Training Cockatiels
Whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks was not 100% completely correct. My lab that I rescued from a shelter is now training in obedience and doing very nicely. But, I have to say that, with parrots, retraining their brains may not be the only problem. Dogs have domesticated over the years. No bird is yet domesticated. That is, they are still exotic. We parrot owners have two things working against us in training our birds.
The first thing is that birds still have the innate instincts of their relatives in the wild. Thus, they react on instict. The next thing is that parrots do not have the drive to "impress" their owners. I find that cockatiels, like dogs, are pack animals. Establishing dominance over your bird is probably the most important training a bird can do. I have seen too many birds go into shelters or get rehomed for lack of understanding how birds think. Areas like feather plucking, screaming, and other distructive habits can be curbed when you correct your parrots in the right way.
Advanced training is available but I do not have expertise in this area. I have talked to so many training experts out there that will tell you "I can train your bird in 2 days!". WRONG! I recently received a copy of a book from birdtricks.com. I contacted Chet, the trainer and owner of birdtricks.com and he does really have the comprehension of how parrots think. So, if anyone is interested, I have offered it to my blog readers below.
Training System
In my newsletter, I'll continue on with some great training tips and some communication stories.
Thanks all!
Good luck!
Leslie
The first thing is that birds still have the innate instincts of their relatives in the wild. Thus, they react on instict. The next thing is that parrots do not have the drive to "impress" their owners. I find that cockatiels, like dogs, are pack animals. Establishing dominance over your bird is probably the most important training a bird can do. I have seen too many birds go into shelters or get rehomed for lack of understanding how birds think. Areas like feather plucking, screaming, and other distructive habits can be curbed when you correct your parrots in the right way.
Advanced training is available but I do not have expertise in this area. I have talked to so many training experts out there that will tell you "I can train your bird in 2 days!". WRONG! I recently received a copy of a book from birdtricks.com. I contacted Chet, the trainer and owner of birdtricks.com and he does really have the comprehension of how parrots think. So, if anyone is interested, I have offered it to my blog readers below.
Training System
In my newsletter, I'll continue on with some great training tips and some communication stories.
Thanks all!
Good luck!
Leslie
