A note on Punishment and your Parrot

[danmcq]

Punishment is a word that brings many thoughts to mind. Each individual has their own unique perception of what that word means based on their individual life experiences.

 

One thing everyone that just brought their first Parrot home should understand, is that a Parrot does not respond to punishment like a domesticated animal such as a Dog or Cat. They have been truly domesticated and most have a pack mentality. Meaning that they respect and look up to their pack leader. It is always the strongest, quickest and most ferocious fighter out of that pack. When it weakens, there is always a young strong contender just waiting to take them down and become the new pack leader. They are Predators and act as such.

 

With that fact established, a bird of any sort, is a flock member and view the world and their society as such. They are all equal in every aspect. There is no pack leader. There is no striving for such as position or fights over it. They work together as team to survive. They are the prey of many animals. To be away from the flock, means certain death in most cases.

 

Parrots do not respond to many types of punishment I read and hear of people using. They do not understand punishment and many forms of it used that create fear, anger, withdrawal and many times turn in to phobic types of behavior such as feather plucking, becoming cage bound and unfortunately many times complete distrust of humans. Ultimately they end up in the rescues labeled as "Bad Birds".

 

One of the biggest mistakes many new Parrot owners make, is trying to punish a natural behavior that will never go away. These can be contact calls, shredding of your much loved household items, biting or perhaps a Cockatoo that greets dawn with a food tossing party.

 

So what then works for a Parrot? First the behavior needs to be classified. Is it a natural behavior, that will never go away? Is it a learned behavior, such as aggressive biting perhaps unwittingly caused by owners trying to dominate or perhaps even pushing the bird into a corner? These are just a few of the many things to ask as you observe and try to come to a good methodology to slowly correct and minimize or stop the displayed behavior. If it is natural, it will never go away. If it is a learned unnatural behavior, you may be able to stop it completely over a long period of time. If it is an older bird you have re-homed, multiply the time and patience required by at least ten fold.

 

Lets start with addressing a natural behavior gone wild. This is normally due to a need not being met. This could be incessant contact calling and screeching or simply the morning food tossing ritual of a Cockatoo.

 

Natural behaviors can be somewhat minimized. This is done by dealing with the needs that must be met first.

 

Things you must do everyday to minimize or ensure natural needs do not become out of control behavior:

 

1. Provide plenty of out of cage time.

2. Understand that the bird being a flock member will contact call if they can not see the flock.

3. Provide plenty of toys in the cage to keep your bird mentally challenged and active when they are caged.

4. Provide a bountiful diet of many food items available to ensure good health and enjoyable dining for your bird.

5. If your bird is cage and your in eyesight, talk to it and acknowledge it's presence and or comments.

6. Establish schedules and expectations. Your bird will learn these and know when they can expect to be fed, have out of cage time, a bath etc.

 

Things you must not do, or you will suffer the above noted behaviors:

 

1. Scream at them.

2. Hit them or even tap them hard.

3. Throw items at them.

4. Ignore them for inordinately long periods of time as punishment.

5. Place them in an isolated room people are not in frequently. They are part of the flock and need the presence of you and family in view and interactive.

6. Place them in a cage for hours for punishment. If you cover them for this, it just makes it worse.

7. Place them in a dark room like a closet to punish them.

 

The above must and must-not do's is just a short list of many.

 

So what should you do based on a given behavior? Stop and ask yourself the following:

 

1. Is what I expect unreasonable or inappropriate of this behavior?

2. Is this behavior a result of an unmet need?

3. Is there a positive teaching strategy I can use instead of punishment?

 

If the answer is yes to any of these, look for ways to change your expectations, meet your birds needs or use a positive strategy to help you and your bird come to the best agreeable outcome in the long run.

 

Using the Cockatoo morning food tossing ritual. First, get used to it. Second, make the environment in expectation of it a win-win for you and the bird. Reduce the mess by placing cage aprons to reduce the food hitting your walls and floors. Use acrylic mats on the floor to avoid stains on carpet etc. This will reduce your stress and the birds stress of not having you become angry, perhaps frustrated and reacting by banging on the cage, yelling at them etc. to try and stop a natural behavior.

 

This one example will result in you both enjoying the morning relaxed and happy knowing what each other expects.

 

There is much more information to be considered when it comes to dealing with all the behaviors you will encounter with your bird. Please read books available on your specific species, visit forums such as this for help etc.

 

But whatever you do. Please do not react violently in any way and especially not by using means of physical or mental abuse through sensory deprivation. It will only magnify the behavior.

