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Training to Play (Part II)

by Rebecca K. OConnor

The joy of destruction.

Nothing happens instantly when you are training animals. Or at least, things rarely happen instantly. Usually what you get is the overnight success phenomenon. The truth is that people who are “suddenly” successful have been slaving away-- a hopeful rockstar singing in dive bars, an aspiring writer (ahem) laboring over one small book at a time, one success building on other until all of the sudden they are stars. Training parrots often progresses like this too. The progress is so subtle that you take it for granted and then suddenly it looks like everything just comes together. This is what happened with Tao. I kept laying seeds on the egg carton. I thought I saw small nibbles on it, but wasn’t sure. Then one morning I slept in an hour past dawn, wondering why the house was so quiet and woke to this:

Now every egg carton quickly finds itself in the same shape without any provocation. Egg carton = treats inside! Exactly what this lesson was supposed to succeed in doing. However, the other toys in the cage remain untouched. What next?

Posted by Rebecca K. OConnor on 08/09 at 12:52 PM
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Training to Play

by Rebecca K. OConnor

I've made a concerted effort to teach my parrots that they can get what they want without screaming. So they don't.

In my home the most important thing a parrot can learn is how to use their "indoor voice". I work all day in my home office, talk to clients on the phone, transcribe interviews and try to focus on figuring out the perfect word to use. This kind of work requires not silence -- but definitely a lack of repetitious ear-drum busting noises. I simply can't work with screaming parrots in the house. All three of my African parrots certainly vocalize all day, but on the other end of the phone people say, "You have parrots, really? Why can't I hear them?" I've made a concerted effort to teach my parrots that they can get what they want (me to interact with them) without screaming. So they don't.

Let's define this though. All parrots vocalize. Some parrots normal vocalizations have a much higher decibel level than others. This isn't "screaming". In fact, in the way most of us define it, screaming is not a normal behavior. Screaming is learned. Screaming is an extremely loud, repetitious noise that goes on and on and on. I'm guessing this isn't comfortable for any parrot. In fact, as Susan Freidman once said to me, "Imagine a screaming at the top of your lungs for a half an hour in order to get what you want." Yikes!

Certainly I'll talk more about this in another blog entry, but the point of this screaming discussion is that my little rescue mini-macaw can be loud. I don't mind the little guy letting off a little steam now and then, but I've got to make sure it doesn't become a learned behavior. This of course is my responsibility, but I should also make sure that he has more interesting things to do. I believe that parrots often scream as a means to control their environment. In other words, they're bored! Big problem with this little guy because he hasn't played with a single toy I've given him! Believe it or not, he has to learn to play. Quite possibly this will be the most important thing he learns while he lives with me. It is crucial for his mental and physical well-being.

So what have I tried to introduce to him? I've tried chewable wood toys, plastic chains, dispensing toys, shredding toys. No interest. It was time to get proactive. I had recently finished up a carton of eggs and after checking that there had been egg leaks on the carton, cut it up for a little parrot fun. My own guys are familiar with this toy so it went directly in their cages, but Tao is afraid of everything and had to be desensitized first. (More on that in another post) After I was certain he was confident with the odd purple contraption, I filled it with treats and zip-tied it to the cage.

This little guy doesn't know yet that there is much to be gained by investigating new things in his cage. So he wasn't too sure he wanted anything to do with the egg carton. A couple molluca nuts on the top of it gave him a chance to investigate and reward himself. Still, he isn't too sure about ripping it up to get to the goodies inside. So I'll keep putting nuts on the top now and then throughout the day, in different places, shoved in the holes so he can pry them out etc. Every time he investigates and gets a little more adventuresome with his new toy he will get a reward. Let's see if I can finally get him to play with something.

Posted by Rebecca K. OConnor on 05/14 at 10:07 AM
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Foster…make a difference!

by Rebecca K. OConnor

I know that this fantastic site is going to go live soon and am so excited to be a part of it. As you readers know from my introduction, I'm a parrot behaviourist, but really, I train people. Mostly, the parrots are just fine. However, it doesn't hurt to occasionally help a parrot learn some of the behaviours that people prefer parrots engage in or avoid in their homes.

I have a relationship with an organization called Parrots First in Los Angeles, CA. I have three parrots of my own, but when it's not falconry season (and there's no falcons in the house), there's room for an extra parrot. So I foster whenever I can. Yesterday, I brought home a lovely yellow-collared macaw who is absolutely terrified of hands. I'm hoping I can share the journey of prepping this little guy for his forever home. He will hopefully learn to step up, go into a crate, eat fruits and vegetables and he's already very quiet, so I will make sure I reinforce this fantastic behavior! Then let's cross our fingers that he will find a fantastic home withe a family who already know or are willing to learn how to keep him healthy and well-adjusted throughout his whole life.

Parrots aren't difficult to train. They are simply very different from the domestic animals in our homes. Parrots have different needs from domestic animals and therefore have different responses to situations in our homes. I hope you'll join me for Tao's journey and cheer us on.

Posted by Rebecca K. OConnor on 04/25 at 06:26 AM
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Introductory Entry

by Rebecca K. OConnor

Welcome readers! I'm really excited to be a part of the World Parrot Trust blogging family. WPT does great work and the parrots surely need our assistance. It's wonderful to have this opportunity to share my rantings and show my support.

As a falconer, I've been blogging the trials and tribulations of training a winged raptor for three years. (http://www.rebeccakoconnor.com/operationdesertdove) However, I've been itching to talk about the flipside of my avian insanity "parronting." Much that goes on in the air working with falcon applies to the parrots in our living rooms, but there's a lot to say specifically to parrot lovers.

As a writer on parrot behavior and a consultant, I ponder the best and the worst of the pet parrot community on a daily basis. I live in Southern California and frequent the problem parrots of the Los Angeles -- Orange County -- Inland Empire area. Actually, I should probably say the problem "parronts." There are no bad parrots, only misguided parrot caretakers. My job isn't to fix parrots, but to help parrot lovers understand how to communicate in the strange language of feathers.

I hope that you pop in now and then to listen to the philosophies of positive reinforcement that I share with some fabulous parrot advocate peers. You'll meet the three parrots that have run my life for the past decade -- my African grey, Ty -- Senegal, Loki -- Red-bellied, Bali (See a trend? I'm fond of African parrots) and you may have the occasional guest appearance from my Brittany pup, Cali and the two falcons, Khan and Anakin. I also foster parrots for a fabulous rescue organization, Parrot's First (http://www.parrotsfirst.org) so there is the possibility of meeting a foster parrot now and again. Check in frequently and love your parrots always!

Rebecca

Posted by Rebecca K. OConnor on 09/12 at 11:10 AM
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