Compromises in Training

When working with behavior, sometimes we need to consider a compromise. Of course we have goals and will work as long as needed to reach them with our animals, but there are also other factors that may limit our ability to fully reach them.

Every animal has their own personality, likes and dislikes, and different comfort zones, just like humans. There are also different genetic makeups and lineage that can affect personality and thresholds. Although we want something for our bird, our bird may not want that at all.

So, I’m always trying to be realistic with clients. Yes, you can work hard and 99% of the time, the bird will come through with preforming the desirable behavior. But being realistic is important. For example, do I think crazy bird (blue front amazon) will ever be as social with others as Alfie (moluccan cockatoo), or as sweet with me and as trusting as munchkin (double yellow headed amazon)? No, I honestly don’t. I see him similar to Ringo (orange wing amazon) where they like being around me but not always directly interacting. But I’m still trying to get his behaviors as close to my goals as possible, which for crazy is just to step up without biting, increase confidence, and decrease launching himself, which the last one he hasn’t done in probably a year now which is awesome!

Constantly pushing our birds past their comfort zones can be damaging to relationships. Having unrealistic expectations and timelines for the specific bird is also frustrating for us. So, start realistic. I know my bird can achieve ___. Hopefully, we can get them ____ but if not I’m okay with _____.

*compromise doesn’t mean changing training so it’s easier for your bird or giving up. It’s more of being realistic with your bird and modifying goals to fit both of your needs. We want positivity and success, so if you’re not finding either when training, evaluate goals more realistically or contact a trainer in order to see if there are flaws in your training plan or different approaches to try more catered to your specific birds needs! Trainers have a lot of tips to the trade! If you would like training help, feel free to contact us to book an online or in-person behavior consultation.