will be very difficult, almost impossible. Therefore, if you do not have a chair specially designed for this purpose, it is much more practical to buy or construct a light stand.

To teach the “go” command, show the parrot a treat that you are holding in your fingers. Say go ahead. When the parrot learns to instantly approach and take the reward, slowly place the other hand or perch between the bird and the treat. The hand on which the bird stands must be clenched into a fist. You can also invite him to step on the edge of his hand, thumb firmly pressed. At the first stages it is necessary to encourage any attempt to get closer to you.

If the bird has flown away or lost its balance, let it calm down. Then repeat the exercise where the bird is. Do not try to immediately return the parrot to the perch. In a new place, the parrot may be more willing to execute the command.

When the bird has taken food and shows a desire to leave, give the command "back". Don't try to stop the bird.

You may have a situation where the parrot does not want to return to the perch. Bring the parrot to the perch so that the perch is between it and your shoulder. Moving in your direction, the parrot will step on the perch. At this moment, you give the command “back” (despite the fact that the parrot is moving towards you, leaving your hand, it “moves away” from you) and smoothly remove your hand.

The execution of the “forward” and “backward” commands must be brought to automatism, remaining within the framework of the game. The bird should perform them anywhere without you having to repeat the command over and over or raise your voice.

In no case do not move on to learning other commands until you achieve at least relative success in executing these commands. I would like to remind you once again that haste can cause significant harm to both the process of education and your relationship with the bird.

Part 3

Teams "can" and "no", some recommendations.

When you have achieved that the parrot executes the “forward” and “backward” commands, in most cases you can move on to teaching general commands. The most important of them are “no” and “can”.

Unfortunately, today there is no single concept regarding their application. Sometimes you have to read that these commands are necessary to establish a hierarchy. By teaching them, the owner must achieve complete dependence of the bird in decision-making. In our opinion, this position is completely inapplicable to parrots. First, the concepts of hierarchy and dominance in these birds differ significantly from similar concepts in the group of predators, if they exist at all. Secondly, the excessive dependence of a bird on its owner can affect its psychological state.

However, these commands can be useful for solving typical problems such as inappropriate aggressiveness, excessive attention seeking, etc. The parrot must be able to make choices within the framework of everyday life. In particular, in order to painlessly get rid of unacceptable types of behavior, the parrot must know how to achieve what he wants by performing an acceptable act.

For example, a parrot wants to attract the attention of its owner. It is absolutely unacceptable for him to scream or throw food out of the feeder. But if we haven't taught the bird an alternative behavior (calling us by name, whistling beautifully, etc.), it actually has no choice and will repeat the forbidden types of actions again and again, no matter how much it is punished.

Another typical example is the habit of chewing on things. This behavior is an integral part of the life of a parrot in nature. It is impossible to wean him from this! But we can control the consequences of this behavior by teaching the bird to chew on the “right” things—the toys—that should always be available. Note that you should not rely on training in this matter. If you are not around, then dangerous and valuable items should be out of reach of your bird.

The “no” command is given in cases where the parrot is doing or is just about to do something forbidden. To use it correctly, you must accurately determine the meaning of this command for yourself. It means, “Whatever you are doing right now, stop immediately!”

It is very important not to forget to reward the parrot for the execution of this command. That is, if you caught your bird eating a valuable painting or your favorite book, said no, and the parrot immediately stopped doing so, it should be AWARDED for obedience. As much as you feel sorry for the damaged item, it doesn't make sense to chastise the parrot for the damage done (a concept that he is unlikely to be able to understand). The bird will perfectly remember the double pleasure that it received: firstly, the time spent well and usefully, and secondly, the additional personal attention of the owner (this is one of options how your parrot perceives a similar situation).

If the parrot does not obey, you can make a slight and unexpected movement, attracting his attention. To look at you, the parrot will be forced to stop unwanted activities. At this point, he should be praised and rewarded. In no case do not make sudden sweeping movements. If you scare a bird, it may react in the most unexpected way and even attack you. Parrots are curious and observant. Any unexpected and unfamiliar sound or movement is enough to get their attention.

As a last resort, you can use some item that the parrot does not like. For example, show a towel from afar, giving the command "no". However, in a normal situation, if you remember to reward the bird for the executed command, this will not be necessary.

