subject: Things To Know About Parrot Training [print this page] What I've Learned from Years of Parrot Training Whether you are an amateur or an expert, you will find this article about training parrots helpful. It seems like I can't leave the house these days without someone stopping and asking me about the art of parrot training. It's kind of funny, you'd never think that talking parrots was that popular, but ever since I won the Rising Star award at the Parrot Trainer's National Conference, my mailbox has been absolutely slammed with people wanting to learn more. Some folks consider me somewhat of a legend in this area but I don't let my ego get the best of me.
People ask me how I got my start and how I got to where I am today, so I always refer them to Guide to Well-Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan. If you have not thumbed through each page of the Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot, then you need to wait longer before you teach parrots anything. In retrospect, getting involved these days is a much less intensive process than it was for me. Back in my day you had to learn the bird's signs and gain its trust before you could even take a crack at it. Now everything about parrots is readily available on the internet at your leisure so you can just log on and get acquainted.
While there are some great parrot trainers today, I feel like the golden age of our craft has subsided. The cadets joining these days are eager beavers, that's for sure but they are searching for all the wrong things in all the wrong places. Here's what they ask me every day. "-What is the cheapest place to buy parrots?
-Is there a particular book on talking parrots I recommend?
-How can I prevent making mistakes while I'm trying to train parrots?
And the list goes on and on."
Any animal trainer worth his salt will tell you that mastering parrot training is all about being first to the finish line but it is not about being first out of the gate. You must know how to crawl before you walk, and you have to know how to walk before you can run. Most people who try to converse with my parrot fail their first time, and so did I. Although they were helpful, my colleagues who introduced me to my life's work were probably filled with remorse because I simply could not stop talking about it all. It was too exciting for me. My epiphany came eventually but it would take a long time. It happened when I finally put down parrottraining.com and started concentrating on the fundamentals. I lost interest in the best birdcage and instead focused my efforts on talking to parrots in the simplest way possible.
I was absolutely amazed as I watched my insecurities reduced to nothing. My self-awareness peaked and I really saw the light. Although I coach people to train parrots professionally, only 23% of my job is actually teaching them about parroting. What's left, the 77 is merely a matter of sweat, tears, and anguish. Your clients need to know what kind of commitment this is and follow through with it. Always keep in mind that there are worse things that can happen than if you fail to give polly a cracker. You can give polly something worse for example, so keep aiming for the stars and you'll hit the moon on your path toward glory.
