Dreyfuss, my pionus, is a bird who—if I’d let her—would spend much of her day sitting next to me or on me, frequently with her head down for rubs. So why was it that this sweet girl would lunge at my arm and even bite it, whenever I’d put my arm in front of her body before asking for a ‘step up’ from her inside cage perch?
Was this a case of a bird showing dominance over me? I could have called it that and chosen to force her to step onto my arm by rushing a fist into her belly to get her to step up, or I could have moved in with a towel to get her to come out. I even could have given her away in frustration, thinking she was too aggressive.
Using a term like “dominance” could have led me to make any of these unfortunate choices in response to an undesirable behavior. That is the problem with using labels to describe an animal or a behavior. Labels are simply hypothetical explanations for why animals behave a certain way; they are not helpful in developing plans for changing behavior in the most positive, least intrusive ways. In fact, using labels can lead to excuses for blaming pets and to ineffective training strategies or strategies based upon punishment. Labels can also become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Instead of labeling Dreyfuss, I looked at her specific, observable behaviors and how the environment was impacting them. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a systematic approach to solving behavior problems by changing the environment in which the behavior occurs. It involves looking at the very specific behavior (such as a bird screaming or flying at people) in terms of what is giving that behavior purpose and value. What happened immediately prior to the behavior to set the ball rolling (antecedent)? And what happened immediately after the behavior to reinforce it (consequence)?
With my ABA hat on, this is what I saw going on with Dreyfuss.
Background: Dreyfuss is in her cage.
Antecedent: Lisa moves arm to Dreyfuss, saying “step up”
Behavior: Dreyfuss lunges or bites
Consequence: Lisa removes hand
Prediction: When Dreyfuss is on a perch in her cage and Lisa puts her arm in front of Dreyfuss, Dreyfuss will lunge or bite more to get Lisa to remove her hand.
This may seem odd for a bird that, once she was on me, could be there for a long time. But obviously there was something about my arm being placed right in front of her when she was on her perch in her cage that she found aversive. How did I know? Because her behavior of biting/lunging continued and got more frequent when I put my arm in front of her body.
With this ABC formula, I could see that her behavior of lunging and biting had a function for her: to remove something aversive (my hand) from her immediate environment.
I set about coming up with a plan for teaching her to step up in that situation (from her cage perch onto my arm) using only positive reinforcement. I taught her the contingency that when I put my hand on her door, if she moved to the left side of the perch, then I would put my arm at the right side. And if she got onto my arm, then she could come out for attention, seeds and more.
So, here is the new ABC:
A: Lisa puts hand on door
B: Dreyfuss moves to left side of perch
C: Lisa puts arm at right side of perch
2nd ABC:
A: Lisa puts arm at right side of perch
B: Dreyfuss moves to arm and steps up
C: Lisa takes Dreyfuss out for attention, seeds and more
Prediction: When Dreyfuss is on the left side of her perch in her cage and Lisa puts her arm on the right side of that perch, then Dreyfuss will move toward the arm and step up more often in order to get Lisa’s attention and treats.
The really great part of this was that, once we got this down, Dreyfuss didn’t just move slowly toward my arm, as if it were something unpleasant, she started to run to it and jump right on. Taking her out of her cage is that simple now. The beauty of it is that I never used force or punishment. My bird—who some may have labeled “dominant” when it came to getting her out of her cage—now reliably runs to my arm with her feathers relaxed, and as a result we both have confidence in that situation.
Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, CPBC, is a Cincinnati certified dog trainer and certified parrot behavior consultant. Learn more about her at www.SoMuchPETential.com.
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Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of 
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.