New training series.....HERE on Birdboard!!

[parrotntn]

I am making a new series in the training section that will be called

"The Success Series"

In it, I will post YOUR success stories. You've worked hard to get your bird where it is now.
First, we'll be covering biting, then screaming and other common bird training issues. I'd like to have your success story to post in a sticky. There will be a discussion area pertinant to them, but the sticky will remain. My goal is to have a training database for peole to have quick reference to if they have a specific problem rather than search and read thru comments. Here, they can easily find a proven method, from real people, that they could model with their bird. Bear in mind that the bird's history, it's predisposition, hormones, diet, your homelife and other facets of training are important here and what works for one in one place might not work for another. But, there are some basics that one might gather from here that might help another.
This is not meant to be a cureall for bird problems, but a database of information to give you ideas of where you might could make some effective changes. EACH BIRD IS DIFFERENT. But, you worked it out with YOUR bird and that's what I'm after.

Did you have a biter? Did you have sore thumbs and index fingers? Ear rings get jerked out? Did you buy the bandaids in bulk?
If you were able to break your bird from biting, please PM the story to me. It doesn't have to be long or extremely detailed. What worked, what didn't work and how it changed your relationship with your bird.

Please PM your biting success stories to me and let's make it a little easier for people to have quick accesss to helpful information for their relationship with their bird.
And besides that, I KNOW the feeling of overcoming some "opportunities" with your beloved bird...and you are ENTITLED to be proud!
Thanks and have a great day!

[svolk]

I'd like to suggest a future series on taming untamed birds who were fearful of hands and people.

[parrotntn]

Thanks Sarah. It's all one big process broken down into little process'.
With Cleo, FIRST was getting past the fear of hands and people. THEN working on deconditioning the bird to biting and lunging was next.
In any training process first is the bird moving past it's conditioned fear and learning to trust.
Although mine is all documented in Cleo's blog, I'll make a summary of what worked with her and post it as an example.

When I started working with Cleo, I found so much information that it was mindboggling and unorganized. There were even a few resources that questioned me as to WHY I wanted a bird to stepup..what about MY life needed that? Now, that said, some self-analysis is necessary to be an owner. It's not a domesticated animal we're dealing with. But it's not necessary, for most people, to need to lay down on a couch and examine your relationship with your mother in order to be a good bird owner.
There are no cut and dried methods, but there are some that work better than others...and that's what I'm going after here.
With this series, I hope to use all of us out there as examples to help with rehoming problems in particular.
Since biting is the barrier to any further interaction other than non-physical,such as sitting and talking to the bird (which is good!), I decided to start with biting.
So..comeon people, I know they're out there. Let's get some success stories going!

[svolk]

Originally Posted by parrotntn

Thanks Sarah. It's all one big process broken down into little process'.
With Cleo, FIRST was getting past the fear of hands and people. THEN working on deconditioning the bird to biting and lunging was next.
In any training process first is the bird moving past it's conditioned fear and learning to trust.
Although mine is all documented in Cleo's blog, I'll make a summary of what worked with her and post it as an example.

Yes I hear you there, that training first stems upon trust.

When I first started reading this post about the training series I thought - OH I can PM my taming processes with Jerry and Winston. But then as I read further you wanted something more specific regarding biting - and, well, my budgies don't bite Winston has never bitten me to this day (yet we physically interact daily) and Jerry only bites when he's too worked up about something.

But my conversations here with others' who have untamed budgies (or similar smaller birds that are sometimes viewed as aviary or hands-off birds) have been that it would be useful to show how to establish that trust and build upon it.

[parrotntn]

SARAH PLEASE PM ME YOUR SUCCESS STORIES!!!!
Don't hold back a good story just in case it might not all in a said "catagory".
The training catagories will expand as the stories come in.
I definatly want to hear and post about Winston and Jerry's training that you've done! That one on one personal success story is what I'm building this series on.
Building on how we can, quickly and effectively, help each other overcome our training trials. And how to not give up on a bird as so often happens. They are too magnificent and intelligent of a creature to be left in a cage because the owner was too intimidated by training. If I could get Cleo to where she is....ANYONE can.
It breaks my heart to think of how Cleo was abused, left in a hamster cage in the back of a petstore and poked with a stick, dropped on the floor. So many other birds out there like that right now. We can't save/work with em all or with the breeders to stop them. BUT..as motivated bird owners, we can gather together and teach each other..Each one teach one.
Be part of the solution.
Looking forward to reading your training memoirs.
Mark