How to Potty Train a Parakeet

Making Sure Your Parakeet is Ready

Be sure your parakeet is perch and hand trained. Otherwise, you won't be able to take them to their potty area without them flying like crazy around your house.

Be sure your parakeet is old enough. If they are very young, they cannot control their bowel movement and it may be difficult to train. Some people say that they can control it when they are one year or older, but it’s best to have them trained before they turn one.

Be sure your parakeet has been outside and is familiar with your house. This way, they will understand how to get to places and will feel natural outside their cage.

Be sure you have enough time and patience if your parakeet is older than a few years and is not bonded. If they are too old, they wouldn't be as bright and will be harder to train (but still possible). By old, this means more than a few years. The ideal age for training and bonding would be anywhere between two to seven months, but don’t fret if your parakeet is 3 years or maybe even more, it just takes longer to train and work.

Potty Training Your 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.

Let it go if your bird cannot learn. Whether because it is too old, too afraid, or too young, sometimes you should pause for a few months or so. Some parakeets cannot learn this trick at all. Just clean their droppings up and know that it is not their fault. Be forgiving. Take them out of their cage right after they potty.