Training Parrots

Training Parrots

Parrots are one of the most charming pet birds. They are relatively easy to feed and maintain. The interesting thing about the parrots is that you can train them to talk. A parrot can be taught many skills. However, training parrots is a time-consuming process and you have keep lot of patience.

Parrots are intelligent birds and they have good ability to mimic human speech accurately. Training parrots depends on type of a parrot. Some species can learn to talk more rapidly than others. African Grey parrots are well-known for having a vocabulary of about 2,000 words. Some other species such as parakeets can hardly utter a word after a prolonged training. Ability of learning to talk may vary from parrot to parrot.

It is better to start training parrots as early as possible. Once your parrot has been tamed, you can start training him. If should ideally start the training when your parrot is young so that it may grasp words sooner. You should be kind, gentle and patient so that your parrot would be comfortable with you. During first few days of training, don’t expect your parrot to be too friendly. Give enough time to your bird to settle down and then start training him.

Training parrots to talk can be done deliberately or casually. Parrots generally tend to mimic common phrases that he hears inside the home without any training. But, if you wish that your parrot should be able to talk more, then you need to train him properly. You should conduct a couple of 15 minutes sessions everyday. Start with some simple words such as ‘hello’ or ‘how are you?’ you should repeat these phrases several times at first. Once you get some response from your parrot, appreciate him and offer him a treat of his favorite food. Patting on his head or simple praise or a play session with his favorite toy can motivate him to learn more and more.

It may require about two weeks or longer even for a talented bird to learn, hence don’t be disappointed and don’t give up your efforts. Several weeks or even months may be required to train less talented parrots. Don’t get panic and ignore the wring doings of your parrot instead of punishing him. Your training sessions should be of short duration and about 10-20 minutes and they should be performed 2-3 times a day on regular basis. The first word or phrase often takes a long time to learn, but the parrot can learn subsequent words very quickly. Once your parrot has the first couple of words, he may quickly pick up new words within only 2-3 training sessions. You can also teach your parrot to whistle some catchy tunes. You can also use CDs and cassettes to train the parrot. But, avoid their overuse as they can be monotonous.
 
Training parrots is quite interesting and it will help to strengthen the bond between you and your parrot. Once your parrot is trained, you will truly enjoy the company of your beloved parrot. It is a matter of pride for you that your parrot can talk and greet your guests.