Edited July 4, 2010 by danmcq

[Jayd]

Please make this a sticky! This thread answers a lot of questions. Jayd

[DrTak]

Well written. I think the predator v. prey thing is key. Dogs need an alpha that is consistent and strong, or they will try to be the pack leader, with predictably disastrous results. Parrots need infinite patience, understanding, and support in exploring and trusting. Both are highly social, just in very different ways.

 

What both pets have in common is the need to spend time with your animal to form that bond. It is the same with kids, too. "Quality time" really is no substitute for quantity of time. If you like being with your animals, they will like being with you. Once that happens, you begin to understand each other better, and I think "punishments" of the sorts you describe become intuitively obvious as bad ideas.

[judygram]

This is an excellent piece you have written Dan and does answer many questions new grey or even new bird owners have, many thanks to you for taking the time to do this for us.

[Jayd]

In regards to the truth of Dan's thread, all our rescue fall so clearly into what Dan has listed under abuse. A rehome is usually a psychological undertaking, brought about what Dan has written to us about, success in bringing happiness to the affected bird is usually quite rewarding. In a rescue, it's measured in moments, especially in physically abused fids. Atop of the physical abuse is piled psychological abuse, no matter what, there's a lot of tears involved.. Please think before you take any action. Remember, birds bite!

Thanks

Jayd

[DrTak]

It seems so easy to mess a bird up. They are way less forgiving, IMHO, than the aforementioned dogs. Not to belittle the effort of dog rescue, but parrot rescue seems unbelievably challenging.

[Mistyparrot]

Thanks for this Dan. Parrots and punishment simply do not belong together. We all need to understand that these birds are essentially wild animals that WE have chosen to bring into our homes. It is up to us to understand their needs and respond as best we can. If they do things we find unacceptable like chewing treasured possessions or valuable furniture we have to understand that parrots will never put a value on things the way we do. It is up to us not to put temptation in their way. Parrots will make a mess. In the jungle when you live in trees nobody gives a damn what you drop on the floor or splatter around. To them our homes are simply an extension of that jungle.

Parrots want to get along with their flock mates. They enjoy each others company and they will not bite each other if they respect each others space. If your parrot bites you it is almost certainly your fault not the parrots.

He has to get to know you as a flock member. They are generous hearted creatures and they will make allowances for your stupidity and inability to fly for as long as you never give them reason to mistrust you.

Parrots need to communicate with their flock members and partners. Learn their contact calls, respond to them and they will try to make sense of the weird noises you make in return.

If they do something antisocial like biting without due cause, do what they would do in similar circumstances and withdraw your company for a short while. This may include a very short period of cage time. No more than a couple of minutes. If you cannot give your feathered friend loads of out of cage time or a large flight area then you should consider whether you are best placed to keep a parrot. Don't clip your parrots wings. Almost all Parrots are flying birds. It is what they are evolved to do. If they are clipped they may become troubled and unhappy birds. That said not all clipped parrots are unable to overcome the trauma of losing the ability to fly but pre-fledged parrots must never be clipped. All should be allowed to learn flight skills as it will significantly help their mental and physical development.

Remember: if you feel the need to punish your parrot it is because you have screwed up not the bird.

 

Steve n Misty

Edited July 4, 2010 by Mistyparrot

[chezron]

So here is my question, keeping in mind that I should not raise my voice to teach my bird- what do you do when my bird is testing his limits by flying repetitively to the stove, which may or may not be on? I feel I am forced to raise my voice to make him understand the gravity of the situation should he be on the stove. I usually yell, HOT! when he lands on the stove. I chase him off with a large metal saucepan lid only because it isn't technically "me" who is chasing- just the metal lid. This doesn't seem to be following the "rules" for Grey discipline, so do you have any suggestions for me?

[Mistyparrot]

He may be flying to the stove to get a reaction out of you. Misty does that with me although fortunately it's not the stove he flies to but the top of the door or to the dado rail. He is not allowed on either place, the door top because not only did he start to chew on the wood but also the obvious risk that a door might close on him. On the dado rail he would try to rip the wallpaper. Like you I tried calling him off but the only effect that had was when ever he flew there he would look at me challengingly and say "Off off!" In the end I discovered that for some reason he disliked a dried sun flower head I had brought him. I thought he might like to chew the seeds off it, but in fact he won't go near it. So I hung it up on the door top. It looked a bit odd but he won't fly there now.If you have a thing that he does not like you could try putting that on the stove. You can never tell which things a Grey will take against. You will have to experiment a bit. Find something you can put on the stove whether or not it is hot.

Another thing I use with Misty is his plastic water mister. If I adjust it to a jet I can squirt him from a distance. He dislikes this but he has worked out that if he flies on to my shoulderI cannot easily get to him !