The "can" command is the opposite of the "no" command. You give this command to the parrot if you see that it GOING TO do something you don't mind. It is not necessary to reward for its implementation, because. the act itself will be the reward.

Some advise to use the "may" command in all cases when the bird takes the initiative in your presence, especially when it comes to communicating with you. In our opinion, this is not necessary. Use this command for actions that SOMETIMES allowed and sometimes not. For example, if a parrot is going to fly to you. You may or may not want him to do it. In the first case, use the command "you can", in the second "no" or "stop". (The last command has its own characteristics, it applies only to those parrots that fly).

When teaching parrots general commands, the understanding of which, generally speaking, implies the presence of abstract thinking, it is appropriate to discuss the question of the suggestibility of parrots. There is no doubt that a bird will execute commands much faster and more accurately if the trainer is fully focused on it and has created a preliminary mental image of what he expects from a parrot. Whatever explanation of this phenomenon we choose (telepathy, unconscious gestures that we make, etc.), it is important to learn how to use it correctly.

1) Handle the bird only in a good mood. When you are preoccupied, upset about something, or very tired, the bird will most likely not want to obey you. Please note that when the owner is in a difficult mood, the parrot is usually much more noisy and irritable than usual.

2) Explain each of your actions to the parrot in advance. Sit close to the bird before starting the lesson and tell it in a calm voice what you expect and why doing this is important for the PARROT

3) Imagine the whole learning process. Think about how the parrot will execute the command and how you will reward it.

4) At the time of the exercise, focus on what you are doing. Everything you wanted to say to the parrot should be said in advance

5) Practice with the bird as long as it brings joy to you and her.

6) Try to end the session on a positive note. If the parrot has not fully completed what was expected of him, give him a command at the end of the lesson that he knows well and praise for its execution

7) Never transfer your heavy feeling to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bparrot work.

8) Learn to enjoy every step that brings you closer to the final result. This will help you plan your sessions correctly, which should not consist of too abrupt transitions from what the parrot already knows and performs to new tasks.

9) Enjoy your communication with the parrot.

Question answer.

I read all the time about the most favorite delicacy ... I don’t know, maybe I’m so “spoiled” by the dog and cats? How does a parrot behave if a treat is a favorite? Juf seems to love nuts, but he won’t beg, and if something is wrong (strangers in the room, he’s not in the mood, he’s hungry, but there is food in the feeder) he won’t take it at all.

You correctly noticed that a parrot is very different from most dogs.
It always makes me a little funny and sad when I hear that parenting and training "roboticize" a parrot. People do not understand that, no matter what delicacy is offered to him, he will only do what suits him in character and only with the person he likes.

Determining your favorite treat is easy. mix different kinds nuts, grains, etc. in a plate (not in the feeder he is used to) and give it to the bird. Write down what he ate first and then what. Repeat the test the next day. After 3-4 checks, you will be able to identify 2-3 of your favorite treats.

Many use target (like dog breeders who teach clicker training). Usually it is a stick with a bright tip. First, the parrot is taught to take the target in its beak and follow its movements, and then used to teach it to move in the right direction.

So everything is in order with us and Juffin really likes walnuts (I’m not going to let him try pine nuts).
It's clear with the target... We're probably a long way from that... By the way, what about the clicker? I remember Prior taught a chicken. Or is it fraught with the fact that the parrot will repeat this sound?

I use the clicker only with macaws, more precisely with Arina, whom I teach free flying. With Jaco, you can replace the click with some word (the same, of course). Jacos still "click", but this is not the most terrible of the sounds they make. As for the target, many (Linda Morrow, Doug Cook, Chris Biro etc. etc.) advise starting with it.

I didn’t dare to ask ... Do you need to train all parrots, including budgies? Or is it not so important for them?

Any parrot can be trained. However, the presence of a "wild" budgerigar in the apartment does not endanger the lives of other inhabitants. In the case of medium and especially large parrots, the lack of education means being in a cage for life (and this is not the worst option).

