Birds Off the Perch: Therapy and Training for Your Pet Bird [Paperback]

Larry Lachman (Author), Diane Grindol (Author), Frank Kocher (Author)

Book Description

You love your pet bird, even when he misbehaves, but how can you train him with compassion? Birds off the Perch proves that rewarding good behavior is kinder and more effective than traditional discipline through punishment. This revolutionary approach combines the expertise of an animal behaviorist, a companion parrot consultant and a veterinarian who use "family therapy techniques" -- such as learning to respect the bird's boundaries and viewing sibling rivalry in a broad, environmental context -- to help you change the mischievous behavior of domesticated birds, including:

• Biting or aggression • Screaming • Sibling/bird rivalry

• Jealousy toward its human flock members, and • Feather plucking

With additional chapters on choosing the right species for your family, breeding behavior and the appropriate medical care for your bird, Birds off the Perch is the only guide you'll need to keep your pet birds healthy and happy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Marty Becker, D.V.M. Good Morning America Veterinarian, author of The Healing Power of Pets This book can help every bird owner to have a richer, deeper relationship with his bird.

Laura Pasten, D.V.M. veterinarian to Morris, the 9-Lives cat, author of Tarantula Whisperer Bird lovers should flock to this book...a must-have for all who treat, sell or are guardian to a bird.

Susan Marino, R.N. founder of Angels Gate Hospice and Rehabilitation Center for Animals Lachman, Grindol and Kocher are a winning combination, addressing the issues of body, mind and spirit of companion birds...a must-read.

About the Author

Larry Lachman, Psy.D., is an animal behavior consultant specializing in dog, cat and pet bird behavior. He is the Social Cat Columnist for Cat Fancy and lives in Monterey, California.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (March 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743227042
• ISBN-13: 978-0743227049
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had this earlier!, May 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Birds Off the Perch: Therapy and Training for Your Pet Bird (Paperback)

I got this a year after having my bird, and I wish that I had it from day one. The book offers great advice on how to live well with a compainion bird.

It is written in a straight forward manner, and even gives examples of birds that they have worked with. There is also a list of birds and what personality traits they have. This is a good book to get when making a choice to get a bird, it will help you be prepared to bring your bird home, and it will help you get the kind of bird best suited to your situation and lifestyle.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource for Companion Parrots, October 24, 2007

By 

Emily Bianco (Northern VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birds Off the Perch: Therapy and Training for Your Pet Bird (Paperback)

I agree with the other reviewer, that this book provides excellent advice on how to live with a companion bird, and that the book is well written. The authors are clearly well knowledged and review all facets of the different types of birds, which should be thoroughly reviewed before you purchase: playfulness, loudness, availability, size, care requirements, and whether the types are recommended for experienced or for beginners only. One of the things I especially enjoyed is that they did not say, like many books do, that every bird is perfect for every person or situation. They gave realistic examples of some of the harder aspects of living with companion parrots and try to emphasize that it is a life decision to purchase a large parrot, because it is a lifelong responsibility. Personally my lifestyle would not allow me to have a large companion parrot anyway, but if I were considering the idea, this book would have provided a well-needed reality check.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My bird is not a dog, July 4, 2009

By 

Patricia E. Theonnes "PET ARTIST" (Newcastle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birds Off the Perch: Therapy and Training for Your Pet Bird (Paperback)

With each new point, the author brought up what a dog would do in the same situation. It became an irritation to read the book. The training explanations and examples were the best part of the book. The book explained behavior traits for birds species. I was looking for information on how to control an out of control bird. I would recommend a book by Nikki Moustaki "Outta Control Bird." It presents simpler and clearer solutions for behavior problems that the bird owner can use.