Tag Archives: Positive reinforcement

So you want to train your pet parrot for freeflight….

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Hillary

A brief look at the risks of free flying companion parrots, this article is meant to highlight some of the variables that dangers that amateur trainers may not be aware of but is not an all-inclusive list. Continue reading →

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Training other animals: Stewie gets a haircut!

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Hillary

Following the same principles of training birds, I was able to teach my dog, Stewie, how to lay calmly unrestrained while I gave him his first summer haircut. Continue reading →

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Working with Fearful Parrots: A Study in Videos

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Hillary

Building relationships with parrots that show extremely fearful behavior can be a challenging problem. Much of the information out there is based on the one-way transmission of information from human to bird. By allowing a bird to use body language to change our behavior and using positive reinforcement to reward desirable behavior, we can achieve sustainable pathways to closer, more trusting relationships. Continue reading →

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Cockatoo training…. with a little help

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Hillary

In my busy household, I squeeze in training sessions whenever I can. Sometimes, it means working with my birds in less than ideal situations with many distractions. Not something that makes for effective teaching. This is a clip of me … Continue reading →

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What TO do

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Hillary

When looking at behavior challenges, looking at what we want the bird to do to be successful will help train our brain to look for behaviors we want to see continue and increase, and thus, reinforce. Continue reading →

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Part II: R+ needs a strong supporting cast

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Hillary

My formal introduction to positive reinforcement was not exactly early on in my bird-owning career, but the concept was so effectively delivered that in one fell swoop, my quest for knowledge took a sharp turn in a new direction, leaving … Continue reading →

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Part I: On positive reinforcement

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Hillary

First in a series about positive reinforcement: Why don’t we use it more? Continue reading →

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