How Do I Teach My Bird That?

Birds are extremely intelligent. In the wild they are supremely self sufficient. In our homes, they must rely on us to learn “good manners” and companionship skills. That means we must to learn to be good teachers, a skill that does not always come naturally. At this train-the-trainer workshop, you will work with a wide variety of birds first hand, so you will be empowered to return home and train your bird.
We will help you to acquire the knowledge and skills to teach your bird:
* Husbandry behaviors (going into a carrier, taking medicine, taking a bath...);
* Trick behaviors to build a positive relationship and provide mental enrichment to your bird (wave, turn around, drop things in a bucket..); and
* Good behaviors that work for your family, and avoid the problems that can cause a bird to lose their home (biting, screaming....).

Activities for Parrots: Your Job and Theirs

Birds are very busy in the wild. They work hard to find their food, and they have an active social life. Their environment is diverse and challenging, and they must avoid predators to stay safe. What does your bird do all day?
We will explore these topics in great detail:
* Foraging, enrichment activities and parrot recreation
* Essential exercise for a healthy body and life-span
* Social activities for a happy parrot

What Should My Parrot Eat?

Learn which foods groups are especially nutritious for parrots. We will also talk about how to make food preparation easy, especially for busy households. You will teach the foster birds at the Landing how to eat new foods so you can go home and put this to practice with your bird!

Gardening for parrots? Yes! Parrots thrive on fresh foods, herbs and flowers. Learn how to make container gardens, which herbs are healthy, and how to sprout.

Good food is not just for the larger parrots. Smaller birds such as parakeets and cockatiels do especially well with fresh gardens and the right kind of “seeds” (sprouts, grains and legumes).

"I had the opportunity to attend the first STEP-UP workshop held in April and I recommend the experience to everyone! I traveled from Florida to attend the workshop and stayed the additional day for further training. I picked up more knowledge and ideas during this workshop than over the five years that I have owned parrots.

The most important difference between learning at this workshop and learning from a video or book is the immediate feedback from the trainers on techniques and body movements. Role playing was introduced during the workshop, giving a better understanding of how we should be training to communicate correctly with our feathered friends. The experience of working with many different species was tremendous and gave me a sense of accomplishment. My videos at home are now used as reminders of my training at the Landing."

June Stadnik - Sebastian, FL

"I recently attended the STEP-UP training class at Phoenix Landing and I would highly recommend it. Having little experience with parrots and wanting to adopt one for the science center where I work, I contacted Phoenix Landing and they recommended I attend this class. At first, I thought what could possibly take 3 days to learn but now I wish I had many more days. Learning how to train, cook for and generally care for parrots and having someone I can contact with questions has been worth so much. The best part is that I am now fostering, and hope to adopt, Cecil, a blue and gold Macaw and I know how to take care of him the right way! Whether you already have a parrot or like me, wish to adopt one, this class will prove invaluable to you and your bird."

Shannon Arts - Prestonsburg, KY

"I have always wanted a Parrot – could have gone online and found many options to purchase a baby – instead I wanted to go the route of adoption…… I live in Middle Tennessee – and went online and started researching everything I could – I looked for rescue groups in my area – and became very frustrated – it appeared that there were no parrots that needed a new home in Middle Tennessee. I put my search on hold –and instead focused on becoming the best educated Expectant Parrot Mommy that I could be. I wanted to take Parrot training classes – I felt I had learned all that I could from the internet – and LOL U-tube. I knew that I needed a in depth hands on training experience. However I couldn't’t find anyone who offered any training in my area. In my searched online – I came across Phoenix Landing…. And the Step Up class seemed to be exactly what I was looking for – a 3 day full spectrum – comprehensive training and educational program. I signed up for the class – 4 hours from my home – booked my hotel - and set out for my educational adventure. After the first day – I went back to my hotel exhausted – and excited. I learned so much in this fun filled hands on class – that when I left – I knew that I was now prepared to bring a parrot into my home. It is my personal opinion – that no one should be able to adopt a bird – without first taking this class. I had never shared my home with a parrot – however – my Step-Up classmates had – and most of them have several birds – even they were said they also learned more than they ever thought they could."

Beth Strum - Franklin, TN

"What’s the best way to learn French? From a book or go to France and live like the French? Want to learn Parrot? Attend a Phoenix Landing Step-Up course for total immersion Parrot. Parrot cuisine, housing and interior decoration, health and fitness, entertainment, and most importantly inter species communication. Always wanted to know what’s on your parrot’s mind but had no way to ask? With a clicker and a treat and just one small idea to get across, you’ll begin a two-way conversation with your parrot that will be a joy to you both."

Cathy Myrowitz - Parkton MD

 

"I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the training for the most fantastic, empowering experience I've had in a long time. Whenever we attend the Northern Virginia events, we always learn something new, but the Step-Up class led me to a total restructuring of how I am going to approach our flock. All of the training was useful, but the hands-on training was really intense and extremely valuable! The learning curve was so great that both Suzanne and I wound up totally bushed by the end of each day. When I returned home, I started using some of my training and already got some excellent results with our birds."

Larry Cromwell - Woodbridge, VA