Basic Tips for Training Your New Bird

As with many pets, it is quite possible to train your new bird to do tricks. There are some basic keys to training that are essential and should be adhered to if they are to be successful. First and foremost, if the bird does something good, you should reward it in some way. This way your bird will associate its behavior with a positive reward. Some bird trainers suggest using fruit or popcorn (either popped or un-popped kernels). If the bird does something undesirable, you should simply ignore it. This leads to extinction of the negative behavior and reinforces the positive.

The following contains some great tips regarding how to best train your bird and get the behavior you desire. First, use short training sessions with your bird, as shorter sessions are more efficient than longer sessions. Also make sure that you only attempt to train your bird when you will be undisturbed, as training can take patience.  

Once your pet does learn a new behavior successfully, do not reward it every time the action is performed. If you continuously give it a treat, it may only perform the action if it feels that you intend to give it a reward.

Just remember to be consistent when training your bird. No matter what the behavior you are trying to have your pet exhibit, consistency is key. Also, be aware that some birds, no matter what their intelligence level is, will catch on quicker than others. By continuing positive reinforcement and ignoring bad behavior your bird will be responding with the correct behavior in no time.