BTT: How to Discipline Your Pet Parrot

Pretty sure my goal next week is that Dave is the screen capture picture…

Anyway! Happy Tuesday, everyone!

This week’s Tuesday video is on the topic of the best discipline to use for your parrot(s). We got asked a ton of stuff this week about how to get your bird to not destroy this, not do that, not be mean to this, not go over there, not get into that…

So we thought we’d conquer the area of discipline for parrots.

We were pretty much kicked out of the theater this week because of a new cast install but in the future we will be able to show you examples in training our birds live – and demonstrate more of what we mean with our methods. We had intended to do so this week and just couldn’t get the theater time before upload day!

Also, my phone broke so our behind the scenes clips were few and far between because we hadn’t realized till we tried to import the footage and it was dark and fuzzy! Boo. New iPhone for me soon!

Congrats to Brenda Martin! Her question was actually emailed into us (info@birdtricks.com) and was about how to safely and effectively socialize her bird with her dogs (her bird has attacked her dogs before and luckily they did nothing about it!) I couldn’t screen capture her email but I did screen capture her follow up comment on our blog – she’s the winner for being so engaged, and so aware of the danger yet ability to work through this issue with both animals. I really applaud how she had safety as her number one, but that she also wants everyone to live under the same roof confidently like many people can relate to. I thought her questions and concerns were valid and that that many people could relate to needing to work through something similar. Thanks, Brenda!

Please leave your comments below. Next week’s video is likely going to be on the topic of flight, flight training, free flight, and how to keep a flighted bird’s attention so it doesn’t fly off during training. Please post related questions to this in the comments so we can make sure to answer yours!

52 comments

Darlene Reinig

The videos really help. I’ve found that, similar to training my dogs, repetition is key. You are 100% correct about ignoring the bad behavior no matter HOW HARD (but you knew this already). Luckily my conure has never bitten to break skin, but I don’t want pinches on my neck either. Koda loves the training because it is guaranteed attention time solely between us (I also have 3 dogs, a parakeet and a cat to entertain). He is taking to it like crazy, and it has also strengthened his bond with my husband so we may both enjoy him now!!! Thanks for all you do to educate us novice owners.

Darlene Reinig
Randall Miller

Keep up the videos good learning tool very helpfull.I wanted to mention to in referance to safety around birds I have two cats and a dog.When my birds are out we keep the cats in a seperate room not allowed out our dog is afraid of the conure he will attack the dog what is the reason for that. How often should the birds nails be trimmed . Thanks

Randall Miller
Alicia

I’m enjoying your videos. Thank you for doing this series. I get a lot of good information and hope to successfully apply it. I have two Congo African Greys. One of them is a talker and the other one is not. The talker picks up words and sounds so fast. I don’t know if it goes along with discipline, but I was wondering if there is a way to get a bird to stop saying a word or phrase. I figure he can’t unlearn it, but maybe something could get him to stop using certain words or phrases. Any advice would be appreciated.

Alicia
Donna moore

When my cockatiel is laying on eggs, poppy my male gets so aggressive I can,t even clean their cage, he attacks me ,he gets so mad he turns on the female, it’s so frustrating,how can I stop this. please help, I don,t want him to hurt her. thank you for tuesdays, I am learning a lot and enjoy all the videos, even in the bathroom lol

Donna moore
Brian Bailey

Great BTT episode!!! I have two that love to scream, especially when we first come in the door.. I know they’re just excited that we’re home but we still sometimes slip and yell shut up at them. Well, guess what? Now our blue and gold tells us to shut up! Can’t imagine why lol….

