Potty Training Fail

[Jowelbg]

I thought you guys would get a kick out of this. I decided I was going to try and potty train the boys. For the past week, every time I would see them do the poopy dance, I would take them to a paper towel and say, "Potty Time!" My logic went like this:

1) They'd hear me say potty time and poop.
2) They'd see the paper towel and poop on it.

Winning combination, right? What I failed to recognize is, they didn't see the paper towel. They didn't care about my vocal cue. They DID see the table I was taking them to. Every time they get on that table, they try their hardest to push out every amount of poop they have. The poor guys are squeezing one out about every 30 seconds. :30:

Bird logic has beaten me.

 

[SoCalWendy]

Are they nervous? Rio poop more frequently when she is nervous. Scare the poop right out of her. LOL!

Id get scared about teaching them when to go rather then "where" to go. Rio does not like to poop in her sleep cage and will hold it until I take her to her designated poopy place. She has several. I'm hoping after she molts and her wings are back she can just fly there herself and go then come back to me.

 

[BillsBirds]

It is easier to teach them where to, rather than, when to, poop. Also, teaching them to poop on vocal command can sometimes make them hold it until they hear you say it. Maybe put paper on table, so they see paper, and get idea that there's where to go. Then move paper where you want them to do it. Instead of seeing this as failure, see it as Step 1.

 

[antoinette]

When training Mishka I first attempted to get him to poop on newspaper.
I took him every 10 minutes and had success, BUT I held him while he pooped. He mastered it in two days.

I then placed a potty near the newspaper, and let him inspect the potty, getting acquainted with it.
I told him "Mishka must poopie in the potty" many times.
When he became "comfortable" seeing the potty I gently placed him on it and said Mishka poopie in the potty.
He pooped in the potty at his first attempt.

One time holding him above the newspaper, then next on the potty, saying "Mishka poopie in the potty".
On the third day I then placed him on the potty, removing the newspaper.
These days when out the cage and requiring the potty, he pulls the potty towards me and says "Mishka poopie"

If not working with food on the table, place a potty there, then every 10 minutes place one of them on the potty saying "Poppies in the potty"

Good luck with whatever method you choose, it just takes time and patience.

 

[Jowelbg]

I appreciate all the advice!

SoCalWendy, I don't think they're nervous. To be honest, we're still learning to read them, though. I'll watch for the nervous poops.

BillsBirds, we'll definitely work on the "where" more than the "when" part. I don't want the little guys to explode. This is definitely not a defeat. I did feel bad that they were working so hard for praise by pooping every 30 seconds. I can't image that's good for them. It's also a bit comical...

antoinette, holy crap! That's awesome. I'm not quite the training master you are, but I'll work on the baby steps. First I have to create my synchronized caique hopping team.

 

[antoinette]

I appreciate all the advice!


antoinette, holy crap! That's awesome. I'm not quite the training master you are, but I'll work on the baby steps. First I have to create my synchronized caique hopping team.

Definitely not quite the training master and will never be

Basically it boils down to trial and error
What works for some, might not work for others.

Be consistent - Be patient

 

[JerseyWendy]

Ok, go ahead and laugh, but when I first started reading, I thought of human babies....until I got to the paper towel part. :54: I must have been spending too much time in the heat today. :32:

 

[chippy]

for Wilbur I had a bright blue plastic dish that was his potty...when out of the cage, it was the only place he went, until I also taught him to poop in the actual toilet. It was great...the ONLY person he pooped on was DH...and I am pretty sure it was deliberate. He would poop in his "potty", I'd hand him over to DH, and he would PROMPTLY poop again...EVERY TIME!!! DH was quite convinced that when he wasn't home, I was training Wilbur to poop using one of his t-shirts or something so that he learned to associate DH's smell with potty... LOL

The potty I used for Wilbur is too small for the IRNs so I am trying to figure out what I want to use for Pippin. Potty training is SO handy!

 

[JDlugosz]

I then placed a potty near the newspaper, and let him inspect the potty, getting acquainted with it.

What exactly is the “potty” ?

 

[JadeC]

There's a picture above

 

[ShellyBorg]

I then placed a potty near the newspaper, and let him inspect the potty, getting acquainted with it.

