How to Potty Train a Parakeet

Notice any signs that it is going to potty before they do. Does your bird raise its tail slightly or back up before they do their thing? Try to find cues.

• Chances are, when you spend at least ten minutes with your parakeet, it'll potty at least once in that time frame. They do potty very often. Younger birds potty more frequently than older birds.
• Parakeets also potty after waking up and after eating.

Move them to the specified area which you want them to potty in when it shows the sign. If your bird shows the sign, move them above a paper towel or a paper plate so they can do their thing. You may also choose to move them to their cage. (Just make sure they know the way in so they can go by themselves!)

• You will need to hand train them before you move them places. If they are not trained, they shouldn't be out of their cage in the first place.

Say a phrase of your choosing when moving them. You could say "potty please" or something else. Just make sure it is not inappropriate. If it is, your parakeet may repeat it in public and embarrass you.

• Make the phrase short so your parakeet will remember it better.
• Do this every time your parakeet shows the sign.
• Be aware they may not distinguish between certain objects. For instance, if you are asking them to potty on newspaper, it does not know whether you have read it or not. Be careful. A way to avoid this is to simply take paper plates that you need to a different room or put the unread newspaper in an area where your parakeet cannot see. Or, you could tell them to potty in their cage.

Reward your parakeet. You can use a treat such as millet spray, or another treat they like. You can also give them a compliment or a stroke. It will recognize that this is where you want them to potty.

Repeat and practice. This is very important, and in the beginning you may need to practice for longer amounts of time. Your bird will get used to the idea of every time they potty, they need to go to the area. However, don't train your bird for more time than it can handle. Different birds have different personalities and like to be trained for different amounts of time.

• Try to train them whenever they are playing outside of their cage, if possible. They should always be supervised when they're outside, so you'll be near them anyway!

Hold their tail down and say "no" if they are doing it in a spot that is not their potty area. This may stop them from doing it. If they have already done it, clean up and try again.

Let your bird fly freely around the house once you are certain it knows where to go to potty. Parakeets are very intelligent, and they learn things easily (especially younger ones).

• However, potty training is a bit more difficult then teaching them to step up or step down. Be patient.