SovereignDove
Jedi
I have had various animal companions my entire life, and have noticed an interesting behavoir trait among most of these animals through that time. They seem to train themselves! I wonder if the animal companions in our lives adopt us more than we adopt them? 
Has anyone here observed, experienced, read, or have more information about this?
Currently I have 4 companion animals-a barbary dove, a rat terrier, and two housecats, and I just adore them. I would like to note that I do not use discipline with any of my animal companions, rather I speak to them in calm and pleasant, encouraging tones. Mistakes, misbehavoir, or acting out against one of the other animals is forgiven and accepted. On a rare occassion I may "reward" them with a treat for doing a certain behavoir, but they generally recieve treats just to recieve them. Most of their trained behavoir they have adopted all on their own, with encouragement from time to time, but essentially the behavoir is their own.
I recieved the barbary dove as a gift from a friend whose doves had produced baby doves, and was captivated immediately. I've had him since he was a baby, about 5 years now. When he came to live with me, I knew very little about birds as animal companions. What little I knew about birds I had learned from years of bird watching, so I began to research about companion bird's care, life expectancy, habits, and abilities. I subscribed to BirdTalk, a magazine for people with bird companions, but doves were scarely mentioned. I acquired books about pet and wild birds. When I found a new book about companion birds I read it avidly, although some information was conflicting. Trial and error resulted, with the bird having his choice in the matter and to do what he does.
One thing I learned was that birds do not respond to "no" or "good" in different ways-to them attention was attention, whether positive or negative. That made me think about how to approach training him to cohabitate with me, roomates, and a cat, not for control of the bird, but for his safety. He was very tame to begin with, so that may have had something to do with his learning behavoirs seemingly on his own. Tone of voice and personal attention were all that was needed for him to learn basic things such as "step-up" to perch on a hand (he did this originally so it was encouraged behavoir) or "c'mon" when he was perched in a high place and needed to come down (like at the vet's office). When he did this behavoirs, or cuter playful ones, I encouraged him to repeat the behavoir he had shown. He continues to do this-but it's his choice. I try not to make him do anything-he always has an option not to do something, and he takes advantage of that when he wants to. I guess that I would call these word associated behavoirs "suggestions" or "options" for him. I want him to feel as free as possible, although he does have a large cage he can fly and sleep in. His companionship has been a great experience, and has taught me some much needed patience.
The two housecats belong to the person I live with, but we share care and attention giving. Most of the new behavoirs have begun after I began to interact with them along with the person I live with. They were adopted from the humane society so I know little about their training and treatment before they came to live with us. Both were somewhat skittish but that behavoir has passed. Once again tone of voice and encouragement when they start a new "desirable" behavoir seems to be all that is needed for them to "train themselves". They adapted to the bird on their own, but are not in the same room at the same time (might tempt nature vs nurtue a little too much for comfort for me). It might also help that his cage is too large for them to get to, onto, or into. The cats verbalize with the bird-he coos at them and they meow back-it's interesting behavoir, but does not appear to be predatory on their side. They get along well.
The newest addition to my little animal family is a rat terrier, given to me as a gift over the holiday season. She has been through 7 homes and is only 5 years old, so I also do not the training past from these previous owners of hers. She seems to be well trained, and has shown a few new behavoirs, but I do not know whether or not these are new behavoirs. Living with the cats and the bird are new for her from what I have learned, but she gets along with them all with encouragement.
Does anyone have similiar stories or suggestions?
Has anyone here observed, experienced, read, or have more information about this?
Currently I have 4 companion animals-a barbary dove, a rat terrier, and two housecats, and I just adore them. I would like to note that I do not use discipline with any of my animal companions, rather I speak to them in calm and pleasant, encouraging tones. Mistakes, misbehavoir, or acting out against one of the other animals is forgiven and accepted. On a rare occassion I may "reward" them with a treat for doing a certain behavoir, but they generally recieve treats just to recieve them. Most of their trained behavoir they have adopted all on their own, with encouragement from time to time, but essentially the behavoir is their own.
I recieved the barbary dove as a gift from a friend whose doves had produced baby doves, and was captivated immediately. I've had him since he was a baby, about 5 years now. When he came to live with me, I knew very little about birds as animal companions. What little I knew about birds I had learned from years of bird watching, so I began to research about companion bird's care, life expectancy, habits, and abilities. I subscribed to BirdTalk, a magazine for people with bird companions, but doves were scarely mentioned. I acquired books about pet and wild birds. When I found a new book about companion birds I read it avidly, although some information was conflicting. Trial and error resulted, with the bird having his choice in the matter and to do what he does.
One thing I learned was that birds do not respond to "no" or "good" in different ways-to them attention was attention, whether positive or negative. That made me think about how to approach training him to cohabitate with me, roomates, and a cat, not for control of the bird, but for his safety. He was very tame to begin with, so that may have had something to do with his learning behavoirs seemingly on his own. Tone of voice and personal attention were all that was needed for him to learn basic things such as "step-up" to perch on a hand (he did this originally so it was encouraged behavoir) or "c'mon" when he was perched in a high place and needed to come down (like at the vet's office). When he did this behavoirs, or cuter playful ones, I encouraged him to repeat the behavoir he had shown. He continues to do this-but it's his choice. I try not to make him do anything-he always has an option not to do something, and he takes advantage of that when he wants to. I guess that I would call these word associated behavoirs "suggestions" or "options" for him. I want him to feel as free as possible, although he does have a large cage he can fly and sleep in. His companionship has been a great experience, and has taught me some much needed patience.
The two housecats belong to the person I live with, but we share care and attention giving. Most of the new behavoirs have begun after I began to interact with them along with the person I live with. They were adopted from the humane society so I know little about their training and treatment before they came to live with us. Both were somewhat skittish but that behavoir has passed. Once again tone of voice and encouragement when they start a new "desirable" behavoir seems to be all that is needed for them to "train themselves". They adapted to the bird on their own, but are not in the same room at the same time (might tempt nature vs nurtue a little too much for comfort for me). It might also help that his cage is too large for them to get to, onto, or into. The cats verbalize with the bird-he coos at them and they meow back-it's interesting behavoir, but does not appear to be predatory on their side. They get along well.
The newest addition to my little animal family is a rat terrier, given to me as a gift over the holiday season. She has been through 7 homes and is only 5 years old, so I also do not the training past from these previous owners of hers. She seems to be well trained, and has shown a few new behavoirs, but I do not know whether or not these are new behavoirs. Living with the cats and the bird are new for her from what I have learned, but she gets along with them all with encouragement.
Does anyone have similiar stories or suggestions?
