Teaching your bird behaviors classified as tricks is a fun way to establish a positive relationship. During the course of teaching them to ring a bell, follow a target or climb a ladder there are many opportunities to have a great time.   You get to know your bird during training and your bird will receive plenty of chances to associate good things with you.  It also has the added benefits of providing mental and physical stimulation for both you and your bird! 

Choosing the reinforcers.  Keep in mind that what your bird finds reinforcing for a behavior may be something other than what you would have chosen. Today, you thought sunflower seeds would be perfect, but Polly has decided that only goldfish crackers will get her to move.   Conduct some tests by offering the bird a variety of treats to choose from.  They don’t have to be food.  Make sure you have a variety of known reinforcers (things you KNOW your bird likes), so you have options if they choose not to respond to one or the other. I generally recommend having at least three different types at hand so that you don't have to leave the training area.

Set up the situation for success.  Know your animal! Get your perches at the right level for them; your bird may be more into training depending on how high or low their training perch is. Experiment and consider that perch as a variable that may affect how the training session goes. Be prepared by having any props (such as hoops, balls, ladders, etc) and treats easily at hand.  Minimize distractions.  Create safe training spaces by keeping potential accident causing things under control, and out of the area. Be aware that things happening outside your immediate area may affect your bird's behavior. Things like people walking by a window, loud noises outside, other animals running about. Take a careful look around the training space and alter those variables that may be distracting.   Work with your bird when you’re both in the mood for it.  Be ready to be creative and flexible. You may go into the session with the intention of getting your bird to do one thing, and get offered something totally different, but wonderful! Be ready to adapt to what your bird might be offering.   Concentrate on having FUN!

Step-by-Step.  Go in with a plan.  Have a visualization of the final behavior you’re working for, break it down into smaller steps, and remain flexible.  Once you have the behavior, mark it with a clear sound (“good!” or a clicker, etc.).  Reinforce immediately after that mark. Understand that timing is vitally important to the learning process. Gaps of time between the behavior and the reinforcement make it that much more challenging to figure out what caused what. If you want your bird to learn, make it easy for them to succeed.   Refine the behavior and then add your cue. 

1.      Get the behavior.  (Shape, capture, model, or lure)

2.      Mark the behavior (clicker, training word)

3.      Reinforce (food treat or other reinforcer that the bird finds reinforcing)

4.      Refine (using shaping/approximations, and exploiting extinction bursts)

5.      Add cue (word, physical sign, or prop)

(Above list generated in part from Clicker Training for Birds by Melinda Johnson) This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in training companion parrots.

Reinforce continuously and contingently.  Keep treats small and quick to give/eat.  Practice supplying reinforcement immediately after the behavior.  Learning occurs by repetition.  You want to be repeating the behavior and reinforcing as much as possible in a short period of time, not fumbling with your treat cup, or waiting for your bird to finish eating.  Timing is important.  You’ll hear everyone in R+ training say the same thing, “You get what you reinforce.” 

Keep it FUN!  Training is useful in creating a positive relationship with your bird because it is fun, and you are both getting something enjoyable out of it.  If that fun goes away, you’re missing the point!