Gaining a Parrot’s Confidence
Even though parrots are intelligent, and have the capacity to become tame and learn many tricks, they possess natural protective instincts which may, at first, interfere with training efforts. For this reason the first step in any successful training program is to gain the parrot’s confidence.
The greatest problem for most new parrot owners is impatience.They generally choose a parrot as a pet because they have seen how charming and delightful a parrot’s behavior is in the home of a friend or perhaps on television. Many people unrealistically expect similar behavior as soon as they purchase a bird of their own, but this kind of behavior takes time to develop. If you can overcome the urge to expect and demand too much too soon, you will have a better chance of successfully training your own parrot.
Once the parrot has been brought home and is located in the room where he will live, he should he allowed to settle down for several hours before being approached. The new owner can, of course, fill his seed and water dishes and provide a few kind words;but an opportunity for him to quietly look around his new cage and his new location is very important.
At this stage, it is best not to clutter up the parrot’s cage with toys or a swing. As a matter of fact, a swing can wait until the bird is hand-trained - otherwise the swing will lie something extra for him to grab as he attempts to avoid an eagerly outstretched hand.
There is nothing sadder than a parrot who stays in his cage all the time. These intelligent little creatures not only need and enjoy exercise but also thrive on attention, physical contact and the opportunity to see new sights and hear different sounds. For this reason, the first training efforts should aim towards hand-training the parrot. This is nothing more than training the bird to leave his cage on a person’s hand or finger. Unless the newly purchased parrot was previously trained and is superbly confident, his first reaction when the cage door is opened will probably be to move as far away from the new owner as he can and to avoid looking at this “stranger” in the hope he will go away.
Place your hand in the cage with the palm down and rest it on the perch near your parrot. Try to make some sort of physical contact with his feet or body but be sure to do it slowly, as rapid or abrupt movements will frighten the parrot.
Do not be intimidated by the bird’s threatening noises or gestures. In general, a parrot’s reaction to danger is to attempt to avoid it. He will also probably fluff up his feathers and raise his wings in an effort to look larger and more threatening. Unless the bird is a “bronco” ( a wild, a possibly untamable parrot), most of this behavior is pure bluff. Take your hand out of the cage and let him calm down for a few minutes. Leave the door of the cage open and sit in a chair nearby as you talk to the parrot, using gentle tone and calling him by name. Repeat this procedure five or six times and then let him rest and relax until the next training session.
After a day or two the parrot will realize that your hand is now a familiar object and should react in a almer fashion when you put it into the cage.