Most birds are very easily trained, and if they are not, it is usually due to a lack of understanding and incorrect training techniques, not a lack of intelligence. Remember, it is your job to understand your bird's behavior - not the other way around. There should be areas your bird understands are not places where she should venture. With a little patience and some understanding of how your bird reacts to training, you will be able to create some areas where your bird is not allowed to roam.

There are a couple of different methods to teach your bird acceptable and unacceptable perch and play areas. First, you must make sure your bird trusts you. Do not try to teach a bird boundary rules when you first acquire her. She will be a little wary of you at first, and you need to give her time to get used to you and build up a mutual bond of trust. Also, birds do not learn well while they are nervous. Because birds do not understand any form of physical discipline or correction, never use techniques such hitting, taping the beak, squirting with water, etc., on your bird. Any physical discipline will be seen as aggression by your bird and you will lose the mutual trust you have worked so hard to achieve.

There are several steps you must follow to make your bird training sessions successful.

• Keep the training time short. Most birds will lose interest in training after 5 to 15 minutes so be sure you recognize the signs your bird gives you to indicate she has had enough. Trying to train longer than the bird's attention span will allow will only cause problems and will be detrimental to your relationship with your feathered friend.
  
• Be consistent in the method you use. Switching back and forth will only confuse your bird. If you tell her `No' in a firm voice when she gets on the kitchen counter, do so every time. This is the only way she will learn.
  
• Quick, jerky movements frighten your bird. Don't suddenly make a grab at her when she does something wrong. If you are upset at her, calmly correct the action and try not to move around too much, as your movements will tend to be more stilted.
  
• Don't get angry at your bird. This will scare her, and it only teaches her to be wary of you.
  
• When you reward good behavior with treats, make sure the treat can be eaten quickly. If it takes too long for your bird to eat the treat, she may forget what she was being rewarded for in the first place.
  
• Be swift with your responses. Whether you are going to correct your bird or reward her, make sure you do it immediately after she performs the action. If you wait too long, she will no longer remember why she is being corrected or rewarded.
  
• Emotional and verbal correction used together are also an effective way to teach your bird not to do something. Most bird trainers use this combination to get birds to perform, with treats as a reward.
  
• Place your bird on the floor after she has done something bad. Birds feel vulnerable and uncomfortable when you lower them to ground level.
  
• Put your bird back inside the cage and cover it. This denies your bird the opportunity to be with you, and also deprives her of freedom for a short while.
  
• Say 'No,' or whatever word you want to use, to your bird in a firm tone. Always use the same word and the same tone, followed by whatever emotional correction works best.