Parrot Tricks: Teaching Parrots with Positive Reinforcement

Parrot Tricks: Teaching Parrots with Positive Reinforcement

Parrot Tricks: Teaching Parrots with Positive Reinforcement

Parrot Tricks: Teaching Parrots with Positive Reinforcement

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Overview

KEEP YOUR PARROT STIMULATED AND ACTIVE, AND HE WILL KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED!
By nature, parrots are inquisitive, intelligent, and social animals. You can capitalize on these characteristics and obedience train your bird, teaching him behaviors that will make your life and his more enjoyable—behaviors such as stepping on your hand or wrist on command, and going to a designated perch. Then you can progress to teach him all kinds of tricks. He'll love the attention, communication, and socialization. From the essential basics of obedience training to awesome tricks that will amuse and amaze your friends, Parrot Tricks covers:
  • Techniques to use during the "get acquainted" period
  • Setting up a training area and using food as a training tool
  • Training basics such as targeting, luring, and using cues
  • Necessary obedience skills such as step up, come, perch, and stay
  • The basic retrieve command, the foundation of many tricks
  • Simple tricks such as shake hands, high five, kiss, and take a bow
  • Tricks based on the retrieve command, including basketball, ring on the peg, and stacking cups
  • Advanced tricks such as pulling a wagon, pushing a grocery cart, raising a flag, and riding a skateboard
  • Innovative tricks that showcase your bird's natural abilities
  • Chaining tricks, such as recycling and going to the mailbox
  • Verbalizations and talking using the Rival/Model Method or the Positive Reward Method
  • Directions for making simple props
With this book, patience, and practice, you'll build your understanding of and relationship with your bird as you build a repertoire of tricks. You can get your parrot to jump through hoops for you—literally!

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781620458075
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Publication date: 02/01/2006
Pages: 232
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

TANI ROBAR has trained companion parrots to perform tricks for the past fifteen years. She has appeared three times on Animal Planet's Pet Star television show and won top place on one of the segments with her bird Cassie. Robar frequently performs with her birds at bird expos, conferences, and conventions.

DIANE GRINDOL has had companion birds since 1982. She writes a column for Bird Talk magazine and authored Cockatiels for Dummies® and Teaching Your Bird to Talk (Wiley).

Table of Contents

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1 The Advantages of Trick Training Your Parrot.

Benefits to You.

Benefits to Your Bird.

Socialization.

Making Life Easier.

A New Experience for You.

Bird Ambassadorship: Getting Out with Your Parrot.

Keep Your Expectations in Check.

2 Preparations for Training.

Early-Bird Training.

Tameness Scale.

Any Age Bird Can Be Trained.

The Training Area.

Training Rewards for Your Bird.

Food as a Training Tool.

Training Sessions.

How Many Trainers?

Trimming Wing Feathers.

The T-Stand.

3 Training Basics.

Targeting.

Shaping a Behavior.

Physical Assistance (Molding).

Luring.

Capturing a Behavior.

Clicker Training.

Operant Conditioning.

Partial Extinction.

Cues: Verbal and Physical.

Generalizing.

4 Necessary Obedience Skills (Husbandry Behaviors).

Step Up.

Come and Perch.

Stay.

Go to Your Cage.

Potty Training.

Nail Trimming.

Wing Trimming.

Getting into a Carrier.

Toweling.

Moving from Place to Place.

5 Tricks That Don’t Require Props.

First Training Lessons.

The Turn Around.

The Wave.

Shake Hands.

Review of First Training Session.

High Five.

The Kiss.

Nod Head Yes.

Shake Head No.

Take a Bow.

Big Eagle.

Flap Wings.

6 Teaching the Basic Retrieve Command.

First Retrieve Lessons.

Bring It to Me.

Planning Ahead for Other Tricks.

Moving the Object Around.

Card Tricks.

7 Simple Tricks Based on the Retrieve.

Basketball.

Wastepaper into a Wastepaper Basket.

Recycling.

Ring on the Peg.

Rings on the Peg by Color.

Rings on the Peg by Size.

Ring on Your Finger.

Lei on a Doll.

Stacking Cups.

Coins in a Bank.

Letter in a Mailbox.

Puzzle Board—Learning Shapes.

The Shell Game.

Ringing a Hanging Bell.

Retrieving a Dumbbell.

Retrieving a Dumbell Over a Hurdle.

Lifting a Barbell.

8 Advanced Tricks Based on the Retrieve.

Pulling a Pull Toy.

Pulling a Wagon.

Variations of Pulling a Wagon.

Pushing a Grocery Cart.

Pushing a Baby Carriage.0

Pushing a Ball.

Bowling.

Soccer.

Rolling Out a Carpet.

Raising a Flag.

Carrying a Banner or a Rod.

Changing a Marquee.

Displaying a Sign.

Putting a Hat on a Rack.

Opening a Mailbox.

Riding a Scooter.

Riding a Skateboard.

Turning a Crank.

9 Miscellaneous Tricks.

Playing Dead.

Rolling Over.

Somersault.

Headstand on Table.

Headstand on Hand.

Climbing a Ladder.

Climbing a Rope or a Pole.

Sliding Down a Pole.

Climbing Rings.

Hauling Up a Bucket.

Jumping Through a Hoop.

Ringing a Service Bell.

Skating.

Riding a Bicycle.

10 Innovative Tricks.

Hopping.

Scratching Head.

Placing Object Under Wing.

Putting Foot to Beak.

Dancing, Bobbing, and Weaving.

Stretching.

Nodding Head Yes.

Shaking Head No.

Raising the Ruff or Neck Feathers.

11 Chaining Tricks.

Putting It All Together.

Still More . . . .

Final Touches.

Chains of Tricks.

12 Verbalizations and Talking.

You Are Already Training Your Parrot.

Training Your Parrot to Talk.

Once More, with Meaning.

Talking Back.

The Model/Rival Method.

The Positive Reward Method.

Expectations.

13 Making Props.

Using Props.

Getting Assistance.

Making Your Own Props.

T-Stand or Training Perch.

Floor Stand.

Table Perch.

Ring on the Peg.

Puzzle Board.

Basketball Hoop.

Shell Game.

Piggy Bank.

Barbell/Dumbbell.

Soccer Field.

Hat Rack.

Afterword.

Appendix A: Resources.

Appendix B: Places You Can See Performing Birds.

Appendix C: Glossary.

Index.

About the Authors.

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