I work with my Amazon every day, I try to encourage him for all the actions that he does "correctly": leaving the cage, entering the cage, giving a paw, trying to speak (he tries, but he can't say anything). It seems to me that it is too early to talk about some more complex actions and commands. Behind Lately, after communicating with the parrot according to your recommendations, the bird has become more courageous, it very simply takes food from the palm of its hand, and for a delicacy it comes to the very edge of the cage and stretches with all its might. Yesterday I myself flew off the cage for the first time and flew over the chair where I was sitting, before that I flew, but rather forced. As a reward for action, I use small crumbs. walnut, less often I give cookies, at the sight of which he comes into wild delight. Igor, how do you think, how capable of learning is a 6-year-old Amazon and will he be able to speak?

The ability to learn and to talk depends on the personal characteristics of the bird and on education much more than on age. One of my friends took a yellow-crested cockatoo, which learned only one word in 12 years. A year later, he not only learned a dozen words, but also began to sing, whistle, imitate Jaco, etc.

I have a little difficulty. The parrot does not take anything from the treat, and if it does, it throws it away. And in order to go to the stick, you need to interest him in something else, not in food, for example, as when he flew back and forth. Or train enough hungry. It just doesn’t want to go on a stick, it rests with all its might. When he returns to the cage in his usual environment, there are no problems.

You can take the grain mixture from the bird 2-3 hours before the lesson (leave the vegetables in the cage). This is only good for the parrot, because. most of our birds are overfed on seeds.

The more I communicate with the parrot, the more he becomes bolder when he takes food from his hands, he can grab his finger, but not much and it doesn’t hurt, the same thing with feeding the paw - right after I fed him seeds from the palm of my hand and extended my hand , he grabbed the finger with his paw, arched his neck, pushing his head back, and then bit and again it didn’t hurt. What could it be, the parrot is trying to play? He doesn't seem to be angry or worried. How far can and should one go with such a "game"? Amazons have a weak beak.

Parrots often try to play with their fingers. Whether they allow it or not depends largely on the owner. It must be borne in mind that there is always some risk of a painful (but not dangerous) bite in such games. I advise you not to react unless it is painful. If the force of pressing exceeds the limit set by you, say "no" without raising your voice. If the bird releases its finger, praise it and reward it. In no case should you scream or jerk your hand away sharply.

Our Jaco does not want to go hand in hand. Moreover, he takes food from the palm of his hand, comes close to his face, can slightly pinch his nose with his beak, and exposes his neck. But it won’t go hand in hand for any goodies. By the way, he does not have a "delicacy", he is calm both to seeds and nuts. No, of course, he will take them from the palm of his hand, if he wants and according to his mood, but he will not sell his soul, as many write.
Tell me, please, how can we tame him now?

The first step is to find the most desired reward for the animal. So many training failures are the result of being offered a reward that seems desirable but isn't really. Try other types of treats (unpeeled peanuts or hazelnuts) Maybe your parrot will be interested in some inedible object, some kind of toy.

I tried to train with Gavrik, but the birds are not a gourmet at all and reacted weakly to my attempts to attract him with goodies. But we have a favorite cedar cone! This is where Le Havre is ready for any exploits, so that, God forbid, the toy is not taken away, but what if I eat it! For her sake, we go to the hands with joy, and try to do "back and forth" and other different tricks. True, of course, he is only trying so far, it’s hard for him to understand what I want, but for the sake of a bump! ..
In this regard, Igor, let me ask you a question: is it possible to train a parrot in this way and, in your opinion, what pitfalls can await us?

The only problem is the possibility that the bird will get bored with the bump. It's best to always have 2-3 rewards. About stock...

The parrot (zhako) came to us with already established habits, the previous owners did not consciously tame it to walk or sit on the arm, only on the shoulder. A check for a delicacy can also fly to the hand, but it will never sit on it, although it can calmly stay on the shoulder for a long time. The call flies even into another room, understands the command "to the place." Tell me, please, does it make sense for us to retrain the bird, and if so, do we have to wait for some more time (we have a check for about a month) or can we do it now?

A lot depends on how you feel about having a bird on your shoulder. I allow our parrots to be carried on my shoulder for reasons of convenience, but I admit that this sometimes makes it difficult to communicate with them.
Teaching a bird to be on your hand is important. If Cheka flies to your hand, just hold him there for a short time (literally a few moments), either without giving him a treat right away, or by pressing his elbow to your side, which will prevent him from climbing onto your shoulder. By increasing the time spent on the hand a little, you will achieve a result.

