Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavioral Problems in Companion Parrots

by Barbara Heidenreich

Book Overview

An easy to read step-by-step guide that uses positive reinforcement for teaching parrots acceptable behavior. Professional advice from animal behaviorist that will help you deal with screaming,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1895270278
• ISBN13: 9781895270273
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Avian Publications
• Length: 86 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.2" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent resource

This book, along with Ms. Heidenreich's other book, The Parrot Problem Solver, are the best books I've come across dealing with companion parrots. If you understood why your bird is behaving as it does, you can deal with it more effectively. Kindness and reward go far with a companion bird (and, even though Ms. Heidenreich didn't mention it, 11-12 hours of covered cage/darkness a day does, too) than all the reprimanding in the world (which a parrot does not understand). A parrot, much like a cat, is not going to do anything he doesn't want to do, but unlike a cat, you can convince a parrot to want what you want, too. Tell him he's a good bird when he's quiet. Give him a reward when he says something nice. Understand you are his teacher, not his mate and not his slave. Punish him by turning your back, reward him by giving attention and praise. Parrots are a lot like toddlers - they need to be constantly taught how to be good and their companions need to be able to recognize the behaviors (sometimes extremely hard to see) that signal overexcitement, frustration and anger. Excellent book I'd recommend to any bird "owner."

Finally - Science instead of mere opinion.

In this book we are given a hands on approach to a type of Psychology called Operant Conditioning. Another, simpler way to think of this is Training. Barbara takes complex concepts of psychology like behavior analysis and puts them into terms that anyone can understand. She gives us an overview of the concepts we are going to need for tools. We are presented with several of the most common behavioral "scenarios" that parrot owners and their birds are likely to encounter. Barbara takes each of these scenarios and breaks them down into the steps you'll need to take to teach the behavior you need (or "un-teach" as the case may be - your mileage may vary!). The best part of Barbara's methods is that they are all based on Positive Reinforcement and at no time will your bird need to feel stressed or afraid. In fact you can use the tools you take away from this book to help fearful birds become more confident. If you are thinking of buying this book I also urge you to get Barbara's other book "The Parrot Problem Solver." With the tools you can get from trying the techniques in these two books you're on your way towards dealing with behavioral problems you thought might make you give up your bird to a rescue. My wife and I run a small parrot adoption and care education facility in Southern California and we just hosted a behavior workshop presented by Barbara. If you are a parrot owner (or if the bird owns you) and Barbara is giving a workshop in your area - RUN - do not walk to sign up for it. I learned more in one day than I have in the last 11 years of being involved with parrots

Excellent book for problem behaviors and positive reinforcement

When your bird is screaming, or biting, or pulling feathers, you're looking for an effective and easy way to understand the problem and work with it. With an easy-to-read format and easy-to-understand writing style, this book is a MUST have for companion parrot owners, and the people that work with them. Excellent easy reference for veterinary staff and shelter workers. It's a great place to get hooked on positive reinforcement as a teaching/training technique. And, contrary to popular belief, you don't have to get bitten when you are working with your bird! The ideas presented are straight forward, and realistic to implement. I reccomend this book to my students, and most of my behavior clients as a great place to get started.

Wonderful Training Book for Parrot People

This book offers feasible, effective methods of dealing with many of the problems that are common in companion parrots. It describes the problem, possible causes, and then clearly outlines options for dealing with them. The book is short and gets to the point. It is very well worth the $15! Barbara Heidenreich has years of experience as a free flight educational trainer in zoological settings, and continues to train for shows and programs in the US and beyond! I've taken one of her seminars and it, too, was very worthwhile.

Great Advice for a Great Price!

This book does a superb job of addressing many of the common problems that people create or encounter with companion parrots. These are the very issues which cause birds to lose their homes, and are most often simply the result of how people act or react. It is WONDERFUL to see POSITIVE reinforcement techniques in print in a book that is perfect for many on-the-go households. Unfortunately, many stores still recommend horrible, ineffective, and negative punishing type responses. Perhaps this manageable book will put a stop to such unsound advice. Great price for great advice, and we will definitely recommend it to our Phoenix Landing membership in the Washington DC area! (www.phoenixlanding.org)