Brian Bailey
Sherry Harrington

I can’t thank you enough for your dedication to your fellow bird fans!!! Was feeling lost about how to teach my birds properly while you were " out there, somewhere"! ??. I think I have pretty much most all of your videos, books, DVD’s cookbooks, but watching you on Blog Tuesday is like “MY treat day”. It takes on a different, ‘hands on’ perspective for me apart from what you’ve already made available. SUPER THANK YOU! Loved watching you work with your doves under ‘not so perfect conditions’ and with little, adorable Sidney helping out, all of that I can take away, not waiting for the “ideal” situation to train. ( jamieleigh, I can also appreciate having more patience with animals than people ??) I socialized my new Jenday with my GC by putting them together in the shower on their shower perch, been inseparable since, but I guess that might work for human animals also ??) I really took home your thought about any place on my body is “their space, ownership”! I love having them close to me, however any sort of fear targets my neck, shoulder or face. I know it’s not ME he’s stricking at but I am the one with the bruises. Also, it’s difficult for him to do his tricks, such as ‘wave’ unless I actually have his treat in my hand. Therefore he won’t wave volunteer when asked. So much for bragging about what tricks my birds do ‘on a fly’, you might say. ?????? THANK YOU AGAIN, I know it’s not easy for any of you during your crazy schedule, but please know it’s appreciated more than you know. I want an entire lifetime of joy for/with my “flock babies”.

Sherry Harrington
Paulette Melick

I am enjoying your updates. Thanks so much for all you share with us. Was thinking about those with dogs, etc. I have Dobs. Always could train them before, but have a retired breeding bitch I got at 8 yrs old. My sense of her pry drive is that I will never get that out of her in the 1-3 yr years she has left, so I made the decision to only have one bird out at a time (I have a nape, and 2 grays who have always come out together each evening). It takes more “doing” to give each bird the attention I want to give, but I’m actually finding that, in a way, they are getting more individual attention.

Paulette Melick
Jane Bowels

Thank you so much. I have a red lory but no one to help with questions. I found your website and blog today and am so excited to start training and bonding with Chiquita. You have opened a wonderful door for both of us! Again, thank you for doing what you do – and doint it so well.

Jane Bowels
June Gibbs

Hi Jamieleigh, Thank’s so much for your very informative blogs,We have a Quaker parrot.He flew I one day with quite a few feathers missing.He hadn’t been handle much as we taught him how to step up,he no doubts had been with other people as he said Hello,Go away.He loved my daughter at first,now when she comes near his cage he comes with beak open wanting to bite her,she has never miss treated him on the contrary,she brings treats.The other day he was on his cage and she was talking to me.the next thing he flew over to get to her.( please help.) also he know how to talk but he only talks out side,He has once or twice said Hello in. side Love Tuesday talks.Thank’s. So much Jamieleigh !!!

June Gibbs
Jamieleigh

I think next week’s video will be on flight. :)

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

I said why in the video…

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

We answered your question in our latest video; www.youtube.com/birdtricks (I am uploading it now so give it til tonight or so)

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

Don’t do it! Cockatoos are seriously the worst pets, the most rehomed and the HARDEST to train.

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

It sounds like somewhere down the line when she made the click noise, you rewarded her. So now she thinks she is performing a trick and earning a treat, and that is the problem. Otherwise, she is smart enough to know that you did not make the noise for her. I would perhaps teach a trick not using the clicker, and using the word “good” or using a whistle instead. We go over other options in our latest video which will be online shortly.

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

No reaction is the best reaction :)

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

Clicker training is meant for all types of parrots and all types of animals. It will work on your parrotlet.

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

Our next episode will help you, it will be online shortly!

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

Bondi, our female rose breasted cockatoo is the oldest and the one we’ve had the longest – 11 years old and we’ve had her 10.5 years.

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

Our new video of BTT will help you! I’m uploading it now, it should be up on youtube later today. www.youtube.com/birdtricks

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

Our latest episode of BTT will help you!

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

I would separate the two so that you can get discard the eggs and avoid this behavior.

Jamieleigh
Jamieleigh

To get a bird to stop saying something you can either ignore it, or put it on cue and rarely cue it.

Jamieleigh
sue

God Bless !!!!!!! : )

sue
Karen

I found something that has been massively useful to me to discipline my cockatiel. A laser pointer! When I say “No” I do not have to be on top of him to get his attention. I do not point it at him only in the vacinity. He’s afraid of it and stops the behavior right away. Then I say good boy when he obeys. Now most of the time I just need NO and he obeys.

Karen
Gaye Dougherty

Thank you for the encouraging information on training a bird to exhibit good behavior. My question is whether or not this can be applied to my parrotlet? Posey is very independent and does not appear to care one way or another what I do. The only really bad behavior I “feel” is her nipping. I have come to believe that she thinks she is grooming me, but it hurts. Do you think clicker training would be successful?

Gaye Dougherty

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