He does not resent me for this in fact he treats it as a game. Most times he only has to see me pick it up. Some times if he sees the spray bottle unguarded he will attempt to dismantle it with prejudice. I hang old ones up on his play tree and he has great fun with them.

This works for Misty and me but your bird may react differently. If it upsets him don't do it.

 

Steve n Misty

[danmcq]

Chezron - Steve made great comments on possible ways to keep a grey away from off-limit areas we all have.

 

As a note on raising your voice in a sharp emotional repsonse to your grey. A firm and loud NO for example is fine. I wrote not to scream at your bird. The difference being, one is controlled and purposeful, the other is an uncontrolled human screaming and fuming nonsense.

 

Just a few observations based on what you have described as the behavior and the responses your grey is receiving:

 

1. I land on the stove and my owner comes running yelling HOT and chases me off with a round metal object. WOW, BIG FUN! I'm going to keep doing this over and over.

2. Use of the word "HOT" does that mean "Come on Back for more fun?" It may to your grey, the stove is not hot, so what is this word descrbing?

 

First and foremost, your right. The stove is not an area you want your grey on. You are doing the right thing by removing him each and everytime he goes there. But, obviously the reation to this behavior is not working. Your also not teaching your grey the proper meaning of the word "Hot".

 

I like Steve's idea of placing an object there he is afraid of that will keep him away. It works for many people.

 

In our case, when Dayo was young, we caged him when cooking. We cover our stove top when not in use and the parrots run all over the counters in our kitchen and across the stove cover. Over time, the birds learned what the word hot means by getting close to our food just served and feeling the steam coming off, hot water and getting hot from the sun outside in 100 degree summertimes. When the stove cover is taken off to cook, neither will go near it with all those strange looking utensils, pots and pans and the loud over stove exhaust fan running, which is messing up their play yard. Of course, one of us is standing there every second that stove is on and when finished. It is cooled, cleaned and covered.

 

I have made all these mistakes in the past as well. The more excited I became and reacted, I received an equal and opposite reaction of zeal on Dayos part to keep this BIG FUN party going. Unless we stop and analyse what is driving the behavior, we will rarely find the correct modfication technique to use. Believe me, I am learning as I go as well.

[chezron]

Really great points Steve and Dan!

 

We really don't have many places that ARE off-limits to Brutus. And as far as chewed wooden cabinet trim and gnawing on door frames I consider that just a small price for having a grey, so I don't stress over those types of things. Plus, I have a sizable stack of towels and cheap pillows that I use to temporarily cover areas that have suddenly become enticing to Brutus because I do have items that I do not wish to see in pieces.

 

But when his safety is concerned I am a mother bear! Unfortunately I have a boy who is afraid of NOTHING! Everything is a game and just a mouthful away from being dismantled and destroyed.

 

My husband had a great idea, similar to yours Dan, to load the stove top with pots and pans even though most are not in use to discourage visitation when the stove is on. I think I will try this from now on. I also think I will take Dan's advice and use the word "hot" when it applies to other "hot" situations, so he begins to make an association.

 

Thank you for once again providing me with stellar advice!

Edited May 27, 2012 by chezron

[Luvparrots]

I totally agree that shouting, hitting and other abusive behavior are not right to be used on any person or animal. However, I choose to avoid having to watch my fids constantly so my counters and stove tops and cabinet tops are off limits all the time. From the very beginning Ana Grey has not be allowed on places I feel are dangerous at any time. Tones of voice and body language work well for my fids. Ana Grey knows NO is no all the time. She has perches and boings all throughout the house and these are her landing pads not the top of my doors or cabinets or stove. Ana Grey knows what a finger wagging means, what a turning of my head from side to side means and if I show up with my hands on my hips she is in big trouble. Just like we need to learn to read our fids' body language they can do the same also. Ana Grey tries to understand my body language as I do hers. She is a very self-confident and very trusting bird. I also believe that in any situation someone has to be in charge to make the life threating and life changing decision and that is me. Ana Grey is my companion and my friend. She trusts me to do the right things for her and I always do my best to not break her trust. Our greys are very intelligent and they read us much better than we read them, I truly believe. They are the masters of manipulation, if you let them get away with it that is!!!!

Edited September 17, 2010 by luvparrots

[Oscars Mom]

thank you very much - this is a well written and informative article - although saddened by the fact some people may punish their bird (or any other pet) in the manners listed.

We are just thrilled to have found this website, the knowledge is incredible and helpful with our transition of being a Grey Mom & Dad

[chezron]

Good advice from Ana Grey's Mom- thanks!

[AbbysDaddy]

Great thread just a shame it took so long to get going!

[judygram]

Great thread just a shame it took so long to get going!

 

Better late than never!

