Don't Be Lazy About Your Parrot Training Regimine

A bit of a kick in the butt today... because I think some people become afraid to dive headfirst into their parrot's training, or give up way to quickly because they think they have to train 3 times a day for 20 minutes forever! ... let's look at this type of perspective. Do you own dogs? Do your dog's get 30 minutes of play time with you every day? Heck... I know some dogs get to play all day long, and even sleep in your bed! They get to follow you around the house... you hook them up on a leash, and they walk around the neighborhood with you, or go on a stroll in the park. So why on God's green Earth, does it seem so demanding of your time, to do the same with your parrot. There are companies who make bird leashes. Go make the $15 investment and pick one up. Spend some time training your bird to wear it comfortably... and don't give up. I know plenty of puppies who hated their leash the first time they had to wear it. Why would you give up on leashing your bird so quickly? A leashed bird can go on walks with you outside. (I highly recommend you secure the leash to something VERY secure, and don't just hand onto it-- you'll risk accidentally letting go, and losing your bird or clip your bird's wings) And can even go to the park. Last year, at our local park here in Spokane, Wa I was pleased to see a Muloccan Cockatoo, perched on it's owners shoulder in the middle of a festival downtown with tons of people -- what a STIMULATING environment for that guys bird... I'm betting that bird doesn't get bored often. Don't take for granted the fact that your bird is beautiful, and settle for a house ornament. They're living breathing beings, and they deserve the right to live in a stimulating, interactive environment... so give it to them! ... and even though I'm ranting about why you should spend more time with your bird, I'm hear to let you know, once you pour hours, days, weeks, months or even years, into your parrot's training, your bird knows it for good. It's like riding a bike! Sure your parrot may need a refresher, but heck, I'd be willing to bet if you havn't touched a bike in 5-10 years, you might be a little rusty if you had to go race on a BMX track... I'm right aren't I? Your bird remembers what to do, once he's learned something, it comes back to him with small training sessions every now and then. The perfect example of this is my Parrotlet Ricky, who you can read about in several of last months posts. I was able to fix his out of control biting in one day! By puting him in a sleeping cage, and about 5-8 target training sessions... which was a behavior he already knew. And it's now been nearly a week, I haven't done any more target training, he hasn't slept in his sleeping cage, and he STILL has NOT bitten me. All he needed was a refresher training session. I don't have to pour all my free time into training him... he's smarter than that! So give your bird that same credit, and just do refresher training sessions every now and then. He'll be more stimulated, and you'll have a happier, more playful parrot because of it.