Toilet Training - Accidental & Inconvenient!

[fiddlejen]

So my Sunny has insisted on escorting me to the bathroom for most of the time I've had her. (It's a fun place for her. Spiral perch, fancy hangar textural-washcloth-climbing-toy, taggies-cloth etc, all hanging from curtain rod.) If from the other end of the house she hears the flush (giveaway that I used the facility without her!), she yells at me angrily.

Over the past few months with work-at-home, she has had pleasure of escorting me even more often.

Until just recently, she would do her own business wherever happened to suit her. In her own cages she has preferred spots. (Not that it's never elsewhere, but definitely preferred spots.) IF she was out on my shoulder, and me sitting-down she would typically aim down my back. This is obviously to avoid stepping-in. If I'm up walking around, she tries to aim Beyond my shoulder, onto the floor.

And, if in the bathroom, well typically she would leave her colorful messes below her play-area. So, mostly on the tile next-to the tub. Which, previously I did Not clean up instantaneously (well i was busy!), and basically never in her presence.

Since I've had her, I have chosen Not to attempt any sort of housetraining. BUT in case I might ever want to, I have given her a word-association. So IF she poos on me or near me, and I see it, I have tended to say, in bland-but-cheerful tone, "oh, look, you did a poo!", whilst wiping it OR at the time I see it happening.

Now as I said, with work-at-home, she's been able to escort me to bathroom even more often, at semi-regular times. (Slightly-variable lunch- & break-times.)

So couple weeks ago, it occurred to me, her swinging on fancy hangar & having just colored the floor, she probably has NO idea why I go in and sit there. So, done with my own business but not yet flushed, I wiped Her business from floor, said something like, "See, poos go in the toilet," and then FLUSHED it.

I do believe I saw the wheels turning behind her eyes right then.

ON next bathroom trip, right as we got in the door, she turned herself around quick. Poo'd onto my Front shoulder. Then squawked at me in case I hadn't noticed! I said, "Yes, you got it! Yes, poos go in the toilet!", whilst wiping it off & dropping it in & flushing.

Yes, she got it. Oh yeah she Got It.

Now - her goal is to get my shoulder just as I go thru the door. If I am too quick, & get her to perch first, she exaggerates her pooing-movements and then Yells and Flaps at me -- until I wipe it up into the toilet.

She is doing her best to do as many of her poos IN the bathroom as she can.

If we're sitting in the living room together, and she needs to go, she now Flaps At Me -- that's her full-body sign-language sign to tell me to Stand Up and do something; she used to try to Push me Up by pushing my ear but that did not work as well -- & then when I stand, she points me toward the bathroom!!

She will even call me over to get her from her cage, and then flap at me to take her. Not to mention, she seems to be Waiting for my breaks and lunchtimes for this purpose.

So. Cute and fun right? She KNOWS what the toilet is for. ONE time I told her, and she figured it all out. Really, she must have been wondering all this time why I would keep sitting on that white seat, for her to get-it just like that.

However. I am doing what I can to break her of this quickly-learned preference!

The problem - she is Not fully-flighted. And, if she was, I would keep that door always closed; the bathroom is too dangerous for a birdie alone.

So this means that now she is trying to WAIT for me before relieving herself. Including her big morning poo.

I absolutely do NOT want my birdie to think she needs to wait for me before relieving herself.

Does anyone have good suggestions for UN-bathroom training my Sunny?

 

[noodles123]

LOL- sounds about right. I say "GOOD POOPING!!" whenever mine poops (if it's an acceptable place), but she now puts on a show whenever she does. She figures that if she poops on her mats or on the white towel that I should acknowledge it-- prior to pooping, she does this little dance, and if I don't remove the poop or congratulate her, she gets very put off. She was accidentally potty-trained and NEVER goes anywhere she isn't supposed to (unless she is terrified). She is also very fascinated with me going to the bathroom, but I don't take her in with me lol! But since we are all family here, I do often pee with the door open so I can keep an eye on her!!! LOLLLLL

 

[1oldparroter]

i agree that they shouldn't be expected to hold it, until a right place. If they are potty trained it should be to more than one spot. If they are trained it is the humans responsibility that their eating and pooping intervals be noted and watched for. If you time them and take them to one of the acceptable spots, then brag on them afterward, all's good. jh

 

[Ira7]

We seem to have a record number of toilet training posts these days!

 

[Jottlebot]

If it's a learnt behaviour then all you have to do is work out what the reinforcement is and stop giving it. I'm afraid I don't think it's that she knows poop goes in the toilet. I thinks he perhaps enjoys you commenting and then quickly wiping it up. What you could do is strengthen the association by taking her to the bathroom every hour pelr so, letting her poop, cleaning it up and commenting and then after a couple of days take her in and let her poop and just take her out again or stay in with her and ignore her. She might start really trying to get your attention, but don't give in!

You might be able to use it to your advantage like putting something on the floor in the bathroom that you'd be happy for her to poop on and reward her when she hits it, but not when it's on the tiles, then you can move this into the living room or wherever and it can be her target!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Well, I certainly enjoyed reading this!
My only contribution is the silly story of my attempt, long years ago, to accomplish potty training. Apologies to those who have labored through it before...

The Rickeybird was toilet-trained for about an hour, back around 1990. I think he was maybe 6. I was reading Bird Talk, by then, and decided that I would try out some of the techniques. So I began taking the Rbird over a paper every 10 minutes or so and holding him there until he pooped, at which time I said "Boo-boo!" in a happy voice. Soon, I could take him to the paper say Boo-boo and he'd poop. As hoped for, as the day wore on, HE began to say Boo-boo and then poop when I held him over the target. He and I were both delighted, and we practiced and practiced. Sadly, it wasn't even an hour before he began saying Boo-boo every 30 seconds and then flying away when I headed for the paper. I accepted defeat graciously. To this day, he will sometimes yell Boo-boo ten or fifteen times within a minute or so, usually pooping wherever he happens to be. *sigh*

Yes, I think toilet training is something best left alone, for most...
Thanks for letting me share!