Do you have a naughty parrot or cockatiel that you would like to learn how to discipline?

When training and disciplining your parrot or cockatiel, your aim should be to gain his trust and love and then never lose it.

This is key to getting that naughty parrot out of him and being able to discipline him in a kind and constructive way.

Never ever shout at or hit your parrot or cockatiel if he chews up something he shouldn‘t. I promise this will only make the bird scared of you and it will be hard to build up trust again.

Birds are not ’cause and effect’ creatures, so this form of discipline will not work on them. Even if you lock him in his cage, he still won’t know why.

So, How Do You Discipline That Naughty Parrot?

Bird behaviorist Sally Blanchard suggests giving your bird the ‘evil eye.’ Look at your bird sternly and say ‘No’ in a firm voice. If your cockatiel is climbing or chewing on something that he shouldn’t, remove him from the object in question as you tell him ‘No.’

If your bird puts on a screaming performance, some time out in his cage with the cover over it for about ten minutes should calm him down.

If your cockatiel is sitting on your finger and starts to bite you or chew your clothing or jewelry, you can dissuade him by tilting your wrist to and frow to simulate a mini ‘earthquake.’ He will soon realize when this happens that this rocking starts when he misbehaves.

What If My Parrot Bites Me?

There are normally good reasons why parrots and cockatiels bite and this is mainly due to fear. Birds will use their beaks for self-defense, and previously abused birds will need lots of patience to get them to trust you.

Here are a few other reasons that your bird may want to bite you.

Parrots often pick up on our moods, so never approach them when you are stressed or nervous.

They will sense this and they will be apprehensive and fearful. Because they don’t have time to think before we get to them, they will most likely respond with a quick bite or peck.

Also be careful that you don’t use your hands for punishment, or they will view your hands as the enemy. This includes shooing them or throwing things at them. Next time you put your hand in front of him to climb on, don’t be surprised if he nips it.

Birds that are breeding sometimes also become aggressive towards you, even if they were tame before. This is totally normal.

Don’t force your bird to do what you want it to. Maybe you want to take it out, but it would clearly prefer to finish its breakfast. Leave it for a while and try again later.

If you don’t want your bird to bite your hands, use your hands for positive experiences only, like holding him, preening him and giving him treats. In this way, he won’t associate your hands with something bad and not be tempted to bite at them.

If your bird bites your finger try not to shriek or yell. Rather gently push your finger towards it. It will not expect this and will let your finger go.

If your bird bites you when you try to put him back in his cage, the best thing to do is place a treat in his cage, so he can look forward to returning to his cage again after his out time.

Finally, learn to read the signs. A bite is usually preceded by physical signs that you will soon learn to recognize. These physical signs may include Flexing his wings, pinning his eyes, fanning out his tail feathers, fluffing up their feathers (to make themselves look bigger) and crested parrots such as cockatiels and cockatoos will raise their crest for the same purpose. Some parrots will even growl at you.

If you want to find out more about training a naughty parrot –  Click Here!