My Jaco Alex is terrified of any sticks, even his upper perch, which secures the top of the cage as soon as he sees it in my hand (when I close the cage, I remove the perch, and then put it back on, Alex shies away and growls every time). He gladly allows himself to be scratched, but he does not allow his paws to be touched. At any approach of the hand to the paws, it prefers to run away or fly away. Please advise what is better: to accustom him to a stick in his hand, and then sit on it, or to immediately teach him to go on his hand. And what could be the reason for such a zealous attitude towards their paws?

Someone may have already "nurtured" your parrot.
I usually teach the bird to go straight to the hand.
Perhaps, in your case, the method of target training (similar to that used for dogs) will be useful.
Try covering your arm with something, such as a white or beige pillowcase. But it should not hang out, wrap it tightly around your arm.

In principle, Alex is not afraid of the hand itself, but in general of everything that is brought to him below the chest. If you put something on your hand, he shies away from it even more. Afraid of any unfamiliar objects in the hands (regardless of size).

The fear of new objects is characteristic of many birds. Try to play a game with him. Take a stick with a tip, for example, an old radio antenna. Hide it in your hand so that the bird sees only the top. Bring it carefully to the bird, showing it a treat at the same time. Your task is to ensure that the bird touches the tip. Reward her for every move in that direction. When the parrot does this exercise, extend the stick a little so that the parrot can see the tip and a small part of the base. Continue the exercise until the parrot gets used to the sight of the stick.
The next step is to teach the bird to follow the target stick.
Each of the stages described may require several sessions. Do not move on to a new exercise until you have achieved 90% completion of the previous stage.

We have a 9 month old Alexandrian parrot, he, in principle, takes food from his hands through the bars and from his hands. And sometimes it even fits if you keep your hand in the cage for a long time. And once he tried to go on his hand, but at first he wanted to hold on to his beak, it's good that it was her husband's hand. There were huge bruises, it was impossible to endure. But he did not do it out of anger, what to do in this case? He always moves with his beak.

As I explained in Parenting Part 2, you can start by getting your parrot to walk on the perch you hold in your hand.
He will stop checking the support for strength only when he gets used to considering it absolutely stable.

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The first commands to be taught to a parrot are usually « Forward!" and "Back!". Remember that these commands do not show the parrot the direction in space. They mean the approach or removal of the bird to its owner, to whom all the attention of the parrot will be directed during training.

When training a parrot, you must stick your hand into the cage and command: “Forward!”. The bird should move to the finger. The parrot can leave the cage only after the appropriate command is sounded. If the parrot simply jumped to the finger without waiting for the word "Go!", this is not considered to be the execution of the command. Such an action is not obedience, but a habit.

For regular training, there should be a separate place (for example, a separate room with a special stand for training). His choice depends on the degree of tameness of the parrot and its character. At first, some problems may arise: many parrots do not want to leave their usual cage. If this happens, you should first train the parrot there.

A parrot, before stepping into a new place, always checks it with its beak. Many inexperienced owners are afraid of this, as it seems to them that the parrot wants to bite them. At the same time, they sharply withdraw their hand and frighten the bird itself. To prevent this, it is recommended to use a perch when training a parrot, at least for the first time.

If the parrot was caught in natural conditions, they will subsequently be afraid of human hands. This is due to the fact that the bird has experienced stress. But even if the parrot was born already at home, he will instinctively avoid a person with quick and sharp movements. Under natural conditions, such movements are most often inherent in predators. The end of the perch, opposite the one you are holding in your hand, should be placed on the perch near the parrot. This manipulation will give the perch additional stability, since it is quite difficult to keep the perch on the weight along with the bird.

When the parrot is fully convinced of its safety, it will trust its owner much more. An additional convenience for the parrot is that it will not be forced to cross the empty space between the perch and the perch.

Only with the help of long-term training can you ensure that the parrot, at your first request, switches to a hand or a perch. Only a properly educated bird will do this. A parrot may refuse to switch to a perch, especially at the very beginning of classes, if the perch seems to him a more stable and convenient type of support for him.

In some cases, the parrot may stop following commands, get distracted or play too much. In this case, it must be left alone in the room for a while. In order for the parrot to calm down, it will be enough for a few minutes spent alone by the bird. After the parrot has completely calmed down, classes should be continued.

