« Events Articles

This full day workshop is an essential learning experience for all companion parrot owners, bird trainers, behaviourists and veterinary staff. STEP UP will be Barbara’s only appearance in Australia in 2009. She will be supported on the day by a team of Australian avian trainers and educators – Nicholas Bishop (Taronga Zoo), Peta Clarke (Animal Training Solutions) and Jim McKendry (Parrot Behaviour & Enrichment Consultations). The Saturday June 6th workshop has been designed to achieve the following objectives:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of behaviour analysis including positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment.
• Understand ways in which we can empower our parrots.
• Practice and improve skills for reading and interpreting body language.
• Overview of problem solving strategies for behaviour problems typically presented by parrot species
• Learn the appropriate definition, use and application of the following: cue, bridging stimulus, shaping with approximations and capturing behaviour.
• Learn strategies to identify different reinforcers, level of interest in reinforcers and how to improve motivation for reinforcers.
• Inspire you to apply what you have learned at home with your parrot.
• Learn to pair the power of Positive Reinforcement with careful observations of parrot body language to shape the behaviour of interactive, entertaining and well-behaved companion parrots.

Please note this information was copied directly from parrotsociety.org.au.