Making progress?

[parrotqueen]

I'm not sure, but I think Pineapple is learning how to be potty trained already! Yesterday night, and for all day today; he did something that suprised me. Instead of just letting it fall on me, he has actually been backing up and making sure the poo falls on the floor instead of on me.

He has made it very apparent that he understands, you can clearly see that he doesn't want to let it land on me. I'm very proud of him, I'd rather clean poo off of the floor instead of off me. I'm just going to take training slow, but eventually I'm going to ask him to only poo in his cage. That will be so neat! (literally )

 

[DustyDusky]

Thats great to hear!

Dusty caught on quickly. I would pay close attention to his body language. (his would squat, his feet would generally become warm, and he would sometimes get agitated). when I saw these signs I would bring him to his cage. There is only one place he can poo when outside of his cage and that is on his play stand. Dusty is now four years old and he has not pooed outside of his cage/ play stand in over three years. This of course is with the exceptions of when I am not paying close attention to him. Though Dusty has developed a way to tell me when he has to go other than me just looking for signs. When he has to go he will gently nipple on my finger then look up at me and yell once. this is when I know I have to take him to his cage.

 

[parrotqueen]

That's adorable, made me smile. What a smart bird Dusty is!!

 

[DustyDusky]

Thank you!
It still surprises me how smart birds are.

 

[Spiritbird]

Funny how the birds tend to look back at their droppings as if to say "did I do that?" I have a new carpet so I would rather get the poo than the carpet. Rosie always seems to back up to the edge of the table so it falls in the floor. Now I put newspaper on the floor too.

 

[parrotqueen]

Thank you!
It still surprises me how smart birds are.

I know! Amazing, isn't it?

I've read some pretty cool stories about smart birds, like the african grey that got lost and told the officer his phone number, and the crow that went sledding down the snowy mountain on a chip of tree bark... the list goes on and on.

The next thing I need to train the boys to do is to accept getting their nails clipped. I do it here at home, because the vet just costs way too much. Doing it at home is extremely difficult though.

Funny how the birds tend to look back at their droppings as if to say "did I do that?"

That's funny, I noticed the same thing. THey will poo on the floor and look at it and then they look at me with such a goofy face.

 

[DustyDusky]

Dusty is good with his nails and wings. He never used to be. He always used to flip out. Now i just lay him in my hand and use human nail clippers. He will lay there with hardly a fuss as i clip his nails. His wings he still freaks a bit for but he has definately gotten better.

 

[parrotqueen]

Wow, really? That's pretty cool, that he's fine about whatever you do to him. I haven't gotten that sort of trust yet with my birds.

I never clip my birdies' wings, they are fully flighted right now (well, Sunshine almost is. Pineapple is fully flighted, and flies beautifully). I'm getting them a harness soon, so that I can exercise them every day.

 

[DustyDusky]

I would like not to have to clip Dusty's wings but, unfortunately its a rule my parents have in the house. They dont like the idea of Dusty flying wherever he pleases.

 

[Revill]

My Cockatiel, Ariel has been doing the 'back up' thing on his own since he was little. With a few exceptions. Like the time we were discussing the appropriateness of chewing on a library book. He got 'NO' in three repetitions, then walked up onto my arm, looked me right in the eye and let loose on my sleeve.

 

[parrotqueen]

Well, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. When you gotta go, you gotta go!