What exactly is the “potty” ?

Its a baby term for a toilet or bathroom. My birds are trained to "Get it done" Use any term you want. They all work.

 

[Jowelbg]

I thought I'd update this. We've been coming along slowly. There were a couple suggestion that really helped.
1) The use of a bowl instead of paper towels.
I'm not sure how I saw that going in my head. After seeing what you guys had done, it was a no brainer.
2) Use of the morning anal explosion.
It's big. They've got to go bad. They don't want to go in the cage. It's like a solution waiting to solve my problem.
3). I'm an engineer, and we need lists. What's a list without a 3?

I will say this. Beaker is an eager pooper. Bunsen is a shy pooper. I can not count the number of times we've had Beaker on his potty. We'll say, "Potty time!" He'll eagerly do his business, and we'll heap on the praise. Next up is Bunsen. We'll encourage and, but he'll take forever. So long, in fact, that Beaker will decide, he'll step up to the plate and go again. He's never on his potty at this and it's always in the most inopportune places. One of these happened to be on Bunsen's head. This was of course right after bath time. :-/

Personally, I think he did it on purpose.

 

[antoinette]

I thought I'd update this. We've been coming along slowly. There were a couple suggestion that really helped.
1) The use of a bowl instead of paper towels.
I'm not sure how I saw that going in my head. After seeing what you guys had done, it was a no brainer.
2) Use of the morning anal explosion.
It's big. They've got to go bad. They don't want to go in the cage. It's like a solution waiting to solve my problem.
3). I'm an engineer, and we need lists. What's a list without a 3?

I will say this. Beaker is an eager pooper. Bunsen is a shy pooper. I can not count the number of times we've had Beaker on his potty. We'll say, "Potty time!" He'll eagerly do his business, and we'll heap on the praise. Next up is Bunsen. We'll encourage and, but he'll take forever. So long, in fact, that Beaker will decide, he'll step up to the plate and go again. He's never on his potty at this and it's always in the most inopportune places. One of these happened to be on Bunsen's head. This was of course right after bath time. :-/

Personally, I think he did it on purpose.

Beaker sure sounds like he did it on purpose LoL I had a good giggle
Keep trying and do not give up, it takes some birds longer than others.

 

[danbrah]

where can i buy a potty like in the picture in this thread for my congo grey? what is that exactly called / or a link to it?

 

[GladeWing]

where can i buy a potty like in the picture in this thread for my congo grey? what is that exactly called / or a link to it?

It looks like a toddler's training toilet to me. I googled Potty Training and Training Toilet and found things very similar to that, but off-hand I could not find the exact product ^^;

 

[getwozzy]

Yep, regular toddler training toilet... You might be able to find used (but clean lol) ones at a children's consignment store for usually half of retail price. Otherwise stores like target, Walmart, Kroger, etc sells them, or online at eBay or amazon.

 

[antoinette]

where can i buy a potty like in the picture in this thread for my congo grey? what is that exactly called / or a link to it?

I replied to your pm, giving you a few suggestions.

Here are a few links where they are obtainable, they also ship them

The link below is similar to the one Mishka has, it is the 15th item shown. It is sold in South Africa at a very reasonable price.
Would probably cost you more to have it shipped than what the potty cost.
Baby Bath & Potty - uPrice.co.za South Africa


Shop Potty Training Chairs, Travel Chairs & Baby Chairs - buybuyBaby.com**
Second row, 1st one on the left hand side

Potty Training Aids - Training Pants - Graco, Huggies & Pampers | Babies"R"Us
Third row, 1st one on the left hand side


Good luck

 

[strudel]

I'm trying to train my galah. She knows the potty and will sit there, but she never seems to do poo. One day, my poo will come.

 

[antoinette]

I'm trying to train my galah. She knows the potty and will sit there, but she never seems to do poo. One day, my poo will come.

You are one step there already
At least your bird sits on the potty.
Each and every time you take your bird out, place the bird on the potty.

POO WILL COME EVENTUALLY

 

[strudel]

Oh, the poo comes, but just not when she is on the potty. She seems to like to be hanging over the edge of things when she goes.