Sarasota Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 If you are not familiar with Susan Friedman or Applied Behavior Analysis in bird training, here is a link and excerpt to one of her earlier articles. It’s a great introduction. There are also a ton of other articles on her website, http://www.behaviorworks.org. Susan Friedman, Ph.D. – “Empowering Parrots – Positive Reinforcement Boosts Confidence for Both Bird and Trainer” http://www.behaviorworks.org/files/articles/Empowering%20Parrots.pdf Love to hear your thoughts on this!! 10 Competencies for Companion Parrot Caregivers 1) Understand companion parrot behavior by considering its general function in the wild. 2) Understand companion parrot behavior by analyzing its specific function in the home. 3) Sensitively observe, interpret and respond to parrots’ body language. 4) Empower parrots to make choices and have control over their own outcomes without lowering standards of acceptable behavior. 5) Arrange the physical environment to increase the probability of successful behavior. 6) Deliver high rates of positive reinforcement for desired behaviors with good timing and clear criteria. 7) Achieve training targets by effectively shaping small, sequenced steps toward the final behavior. 8) Design interventions to solve problem behaviors such as biting, excessive screaming and over-bonding using the most positive, least intrusive training methods. 9) Understand the detrimental side effects of aversive behavior-change procedures, and use them rarely. 10) Improve critical thinking skills to better evaluate the appropriateness of popular approaches to parrot behavior management. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I read the article and enjoyed it Sara, especially after a failure to get Timber to step off on the scale tonight. I need to spend more time "doing" something with him like training. We always have our cuddle time, but I haven't really tried to teach him anything (except step up). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I like the statement that every bird is a study of one and that you must learn and understand each birds body language. Great thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Thanks for this post Sara! Ray - I like that statement as well. Nothing has been said truer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 That is my Mantra- each one unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarasota Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 Back from an all day bone scan...yikes! Behavior is the Study of One is Susan's mantra. I was working with one of the Keas at Natural Encounters and she kept me on the right track. I would say something about Kea behavior...and she would remind me that I needed to look at the bird as an individual before looking at her as a Kea. The particular behavior was what was important. ABA is simultaneously complex and simple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Timbersmom.. Kudos to you! You are recognizing it is time to educate. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Yikes, all day bone scan? That sounds like a hassle, and I hope all is well. Nancy, thanks! Maybe you'd better wait until I actually follow through and teach him something though. If our experience runs true to form, it will be him teaching me something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarasota Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 I love watching and studying bird behavior. Yeah, I'm a super dork! Thank you Timbersmom! I have some pesky health issues and they are always running tests. They injected me with a dye and then I had to wait several hours before x-ray, etc. Apparently, the dye was moving slowly, blah, blah, blah. Took SIX hours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Ah, I get it. Hubby went for a one hour CT scan that ran into 4 hours last week. They were supposed to give him something to drink beforehand and didn't so he had to drink it there. Then the machine was tied up, blah, blah, blah indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 I like that about a study of one as well. Not only one parrot, but one day at a time. Just when you think you are understanding cause and effect with a parrot, they will teach you something new the next day. Sometimes life with Gilbert reminds me of the Star Trek episodes with "The Borg". The line "they've assimilated" was bad news for every new tactic. Every time we make a change or try something new, Gilbert will take that in and put it in his little ditty bag to pull out for me and confound me another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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