Rbst

[Ray P]

For a new care giver getting their first medium or large parrot can be very exciting. And than your new parrot comes home and now that excitement turns into fear a little frustration and doubt. Am I doing this right or am I doing this wrong, Where do I start, What do I do first. Even after all your research you thought you were ready.

This is what works for me and I do it with any new bird that comes into my home, baby or re home, for me it works for both. There is an order here that always leads to the next step and each step overlaps the next and I call it RBST

1 Relationship. This is the start.

2 Bonding. That special connection.

3 socializing. The inter action with others.

4 teaching or training.

Relationship

There are many kinds of relationships. You have work relationship, business, spouse, children, friends. siblings just to name a few.

With your bird its when you start to build a trust and respect for each other by sitting by their cage and talking to it and sharing treats and getting to know each other. You have to put your time and energy into this to make it work.

As your relationship develops you start to overlap in to the next step

Bonding

You can have a relationship with no bond, but you can`t have a bond with out a relationship.

As you spend time with your new companion and start to do things with each other that are fun and you want to be with each other and you each look forward to you time together you now have the start to bonding and that special connection.

Socializing

As your bond grows you want to make sure that you socialize your bird.

Birds by nature are social beings as they live in flocks and to some degree they depend on each other.

African Grey's stick to their own kind and do not mix with other kinds of birds, but with in their flock.

You may see a large flock of Grey's in the wild that hang together but with in that flock there are many small groups of Grey's that have their own social group

With new world parrots like amazons, macaws etc. you may see large flock of mixed species of parrots that hang out together because they are a social being.

To make sure your bird is socialized you need to introduce new things and people in a manner your bird will except.

Teaching or Training

This one can be a tough one.

You teach your children how to live life, OK you may potty train them but for the most part you teach them.

You can train your birds to do tricks, but teach them how to live.

I always say talk to your birds, not at them. Talk to them like you talk to a child. They will start to understand and they will become family.

OK I said enough. Your input is welcome

Edited August 28, 2012 by Ray P

[Timbersmom]

Good post Ray, thanks and keep them coming

[Jayd]

Thank you Ray, a very thought provoking thread....Jay and Maqgie

[CLB]

Thanks Ray...I meant to comment on this earlier but managed to lose the thread! ugh. Such important info.

[Talon]

Very good for for thought. I think every one of us learned something from your post. Thank you!

[murfchck]

So very well stated. Thank you

[Parrot Lady]

good post tyvm

[katana600]

Sometimes what we are doing with rehomed parrots is to reverse the things they were previously taught. It is still teaching but it does take a different mindset and different approach than taking a new baby home. Good post as usual Ray. It is slow and careful going for relating and bonding and building a trust with such an incredibly intelligent and wary grey who is resisting the changes his new home inevitably brings. Talking, explaining, repeating the good behavior, hoping for the best and having faith and vision for the potential of our new little charge is like a slow steady drip of water that eventually fills a reservoir that will continue to sustain us for the long term.

[Sarasota]

Great post! Words to live by.

 

I fear my poor kids suffer from lack of socialization (and hence some of their fearful behavior). I live alone...and pretty far from my family and friends. Oddly enough, most of my friends are not bird people and the parrots freak them out. So there's not too much socializing outside of our immediate flock (2 parrots, 2 toucans, 2 dogs and a bunch of homing pigeons). The last time my friend came over I begged her to give the birds some almonds. She was so freaked out she shrieked and screamed and scared the birds. Sigh. So much for socialization.

[CLB]

I am constantly asking anyone who enters..."have you met my parrot??" LOL

[katana600]

Not only am I educating every friend, neighbor, relative and acquaintance on interacting with my parrots and endearing Gilbert and Java to those people, I have an underylying agenda to find the perfect person in the event of my passing before he does. My plan is to wait patiently for grandchildren and to be sure one of them falls madly in love with Gilbert and has my "parrot lovin' genes". For months Rachel was deathly afraid of him and she was about to marry a man who is against pets of any kind. That was the one glimmer of opportunity I saw coming from the cancelation of the wedding just one week before the happy day. I promise, I did nothing to precipitate that. However, with her coming back home and now she and Gilbert are best friends so I am hoping for about ten years down the road that she will have a child who will be Gilbert's next home. When I told Rachel she said she would take him. I told her she may only outlive me by thirty years and by my calculations Gilbert may outlive her too. I do believe that was the first time she thought of her own mortality considering the shocked look she gave me. LOL. This RSBT is something that can be taught. Once a person tries this and has a parrot respond and bond, the rest is history.