Over the years, many different theories have evolved regarding parrot behavior and many different techniques have been tried in an effort to change some of those behaviors. The first behavioral trials involved techniques proven successful in dog training. Now, we've come to a place where techniques similar to those used with young children are often employed. The problem is, parrots are not dogs, and they're not human children - they're parrots, unique unto themselves. Our psittacine companions are highly intelligent, extremely empathetic and empathic and very sensitive emotionally. They do not comprehend cause and effect logic well.

Though most birds living with humans now are domestically bred hand raised babies, at heart they're still wild animals, with a lot of wild instincts guiding them. Problems arise when these very smart, very loving wild animals come to live in the artificial environment of a cage in our homes. Proper guidance in early stages is vital in helping birds learn to adapt to this world we've created for them, and lack of nurturing often leads to problems down the road. Screaming, biting, feather plucking, and "running wild" in the home are some of the most frequently seen problems that arise. These can be frustrating things for even the most loving and tolerant bird parent. 25 years ago, when I got my first bird, I was told to deal with problems by covering the cage, banging on it, screaming loudly at the bird, or squirting her with a spray bottle. I tried these things a few times (Hey, I didn't know any better at the time), but quickly realized nothing was happening as far as effecting behavioral change. What I did notice was an Amazon parrot who seemed confused or got extremely angry when I tried those things - dubbed "Quick Fixes." Amazingly, these methods are still recommended by some breeders and behaviorists.

I have a few clients who still stubbornly cling to these methods, insisting they have no alternative, but my question is - "If these techniques work so well, why do you have to keep repeating them?!" Quick fixes can sometimes appear to work by temporarily distracting the bird, but the solution doesn't last long. Often, the problem becomes worse as the bird becomes more angry and confused. Why don't they work? All interaction with companion parrots is based on trust. Trust is the only thing that's proven effective in human/parrot interaction.

The problem with quick fixes is many of them destroy the trust we work so hard to build. They're based more on fear and intimidation tactics, which can totally wipe out the bond of trust. Yelling at a bird is perceived as an invitation to scream back - who can be loudest? Covering the cage is confusing - "Is It bedtime?" "What's going on?" Banging on the cage makes them fearful and angry. A cage is a bird's territory and sanctuary. Parrots are prey animals, not predators, so an "attack" on their territory is an attack on them. Squirting with water is also confusing - "Is it bath time?" and can cause birds to develop a fear of bathing. I know birds who've been squirted as discipline who run as fast as they can to get away and hide when they see a squirt bottle. Effective behavioral change in parrots is accomplished much more effectively with positive reinforcement of "good" behaviors and ignoring negative ones. Punishment doesn't work well, due to the lack of understanding the cause and effect. The problem with quick fixes is that the cause of the problem is not being addressed, so no permanent change is possible, and as I mentioned earlier, it may exacerbate the problems even more. Just remember, aggression begets more aggression.

So, forget the quick fixes and learn to recognize that's causing the problem, so you can effectively change the behavior with positive reinforcement and guidance.

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