Training

How To Teach Your Parrot To Ride A Skateboard – For Beginners

Once your bird is target trained this is a very simple thing to teach. I encourage you to go read my page on – The foundation of trick training for parrots! The Foundation Of Trick Training For Parrots! – How To Start – Optimal Avian if you are unfamiliar with target training. Target Training is a way to train your parrot that decreases your chance of getting bit but also gives you and your parrot a way to communicate with each other.

Steps

  • First you want to start by just having the skateboard around your bird, this can be scary enough, once they become comfortable about the bird being around the skateboard move on to the next step for some birds this can be minutes for others this can be weeks, please be patient don’t force anything, as this only makes your bird lose trust in you and makes them feel like you are not listening to them increases your chance of getting bit. You always want training to be viewed by your parrot as fun and positive.
  • Your next step will be progressively getting the parrot closer to the skateboard, as previously stated this is not something to force or rush. Target the bird one step closer to the skateboard when that becomes easier make it two steps so on and so forth.
  • Then you want to get the bird to target above the skateboard – placing your target stick above the skateboard where the bird can easily reach
  • Once that becomes an easy target on the other side of the skateboard (Away from parrot) just out of their reach enough that they have to take a step onto the skateboard. do not force them to stay on the board a simple hop and then hopping immediately off is perfect as long as you remember to click while they are on the board.
  • Once this becomes an easy target to where they must stand on the board. Slowly extending the period the bird is on the board before it gets a click and treat.

if you wish to move the board while the bird is standing on the bird ensure you only move the board slightly the first couple of times you move it. Your bird may immediately jump off which is normal. be very very slow with this process.