To train a parrot, you need to prepare special training items. There are a great many of them. It is necessary to select items for training taking into account the nature of the bird, strictly individually.

Some breeders advise the use of regular chairs in the process of training a parrot (instead of a training stand). It is best to set aside a separate chair for training, as parrots usually gnaw on everything around them, especially what they sit on. Therefore, if you have taught a parrot to sit on a chair, it will be very difficult to forbid him to chew on it later. This behavior of parrots was originally laid down by nature. If you cannot allocate a separate chair for training, purchase a special stand for this purpose.

Before teaching the parrot the command “Forward!”, You must first of all attract his attention (for example, give a nickname). After that, show the parrot a treat and say: “Forward!”.

When the parrot understands the “Go!” command, you can move on to the next stage of training. To do this, place your hand or perch between the treat and the parrot. The parrot needs to be rewarded with a treat or petting every time he comes to you exactly on command.

It doesn't take long for most parrots to learn the "Go!" command. Usually this command is easy for them to remember. Many parrots do not dare to climb onto the hand and as soon as they approach, they immediately stop. If you press your finger on the lower part of the parrot's breast, it will step onto your hand.

Every time the parrot gets scared, loses its balance or flies away, you should give it time to calm down. Perhaps the parrot does not like the place you have chosen for training. In this case, you do not need to return the bird to its original place. A change of scenery will benefit the parrot, and he will become more willing to follow your commands.

When the parrot has received a treat, he will try to move away, at this moment command him: “Back!”. You don't need to stop it at this point.

In some cases, the parrot is in no hurry to return to its perch. If this happens, try to bring the parrot closer to the perch so that the perch is between him and you.

In this case, the parrot will definitely want to come up to you and in any case will step on the perch. At this moment, while carefully removing your hand, you need to command: “Back!” (in this case, although the parrot approaches you, having stepped off the finger, it nevertheless “removes”).

Parrot training will be more effective if it is carried out in the form of a game. Many parrots prefer a variety of games to boring monotonous activities. In no case do not raise your voice to the parrot. If you strictly follow all the above simple rules, the parrot will not get tired of doing various exercises, and the execution of all commands can be brought to automatism. If this happens, in the future, in order for the parrot to do what is required of it, it will not be necessary to repeat commands to it several times.

Before moving on to teaching the bird to other commands, achieve a clear implementation of the one that you are teaching the parrot now. During training, in no case should you rush things. If you are in a hurry and constantly urge the parrot, moving on to new exercises without learning the old ones, this is sure to harm the entire learning process. The parrot in this case may lose the previously acquired knowledge.

Having taught the bird to follow the commands "Forward!" and “Back!”, you can proceed to the next stage of training. At this stage of training the parrot, you should teach him to carry out the following commands: “You can!” and "No!". These are very important commands, thanks to them you will save the parrot from many troubles.

Constant prohibitions can cause aggression on the part of the parrot, while infrequent (only when necessary) use of the commands "You can!" and "No!" help avoid this problem, as well as constantly seeking your attention.

To rid the parrot of unacceptable habits for you, you must definitely give the parrot a choice: to do the wrong thing and get a well-deserved punishment, or to do everything right and get a reward. With the help of properly chosen methods of reward and punishment, the parrot will quickly learn all the rules of behavior.

First of all, you should teach the parrot alternative behaviors.

There are times when a parrot tries to get your attention because it wants to communicate. At the same time, he behaves inappropriately - screaming, banging his beak on the grate, scattering food, etc. Such behavior is unacceptable.

But the parrot knows no other way to get your attention, so it will only behave in this way. In this case, none of the methods of punishment or encouragement will help. To avoid this, the parrot must be given an alternative. For example, you should teach the bird to call you by name, whistle, and so on when he wants to communicate.

Another bad habit of all parrots without exception is to gnaw on all things that come across in their path. You can’t do anything about it - such actions are characteristic of the behavior of a parrot in nature and are instincts.

You definitely need to teach the parrot to gnaw only certain things (for example, toys), which should always be at his disposal. When you leave a parrot alone in an apartment for a long time, it is still better to remove all valuable and dangerous things for him.

Before you teach a parrot the “No!” command, you should be clear on your own what exactly this command should mean. It is necessary to give this command only one meaning, it should be given only in the case of some specific actions prohibited to the parrot.

