potty training

[pearllyn]

I have to say, potty training was one of the first things i concentrated on with Alfie when we got him, and initially he was brilliant - very quick to pick it up, and things where fine untill, I'd say just around christmas, he started having "accidents", although i'm not sure they really are. His going to the toilet anywhere, is becoming more frequent and I'm wondering if it's an authority thing? Even on the odd occasion, although I'm wise to it now, but if we're sitting on the couch of an evening relaxing, and Alf is on my knee getting a tickle, where he used to fly to his perch for a woopsie, he will actually fly now to david instead and relieve himself there!

Can anyone offer any theories why he might be doing this, and how i can stop him? I'm spending a fortune on poop-off!!

 

Take care.

 

lyn and Alf.

x

[pippi]

Hi,

My grey has been potty trained since 12 wks old,I have a cat litter tray that my husband has made a perch that fits in it with newspaper in the bottom, he put halve a coconut onto the end of the perch, I but a few nuts in this, when I bring her out of the cage she will either fly onto it and "go potty" or she will sit there until she has. After about 20mins of being out of her cage if she hasn't gone back to her potty (which she normally does) I take her back and say "go potty" and she will, and I lavish her with praise. She will leave what she is doing and fly back to her potty or she may probably go back to her cage if this is nearest, I consider myself very lucky as I really don't have any mess from her at all really, if I take out in her harness and she sit's on my shoulder she will fly onto the floor and go potty then put her foot out to be lifted back up.

All this does take time and patience but it is worth it.

Mags W.

[karunk]

all.. i got chikki home from the breeders thursday last week.. he settled in and over the weekend I have already been trying to potty train him.. he already climbs over his cage to the perch on the open top, and flies down(though he is clipped).. he seems to be one of the greys that likes to keep his house clean.. he poops in there only during the night, and once he picked up from there onto my conservatory floor, he poops.. he has been good so far in not pooping on me.. he also kind of squawks when he wants to go and if he is on my lap.. and i take him to the conservatory where he will poop..

 

in the last two days i have tried to place a newspaper at one corner of the conservatory and have tried to place him on it and say go potty.. and he doesnt seem to do it.. but the moment he is out of the newspaper area, he does it.. seems he likes the conservatory floor.. think i will take your advise and hold him over the newspaper till he poops there and then praise him.. to me, he so far seems to be a smart bird.. i hope he learns this sooner than later..

[GinniKoko1]

Koko knows where to potty for a Good Girl - and if I see the evidence of one coming on, I move her there. But now she is doing it where it is not acceptable and says Bad Girl as soon as she does it. I am going to read up on some of the tips here and try. The only time she crys is morning poo and she wants out of her house. It is just I only show displeasure with my voice to said oh koko bad girl and show her the poo spot. Does not matter - she still does not quite get the idea of the correct spot. :huh:

[GinniKoko1]

Koko is the same - she is going on her own if on the potty area. She also make a slight movement to let me know she needs to go which is great. We do have our little accidents from time to time though...

[Ernie]

Hiya I have a gray and when he goes to poo i send him back to the stand and when he has done a poo on his purch i say good boy have you doine a poo on your purch and dont say anything when he poos where he shouldnt.. but he i do see him about to go i stand up and shoute quick back to your purch for a poo... and 99% of the time he does go back to the play stand purch for a poo.... then you get a woooow because he knows hes a good boy...lol

Hope this helps...

 

We also have a yellow nape and i do the same if he bites I lurnch him back to the stand and say back to your purch if your going to bite and that works most of the time to....

[santino]

Is it ever too early to start potty training? Our baby Fonzie is a little over 5 months old now.

[Elvenking]

Is it ever too early to start potty training? Our baby Fonzie is a little over 5 months old now.

 

It is never too early to start any training. In fact...the earlier the better...much like humans, greys are more maliable when young. This is a difficult and long process unless yer lucky. Just try as much as possible to recognize when Fonzie is going to go, and move him to a place where it is okay. Reward lavishly when he goes where you want...and make no such fuss when he goes somewhere you do not want him to go.

[HeatherStrella]

I really don't know if this counts as "potty training" but it works for us. AnnaBella is quite a good talker and picks words/phrases up very quickly. When she'd do the deed, I'd say "go poopie". Now, when she has to "go", she says "go poopie"...actually, she kinda says it in the form of a question but, hey, it works!! If she's somewhere I don't want her to be, I'll send her flying to her perch where it's ok to "go". She goes...most times, she'll say it again and watch it land...LOL. I guess the next step is to have her go to her perch on her own...but I'm happy with the way things are now. She's never unattended when she's off her perch. Good subject....

Edited May 1, 2010 by HeatherStrella

[santino]

Thanks Elvenking...patience and dedication right? We'll stay on Fonzie and have faith that baby will figure it out eventually. Until then...where's that poop spray .