[chezron]

I am afraid that I took the "no yelling" thing to an extreme. I think I have been too reticent to use any sort of authoritative approach as I was convinced it would damage his fragile sensibilities. I can see now that I haven't given Brutus enough credit. He is a tough little guy and I know he loves me tons! Thanks for the words of wisdom.

[pearllyn]

I don't think any form of punishment should ever be used on any animal, not just parrots. I for one would much rather have an animal do something for me because she wanted to do it, rather than because she was scared into doing it!

Great post Dan, thanks for taking the time to do it.

[danmcq]

A note on being "Authoritative" with a bird. Birds have no concept of a leader or authoritative person. A parrot dealt with in this manor is normally scared into submitting. I better description, if I understand Janet right is her "Consistency" in ensuring her Grey knows it won't be there long....

 

I suspect, what Janet did, was she went and retrieved her Grey a thousand times from the "Off Limits" area's while using a firm "NO!" and doing so. I have done this as well with Dayo in places we do not want him. He still may fly there every week or so and then look to see if 1) I noticed then 2) Am I on my way or 3) I say "NO!" and before I am able to get out of my chair, he flies to his roosting place and fingers his nose at me.

[Luvparrots]

i can assure you my grey is not afraid of me. And no I don't constantly have to get her off my refrigerator or cabinets or counters. Ana Grey just doesn't go there. Perhaps because she was not flighted for over a year and became accustomed to her perches and boings and playstands but certainly not because of fear. Each parrot as children are different, it has to do with how they are raised and their feelings of security. It is my understanding that greys reside in flocks. Ana Grey is a member of my flock and someone has to be in charge and that is me. I am not disagreeing with anything Dan has said, I am only expressing what works for me and my grey.

Edited July 6, 2010 by luvparrots

[chezron]

Dan, If Brutus knew he could get me to pick him up every time he flew to the stove- he would fly there every chance he got. Nothing he likes better than riding shotgun with Mom. I think I will just do the pots and pans strewn on the stove, so far it has worked and he hasn't flown over to the stove. I guess it looks like he can't get a sufficient landing spot. I have tried saying "NO' with conviction and he just looks at me quizzically with his head cocked. My method has been pretty much redirection, so there is no need for correction.

[Jayd]

As some of you know, Maggie and I work with re-home and rescue birds, We will be posting a series of story’s about our abused birds and others that we have worked with. *We will be posting about the abuse our parrots endured previously, the behavior caused by it and what we’ve done to start redirecting or channeling it to something different that is an acceptable behavior, with present progress.* [ie Dan] Prior Warning, they will be *Graphic*!

 

We place stable re-home able birds, most rescues we keep if we can. What we consider a stable re-home able bird is: A bird in good physical condition, eating well with minimum bad eating habits, sociable or set in there ways. This would be a bird that has to be re-homed because of : owners moving, financial problems, can no longer keep for a number of reasons. Grey’s, Cockatoo’s, and to a lesser extent Macaw’s, very seldom fall into this category!

 

Rescue’s we categorize in different levels from: Mild Psychological, Severe Psychological, Physically disabled, [mild=severe] Physically Abused, and last and most devastating, Physically and Psychological Abused. The story’s we’ll be posting will be about our own birds and others we have worked with. We find that working with more than one rescue at a time, more beneficial then singly, kind of like “group therapy.

 

Well be starting with: *Joey*, a almost 4 year old CAG, who was severely Psychologically abused.

 

Will move on to: *Fred*, a 19 year old Sulfur-Crested TOO, who was severely Physically and Psychological Abused.

 

And then: Tango, a 8 year old Blue-eyed Triton TOO, Mildly Psychological abused.

 

 

 

Thanks

Jayd and Maggie

Edited August 11, 2010 by Jayd

[danmcq]

Looking forward to those great real-life additions with rescues to this thread.

[danmcq]

Chezron - I'm glad the pots and pans have resolved the problem so far. It is a good behavior modifier in our home as well. It won't work in every home with a grey that would probably help you set them out, but for the ones that do not clutter with big cold steel, it does the trick, especially when they see steam and feel the heat coming from them. The word Hot has true meaning then, supervised of course.

[Lyric]

Great information here! It's good for a new bird owner as well as a good reminder for those of us who have had an avian companion for a while.

I have found that a quick time-out in the cage does a pretty good job teaching my fids when they have done something that is unacceptable. Plus, it gives me a chance to take a few deep breaths, relax and clear my mind. You should never attempt to deal with a bird when you are upset or mad.

They do learn quickly how to read our human body language and emotions too. I know a look and a "AH AH AH!" can sometimes stop my birds from doing what they are doing and make them reconsider their actions.