In any case, the command "No!" for a parrot, it should mean: “Whatever you are doing now, stop immediately.” Command "No!" can be served in two cases: when the parrot performs an illegal act or just wants to do it.

If the parrot correctly executed the command, it must be rewarded with some kind of treat. For example, if a parrot tore a wallpaper or a magazine, but stopped doing it after the “No!” command, it should be immediately encouraged. If you act in this way, the parrot should develop the necessary obedience skills. But it should be remembered that it is by no means possible to scold a parrot at this time for the harm caused.

If the parrot does not pay any attention to your commands and continues to do its job, you must attract its attention. To do this, it is enough to make some unexpected movement. An unusual sound for him can also attract a parrot. All parrots are naturally very curious, so the bird will immediately be distracted and turn its attention to you. At this point, she will naturally stop doing something unlawful. You should immediately praise the parrot and reward it with a treat.

It must be remembered that you can not make sudden movements, otherwise it will cause aggression on the part of the parrot. If you scare a parrot, it may even attack you. Sometimes the use of an object that the parrot does not like can give a positive effect. For example, a towel can act as such an object, usually birds do not like it. Showing a towel from afar, say in a strict tone: “You can’t!”.

If the parrot always receives some kind of reward for executing the command, this is quite enough. Subsequently, the command "No!" can be served without a towel.

Team "You Can!" is the opposite of the "No!" command. If the act that the parrot is going to do is approved by you, you can issue this command. At the same time, the execution of the parrot's command can not be encouraged, since the permission itself will be a reward for the bird.

The command "It's possible!" should also be used in situations where the parrot itself takes the initiative. For example, if he wants to chat with you, you can allow him to do so by issuing the appropriate command.

If some actions are sometimes allowed to the bird, and sometimes not, the “You can!” command will help to correctly explain this to the parrot. In some cases, this may also apply to his communication with you. If the parrot seeks to communicate, and you do not want this at the moment or are busy, you should command: “No!”. After you are free, you should command: "You can!".

All parrots are very impressionable and suggestible. Understanding the various commands in some cases requires the parrot to think abstractly. To properly tame and raise a parrot, it is necessary that he fully concentrates on you. During classes, neither you nor the parrot should be distracted.

A parrot that is quite accustomed to communicating with a person is much more successful in training. According to some owners, before starting training, the bird should trim its wings a little, this should speed up the learning process. This procedure is painless and will not cause any harm to the parrot. After a maximum of six months, the feathers on the wings should fully recover. This procedure is also suitable for an untamed parrot, since with clipped wings it will not accidentally fly out of the window during training. Nevertheless, it is still not worth taking a parrot with clipped wings out into the street.

With clipped wings, parrots can fly only a few meters.

Non-verbal gestures also affect the understanding and execution of various commands by the parrot. Therefore, before performing any gesture, think about how the parrot will perceive it.

Before training parrots, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

› Before you start training, mentally imagine the entire learning process, think through the details of each individual exercise. Think about what command the parrot should learn and how you will reward him for it;

› start training with a parrot only when you have good mood. Remember that the parrot will definitely feel if you are upset about something or a little tired. Usually, having felt this, the parrots refuse to follow the commands and continue learning.

Many experienced parrot trainers note that after a while the mood of the bird begins to coincide with the mood of its owner. If the owner is in a bad mood, the parrot will also often become irritated and aggressive, at which time he even screams more than usual.

When training, adhere to the following recommendations:

› at the very beginning of training, explain to the parrot in a calm voice what you expect from him, what exercises he will have to perform. This should calm the parrot;

› Never exercise for very long periods of time. Make sure that the classes are not boring. Learning should bring joy to both;

› when teaching a parrot, fully concentrate on the lessons, nothing should distract you and the parrot;

› if you are in a bad mood, it is better to postpone the training for a few hours, you should not practice with a bird in a bad mood;

› do not expect the parrot to learn all the commands very quickly and will immediately execute them clearly. Rejoice in every, even if insignificant result;

› do not make too abrupt transitions between already mastered exercises and completely new ones. New exercises should be approached gradually, alternating them with old ones;

› the session must end on a positive note. If the parrot does not follow the new command, give it the one it already knows. After the bird completes it, the lesson should be stopped. Be sure to reward your parrot with treats or petting at the end of your workout.