[PABoxster]

Lucas is about 8 months old now. He is a very good boy. He will go "poopie poopie", which is our command and he knows it. He will do it on the perch, on his play pen on top of his cage. We have another place with a hanging rope that he has no problems going there. But he never goes inside his cage :-( And so my wife and I feel bound to stay home and not be able to go away overnight because we feel bad for him. I have tried putting news paper in the cage. Give him the command in the morning in the cage but no go. :-( I am sure it can not be too healthy for him to hold it. Is there anything we can do? Or is he gonna just start pooping in there if we leave him in there for a weekend getaway like the pet store suggests? I am not sure if I will get an e-mail when someone replies or not on this forum? But my e-mail address is : paboxster@yahoo.com Thanks so much in advance for any help or information.

 

Chris

Edited August 28, 2010 by PABoxster

[Luvparrots]

Chris, you wanted him potty trained and you got it. Some parrots will not go in their cages if they can help it. But if necessary Lucas will go in his cage, because he has no choice. My pug is trained like Lucas, she will not go in the house she will bark and bark until I come to let her outside. But when she was ill and she had no choice she did potty in the house. Just like humans, if you got to go you go!!

[PABoxster]

So do you think it is ok if we leave Lucas in his cage for a weekend trip? We feel so guilty and a bit worried about it. Thanks!

[animalINSPIRED]

Is someone coming to check on Lucas? I personally wouldn't leave him alone the entire weekend. Could a neighbor come and check on him and make sure he has clean water and fresh food?

[PABoxster]

Well, our plans were to have a friend come and check up on him each day, but since they cannot come then we are at home this weekend. Our idea is to have one of our friends take him out and let him poop during the day if possible. We know we can have him stay at the pet store but we are afraid of the same thing there that he will not go in the cage. Also, right now he is trying hard to speak and we don't want him to start screaming like some of the parrots at the pet store. I guess one of the biggest question is. Whomever have had this problem with their grey, what did you end up doing to resolve the problem? I always thought it was not real healthy for them to hold it in?

[Guest jamalbirdbiz]

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Edited April 9, 2011 by jamalbirdbiz

[rawleyd]

As far as I know, birds are unable to "hold it" like other animals.

Surely your Grey will go in it's cage if it has no other choice, I don't think it's possible for them not to.

[KimKim]

Mine doesn't go in the cage either if I get him out regularly. And if he is in the cage and the door is open (or closed) he will come out, or do something, to let me know he has to go and I take him to the trash can or sink. If I am gone, or cant get him out regularly, he will go in the cage. But he is happy to poop anywhere else, so not quite potty trained. Most of the time I catch the getting ready to poo signal though.

[PABoxster]

Kim, that has got to be the best reply to my situation I have seen thus far. My wife works from about 6am and gets home around 6ish. I work from home online everyday and I leave to go out of town weds eve and come back thus eve. So I would say Thurs is about the only day he has a poop hold marathon. lol I can not say Lucas is 100% potty trained. He knows the command and does it all the time on his designated perch and he does it whenever he feels like it on top of his cage on the play pen and also on a rope we have in a different location. He unfortunately does it on top of my chair sometimes if we don't catch him quick enough or he will go on the leather couch. We usually can catch the wiggle and rush him to the perch to do his business but not always. So I guess my question for you Kim, is what do you do when you go away for the weekend. Lets say leave very early Sat morning and come back Sun eve? I wired his room with a internet cam so we can watch him when we are not away. I will soon be wiring his room to turn on the radio and lights. We usually have a daylight bulb in his room and leave the tv on when he is in his room. When we are home, he is out of his cage. He is either on top of the playpen, with us in the living room or he sometimes goes back in his cage to hang out. We are a bit worried to board him at the pet store.

 

What do you guys do when you go away from Sat morning to Sun eve?

 

I am scared of other parrots being sick and passing it along to Lucas if we board him at the parrot shop. What are you feelings about this?

 

Thanks so much and sorry for any stupid questions. We just really worry about the little boy :-)

 

Chris

[KimKim]

Well, I don't believe that I have been in your situation... I know that I brought him and his cage to a friends house for a week. And he just stayed in the cage. He was fine, he was around her birds and he thought her grey the car alarm. (The one thing we hoped wouldn't be left behind, haha). If I had to board, it would have to be in a room that was kept clean and sanitized, and kept away from customers who might scare him by putting their faces/hands next to cage. I would want them to have proof of all the boarders of vet checks. Also, I know some places have webcams so you can see what is going on. I have not found a place like that in my new town, so if I had to leave for a couple days, he would come with me in his small travel cage, or I would leave him with a friend or family member. Is there a way he can go with you? If not, he will survive. You might feel bad leaving him knowing he will try to hold it, but he will go. I thought the same about leaving my dog in her 6' 12' kennel on cement. I know (or thought) she would never go on the cement (potty trained), and I always rushed back to let her out. Everyone always thought we were crazy because we always left early or couldn't stay due to our animals. Not everyone thinks like us, we have feelings for them and try to put ourselves in their shoes and how would we feel being left for that long and having to hold it. Well one time I couldn't be home within 8-10 hours and to my surprise she did relieve herself.

[JAJA]

Im happy to say JAJA Goes on comand, he's out the cage most of the time for about 10-15 hours a day and we manage to keep a clean house Ill post a video for those who want to see.