How to Potty Train a Conure
Conures are bright, beautiful and loud parrots. There are a variety of species available in the pet trade, from the popular Sun Conure to the lesser known Patagonian. Regardless of species, conures are acknowledged as intelligent birds capable of learning a variety of tricks. As a pet bird owner, one of the more helpful training tools is the ability to train your bird to poop on command. This will help prevent messy accidents. Potty training can be a fun endeavor for you and your bird.
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Instructions
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1
Select a key phrase. This phrase will act as the verbal cue for the bird to eliminate. While training your bird, repeat this phrase often and in correlation with the act of elimination so that the bird will associate the phrase with the process. Be sure to avoid picking a phrase that is used often in your daily language.
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2
Remove the bird from its cage. Place your bird on the T-stand. Make sure that the bottom of the T-stand is lined with papers to catch any waste. It is recommended you start training in the morning, before your bird has done its morning release.
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3
Observe your bird. Parrots generally get antsy before they need to go and will exhibit behaviors such as backing up, wiggling their tail and doing a sort of squatting motion. When you see these behaviors, encourage your bird to go by using the key phrase mentioned in Step 1.
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4
Praise your bird after it eliminates. Use both verbal praise and a favorite treat. This will help positively reinforce the bird's behavior.
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5
Repeat steps 1-4 on a regular basis. Consistency is the key with training, and the more consistent you are, the faster the bird will learn the desired behavior.
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Tips & Warnings
Patience and persistence is very important in any training regimen. If you or your bird get frustrated, its best to take a break and come back to the training at a later time.
If you are interested in clicker training, you can use a dog clicker to help bridge the association between your key phrase and the act of elimination.
