Poop training

[Anayla]

Alright. Any of you have your tiels trained to poop on command? I'd like to train mine to poop on a napkin or something. Has anyone done this, any tips on how to accomplish it? It's kind of a pain cleaning poop off the couch, stepping on the ones you missed, etc. I hate surprise "presents".

Budgie poop was much nicer. I couldn't image parrot poop.

I'm done saying "poop" now.

[FlyingCircus808]

You know, I just don't think birds should be trained to poop on command - just my opinion. I have to ask (sorry!), could YOU poop on command? Having birds, there are just certain things one must get accustomed to, and one of them is bird poop. Fortunately, cockatiel poop is not big, and not smelly, and not really messy. I just put old tee-shirts or washable towels/blankets on the places my tiels would hang out at. When the poop on those would dry, I'd flick them off and then put the articles in the laundry.

[Anayla]

Maybe poop on command is the wrong term... as humans, we know that if we have to poop, we do it in the washroom. Could a bird not be trained to go to the napkin when he needs to poop? Doesn't seem as mean when worded that way.

In the end, it doesn't really matter to me. I just know that some people have trained their birds to do this and was curious.

[javi]

It can be done, though I never have. Basically ya watch the bird when he is out with ya and start to take notice of the signs before he has to relieve himself. Once ya know the signs ya take him to the designated spot and let him relieve him self at the same time giving the cue word ya choose followed by reward. Continue to do this until ya can get the timing right to say the cue word right before he does it again followed with praise. After a while your bird will associate the cue word with what he needs to do. Only give the cue when ya see that he needs to go. It also helps to determine how much time goes between bm so that ya know when ya should ask him to relieve himself.
That being said I am not a fan of this, mainly cause it is so easy to clean and my birds are nice enough that they do not relieve themselves on me once they become adults. Not sure how I was that luck. Good luck and please keep us posted.

[Marrie]

I am not really a fan of it either - they are easy to clean up after and I have read stories of birds who want to hold it in because they have been trained to go on cue, or in a certain spot and want to wait for their master to tell them it's ok (or get to their spot). I would hate to have to ask permission every time I had to go!

My bird always has body language signs for when he has to go, so I can move him off me onto an area and he'll go. I don't make it a command or anything, I just remove him from where he can mess like my face, or my bare arm, or anywhere I don't want him to. He's typically well behaved enough to climb down onto the desk if it is an option.

I would suggest if you do train, wait for the body language (my tiel backs himself up and lifts his tail, then his wings) and put him like in his cage or something and onto something that can go into his cage and ask him to go for you.

Personally I just use a water bottle near me, tissues and old shirts I don't mind him messing on. If I need my clothes to stay clean, I put an old blazer on over my shirt.

[ang3ls]

Hi, I am only new to owning a Tiel (Smoochels) but I have owned hand raised Love Birds before and it was possable to train them to poop in a designated spot, Huey (my love bird) had a perch just outside his 'nest' and i place an ashtray under the perch, praised him majorly when he started pooping in it, saying things like 'yay Huey done a poo poo', didn't reward with treats but thats not to say treats aren't a good idea, and within a few weeks of holding him over ashtrays throughout the house and saying 'poo poo' he caught on that the ashtray was his toilet and poo poo was was his 'business'. I plan on trying this tactic with Smoochels.

[AmberMuffinz]

Yeah, along with Marrie, I've also heard bad stories about birds holding it in until their owner says something. I think there was a thread on here somewhat like that, at least from what I remember. I personally wouldn't teach them to do it on command. Whenever I hold my birds, if they have to do their business I just clean it up with a wet wipe. They eat pellets too, and it makes it a lot easier to clean up than seeds, which is what Zen was eating when I first got him. With pellets it's not as runny, so it's even easier to clean. though it's not difficult to clean anyway. XD

You could also get a blanket or a sheet or something that is specifically for your fids. I noticed that sometimes when my birds are out of their cage they poop off the front and it lands on the floor. I put a pillowcase there now and just clean it up at the end of the day.

[javi]

Also remember that ya can buy a shoulder "cape" to keep your clothes clean.