This meant I should no longer run back into the room, or yell at Tarah. In other words part of my strategy should include discontinuing offering reinforcement for screaming. Extinction is described as the process of discontinuing reinforcing a behavior that has been previously reinforced. Extinction and differential reinforcement. (Also known as the bible of animal trainers) As I read the book, I latched onto two important principles that could help me address the screaming problem. While in the middle of dealing with this problem, I was introduced to the book “Don’t Shoot the Dog” by Karen Pryor. I so enjoy having animals respond positively to my presence and did not want to become an unpleasant experience in my bird’s life in order to stop the screaming behavior. Unaware of how to stop this undesired behavior, I did as many do, I ran back into the room each time Tarah screamed and told him to “Be quiet.” Did it work to stop the screaming? No, and at the same time I found I very much disliked my attempts at punishing reactions to the undesired behavior. However the enchantment wore off as Tarah began to scream anytime I was out of sight. Once in my apartment I was thrilled when Tarah offered a “hello” at the sight of me snacking on a piece of bread. My co-worker found she was overwhelmed with too many animals in her home and asked if I would be interested in watching the bird for awhile. Was the bird stolen, smuggled or desperately unwanted? I don’t know. Someone had walked in off of the street and sold her the bird for $100. One of my co-workers also worked part time in a pet store. At the time I was working in a veterinary hospital. I acquired Tarah, as many people do, when he was offered to me for free. Completely through my own ignorance I reinforced screaming. Hang in there!”Īnd it is true, my blue fronted Amazon parrot Tarah also learned to scream for attention. It has worked before with other birds I have trained. I am confident what I am doing will work. Getting angry or letting that knot in my gut sway my strategy will not give me the desired results. My mantra with Misty was “I am solving the problem. How does one find the patience to be a good trainer in those situations? It is not easy, but definitely necessary. But when a bird is screaming specifically, in what feels like a demanding way, to get my attention, it strikes a nerve. Oddly enough, when I walk into someone else’s home and hear screaming birds I am usually not effected. She had been a good reminder of what companion parrot owners experience when faced with a very annoying and challenging problem. ![]() I’d leave the room she’d scream and scream and scream. It must have been, because it was STRONG. ![]() This meant screaming could have been reinforced for at least 13 years. Prior to that time her history is pretty fuzzy. Before her stay with me she resided with Jill Bell for six years. However it quickly became apparent she had a few other behaviors that needed to be addressed first. She was there so that I could put some of her vocal behaviors on cue. Misty, a double yellow headed Amazon parrot, lived with me for only a few weeks. Somebody reinforced the heck out of that behavior.” I said to myself. Read on as she explains how to stop your parrot from screaming and how to understand the screaming and what it meals. Renowned parrot trainer Barbara Heidenreich examines and helps solve certain parrot unwanted behaviours, in this case screaming- something that parrot owners are very familiar with. Stop your parrot from screaming for attention.
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