Potty training

[brightwing]

How do you train a bird to be potty train so it doesn't poop everywhere.

[NotEnoughTime]

Bear in mind that training is always a two way street... You get trained as much as the bird...

First thing in the morning I would *rush* my girl over to the "poop perch" and say "go poop." If she did the deed I would reward her with a sunflower seed (her training treat). Then every 15 minutes or so I would move her back to her "poop perch" and say go poop. If she did the deed I would give her a sunflower seed.

After only a few session she got the idea.

I still tell her to "go poop" every 15-25 minutes when I know this amount has time has passed since the last poop - but I don't really worry about it so much now.

Now - she doesn't *only* go poop at the poop perch - but she does most of her poops there. I also have read it is a problem if you get them too well trained since they can overstrain by either keeping things held in when they should let go, or by trying to poop (to earn that reward) when they cannot. Either way it is not healthy. So I do not complain if she cannot poop when I ask her to poop and I don't complain about pooping elsewhere (too much). Most of the poop is confined to the poop perch...

BTW - aside from stains if you are feeding coloured pellets (or cherries, or blueberries) parrot poop isn't really much of a problem... At least for the smaller birds. It cleans off quite nicely after it dries.

[perchingbird]

Originally Posted by NotEnoughTime

BTW - aside from stains if you are feeding coloured pellets (or cherries, or blueberries) parrot poop isn't really much of a problem... At least for the smaller birds. It cleans off quite nicely after it dries.

And this is why us bird people are often stared at like we are crazy by non-bird people. :D

[NotEnoughTime]

Originally Posted by perchingbird

And this is why us bird people are often stared at like we are crazy by non-bird people. :D

I have to agree. I but I stare back when I get this look. "Do you have a pet?" I ask.

I ask people with cats (I have one too) what they have to go through to clean the cat litterbox... Look at the products that exist for cats... scented, clumping litter... Just to deal with a poop.

Or I ask people with dogs (I have a couple of them as well) what they have to do to deal with poop. They have "poop scoops," "poop bags (or doggie cleanup bags)" and so on.

I ask what happens when a cat or dog happens to defecate outside and they step in it... Then I ask if they've ever stepped in pigeon poop. Have they worried about it?

Usually the come to some understanding after thinking about it.

Bird poop is nothing. Not smelly (at least if the bird is healthy) and cleans up easily.

[perchingbird]

Oh, I hear you Roger. :) We're the choir. It's an amusing thing to read, just tossed nonchalantly into a conversation though. :D Like when I tell people that I have a dead mouse in my lunch cooler.

"You what?"

Usually followed by "Eww. Gross." :x

[LovelySydney]

I potty trained Neko probably in 3 days Id say. It was so easy it wasnt funny - hes just a fast learner!!

It helped that Neko is very bonded to me. He likes being on his mommy every chance he gets and this helped in training. I would be on the couch next to his cage. I would place him from my shoulder to the rope perch that hangs outside his cage and I would say "go potty". I would say that until he did. When he went potty, he got to come back & sit with mommy. We did this for an entire day straight. He caught on VERY quickly. He also gives me little cues that he has to go potty. He will start biting my ear or trying to run all over my back or head and this is him telling me "put me back! I gotta go!". Usually when I put him back he goes potty immediately.


Now, you cant let your bird hang out on your for hours and not expect them to go potty on you. I put Neko back probably every half hour and he goes and then he gets to come back to mommy. With our training I used the power of him wanting to be with me rather than a treat. I think if we werent bonded I would have to use the treat.


Good luck, keep us posted!!

[Emmilyy]

Cookie Potty trained herself! She won't poop on me, she waits until i place her on the floor or somewhere.. Of course, when i forget a "potty break" she goes on me, but then it's my fault. :P

[Ashling]

Both of mine will go when I give them the chance. Ashing is potty trained, but Peanut is not- although he will go if I hold him away from the bed after we have been snuggling. Granted, they will also go if not given the chance.

[Eternal Damnation]

idk how my bird learned to do this, but everytime he is with me, when he has to go poop, he'll fly to the top of the closet door and go there. never on me anymore. anyone knows what triggered this? lol. its really cool that he does it but where did he get it from? idk

[LizTheParrotSlave]

I've had a lot of success with potty training, and have found it pretty easy with most tame birds.

I start with catching them just as they poo and saying "Good potty!" They catch on quick to what you are referring to. In addition, I watch for body language which indicates they are about to "go" and give the potty command at that moment... then praise "Good potty" again. They very quickly figure out what the "game" is and most tame birds are obliging.

One thing to help success: have one potty command and ALWAYS say it exactly the same way in the same tone.

And... if you have more than one bird... I suggest having a different potty command for each bird.