The Positive Impact of Parrot Trick Training - Family - Pets

Parrot tricks are primarily used to strengthen the social bond between the parrot and its owner as well as positively reinforce good behavior and supplant any unwanted behavioral problems. However the is a common misconception that if a parrot has bad behavioral problems already then teaching it to do tricks will cure this bad behavior, this just isn't correct.

In order to effectively teach a parrot to do tricks they must already be at least tamed and comfortable with human social interaction, you just can't effectively teach a parrot any tricks if you cannot touch your bird without being nipped or bitten or indeed if your parrot is weary or scared of your touch. The teaching process requires trust from both parties involved

Parrots of any age can be taught to do tricks but as with humans it is the younger ones that seem to pick things up a little faster, so the ideal parrot to teach tricks to would be a young hand reared parrot and another benefit of a younger parrot is the fact that you are working with less pre-formed habits to complicate the process.

The method that is widely regarded as being the most effective is that of 'positive reinforcement' which in the majority of cases involves a food reward after the parrot correctly follows a command. The reward could be as little as a scratch on the head or chest or positive praise or a combination of all of these, however the majority of parrot owners admit to using a food based reward. You have to put a little thought into what food you choose as the reward as you need to make sure that it is esasier to dispense and not too heavy or fattening as you will be dispensing a lot of food rewards as you teach your parrot each step of a trick and then reinforcing it. I have found that seeds make an excellent food reward but it is up to each individual owner as long as they follow the advice above.

In order to be most effective when teaching your parrot a trick you need to set aside some time that will be clear of distractions, choose a place that is quiet and where you won't be interupted and then after your parrot has become comfortable with the surroundings you can begin the training session. The session will consist of a lot of one to one interaction, mental stimulation for your parrot as well as lots of praising and food rewards. This will improve the relationship between you and your parrot and your feathered friend in return will be happier overall and this will present with improved social skills and an improved temperament.

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