Training Videos for behavior problems

[NicoleN]

I've been meaning to post something about this guy for a while, but I keep forgetting.


There's a guy named Chet Womach who apparently has these amazing training videos for your bird that will cure any behavioral problem you may have with your bird. It's a total rip-off. I paid a ridiculous price for them a few months ago, just to get some pointers to work on a few things with Sisqo, and....it just sucked. That's the only way to explain it.

The video shows him training this apparently vicious Blue & Gold Macaw who just a few moments before was a wild crazy bird that attacked everything in it's path (funny how you never see any of this behavior), and he all of a sudden decided to grab a video camera and record him training this bird to be friendly and do tricks. It sounds far-fetched, but I admit, I'm a sucker and I've since then learnt my lesson.

All I could think of whenever I was watching the video was "Why do I always fall for this stupid infomercial, miracle cure crap?" So please please please do not get suckered into it.

AND he has this "Amazing Life-Enhancing Organic Parrot Food". It's a 4lb. bag of ZuPreem pellets for $29.99 (I swear..he even says its ZuPreem!)

Thanks for letting me rant. :17:

 

[Peta]

Nicole, I think we've all been suckered into something in our lives, the main thing is that we learn from our mistakes. I really don't think that there's any miracle treatment that will work with a bird, vicious or not. Good old love and understanding works better than any miracle treatment.

People like this make me so darn angry,

 

[karen]

Thanx Nicole,
U just saved me a suckering....
I think this the same guy involved with "bird tricks" ???
If so I was nearly at giving in point for ..yes the amazing training tapes to help ur bird talk all at a ridiculous price I add.
So Nicole ..I owe u one
cheers K

 

[Tracy842]

Yeah I've seen these videos, Can't use his methods on Pepsi they mostly involve stick training for taming your parrot to be tame. Well Pepsi is frightened to death of sticks so when I tried to use it she would freak out and jump from wherever she was and fall to the floor.

As for training any parrot to talk. I don't care if mine ever talk. I talk to them and if they pick something up thats fine if they don't thats fine too. If they do learn to talk I want them to understand the context to use it. Popsicle can only say Step Up but she knows when to say it. Pepsi don't talk at all but thats ok.

 

[NicoleN]

My mom e-mailed me yesterday about trying these videos out, and that's what sparked my little rant. I told her they didn't work, and when she got home last night I let her watch them. When she saw them she realized they were a joke. Sisqo is great at stepping up. In fact, if you have your hand anywhere near him he will try to step up on it.

I've definitely learned (largely thanks to everyone on here), that you can't make a scared, vicious bird cuddly in 5 minutes. It takes time, lot's of time and patience. The video is right by saying that you bond with your bird when you teach them tricks and such, but I think it's only in an environment where the bird feels safe, and it's very gradual, not in 5 minutes.

 

[Peta]

That is very true.

People like this guy make things sound so easy, but in the real world you are not gonna earn a birds trust and love in 5 mins, it takes time sometimes a long time, but every minute spend teaching our birds things is time well spent. IMO

 

[Peta]

That is very true.

People like this guy make things sound so easy, but in the real world you are not gonna earn a birds trust and love in 5 mins, it takes time sometimes a long time, but every minute spend teaching our birds things is time well spent. IMO

 

[karen]

Thing is I read that if u can encourage ur bird to talk it may be easier on the ear than the rest.......Roxy very very noisy..thats why she is with me.I just thought if she sang or shouted words it would be easier on the family. Dont care if I can understand or not, japanese would do just not mega loud sqwalk.
:27:

 

[NicoleN]

How old is Roxy? I'm not very familiar with the talking ability of Orange-wings. I've read that if you whisper to your bird when they are being loud, they usually quiet down to hear you, but I think that's only when they're screaming. All I can say is to keep talking to her and maybe she'll start talking insteaed of loud noises.

Sisqo's a pretty laid back guy, so I'm sorry I can't really relate to anyone with a really loud bird. He usually only gets noisy when it's dusk, or we're running the vacuum cleaner. I noticed yesterday he was doing a few flock calls though.

 

[Tracy842]

I understand wanting anything other than the loud screams. Pepsi will scream for about 5 minutes a day when we get home. Not that it really bothers me but I'm in an apartment building. At least its a very pet friendly place and everyone understands we all have pets that make noise, so luckily no complaints!!! I would never recommend an Amazon for an apartment building, but I had to bring Pepsi home and spoil her.

 

[Peta]

When Bucc is being loud and I mean ear piercing loud I just whisper to him and it really does work, he will quieten down in no time, just so he can hear what I'm saying, Now that he's a bit older he doesn't make that much noise that often but boy when he does watch out for the ear drums.

 

[GreyMan]

Iniko can get pretty loud as well. Usually just a quiet "Sshhhhh" and he's all done. He's such a well behaved bird. I'm actually quite suprised at his temperament since his parents were wild caught and are strictly breeders, never being handled. So he's a first generation domestic. I'm enjoying reading all of your stories and what not.

As far as miracle methods, we tried the CD's and they didn't work at all. The cockatiels learned how to sing some pretty stuff, but no talking from Iniko. Just from love and playing he learned to talk all on his own.

 

[Peta]

Just from love and playing he learned to talk all on his own.

And those words are something we can't put onto CD.

 

[Tracy842]

Heres a couple of tricks I used for getting Pepsi to stop screaming.

-Talking quiet when she is screaming. She wants to hear me so she'll quiet down and stop screaming.
-When I walk in the room and she screams I stop moving and stand very still, then when she stops I will start walking towards her again. If she starts again I stop and don't move at all until she stops again. This has been working really well but you do need a bit of patience.
-When she makes her quiet whistle sound that she does, I will whistle back or give her attention, but not when she screams. This is a low process but it sometimes gets her to whistle when she wants something. Then its just figuring out what she wants before she gets frustrated.
-And as a last resort I will cover her cage and give her a couple of minutes to calm down if she is being too bad. I don't like to do this but I also don't want too much noise because I am in an apartment.

Hope this helps!!!

 

[karen]

23
.6+5 Roxy has a time out room..... all cool and blue quiet and calm. But a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do.
She is particularly bad with my OH.. he is her favourite person.
All the gentle whistle, whisper, sing works when she is on a one to one but when the flock is together she is mental. Even her talking and singing and whistling is loud ..we think she is a thug... saying that the men in my life are loud and she loves them and tries to please them so ...Oh oh just been landed on lots of nice gentle clucking she sound like a wee chicken just now.. ther goes my note pad.k;004 coded message as she walks over key board and tha t wa the phone nealy cut off.. Guess she wants my undivived so gotta go