HOW CAN I TRAIN MY COCKATIEL?

As with any parrot-like birds, cockatiels have no concept of punishment and any form of punishment will only make the tast of training more difficult for both you and the birds. While flying birds may be allowed to land on your shoulder, you should not allow the bird to remain there but tell it to step on to your hand, and carry it around on your hand not your shoulder. Most shoulder birds will reject training, bite their owner and/or be lost as the owner forgets about the bird and walks outdoors with the bird on the shoulder. The bird then flies away. This is Greg Glendell¹s training programme ­ see his link at the bottom of these FAQs.

You should always appear calm and confident throughout any training sessions. This is the key to the bird learning new things from you.

Lesson One
If the cage is portable you can take this, with the bird in it, to the training room and let the bird out. Otherwise you may need to remove the bird from its cage using a towel to catch it in if it is inclined to bit. It is vital that the bird¹s cage is removed from the training room before any training is started. A small spare bedroom makes a good training room. However you must remove anything that the bird may perch on that is hither than your chest height, such as pictures, ornaments and tall furniture. You will need a chair in the room for the bird to perch on and the floor should be carpeted. All perching places should be lower than human chest height, so that YOU always LOOK DOWN ON the bird. Birds should not have free access to your shoulder. Flying birds can land there but must be taken down immediately with the "Step up" command. On no account should any bird be allowed to walk up your arm on to your shoulder. This is simply the bird¹s challenge to your position. You will not be able to train birds which treat you as an inferior. Ío once in the training room, open the cage door and take the bird out or wait until it comes out, then remove the cage from the room.

The first command is "Step up" which tells the bird to get on to your finger or hand. Put your finger or hand very close to the bird¹s lower belly, gently touching it there and say "Step up." The bird may refuse to step up, or fly to another perch or bite. If it refuses, repeat the command, pushing the bird gently on its lower belly. If it bites, try to show NO REACTION to this and repeat the command immediately.

If the bird goes to the floor, wait a few moments so it is calm, then approach it, place your hand so that you are almost touching it in the same place and repeat the command. If you react to being bitten, this will only stimulate the bird to bite again. The bird has no defence against a person who remains calm and unflustered. Usually after three or four attempts at Step up the bird will step up on to your hand.

When it does, it is vital that you praise the bird enthusiastically. Your TONE of voice is more important than what you actually say. Don¹t let it stay on you for more than a few seconds. Then say "Go Down" and return the bird to the chair back.

Every time the bird obeys a command, you must reward him with something you know it really likes. This can be verbal praise, having a head scratch or even a small food treat. Training should not last more than five minutes can be done twice a day, each day, until the bird is good with taking the commands.

For the first three or four days keep your bird in its cage except for the lessons. When the bird is stepping on and off your hand easily, move on to the next lesson.

Lesson Two
This is the same as lesson one, in the same room, except that there should be two chairs in the room. Tell the bird "Step up" on to your finger/hand, then transfer it from one chair to another. Then when this is established without difficulty, transfer it from the chair, or to the windowsill. All these transfers should be from one piece of furniture to another, in the training room, always to furniture which is lower than your chest. It will help the bird if you touch any new place you are asking the bird to go down on to with your other free hand first, then say "Go down". Do not go to Lesson 3 until the bird understands lesson 2.

Lesson Three
You can do this lesson either in the training room or the bird¹s room. This lesson gives you good control of your bird¹s flying activities. So when the bird tries to fly to you, if you do not wish it to land on you, put your hand in front of it, palm towards the bird as though you were stopping traffic, say "Stay" and prevent the bird from landing on you by blocking his path to you with your hand. The bird will have to fly to another perch. Praise the bird when he lands on another perch, but do not approach him. Do not go to lesson 4 until the bird does lesson three.

Lesson Four
Once the bird is obying the earlier commands, you can usually teach this command in the same room as the cage is normally kept. This command tells the bird it must leave you by flying off you. With the bird on to your hand/finger, stand close to a familiar perch such as the bird¹s cage or its playstand, and say "Go, Go" and carefully toss the bird in the direction of the familiar perch. Do this a few times and over the next few days increase the distance from the landing perch.

Do not go to lesson five until the bird does lesson four.

Lesson Five
If you have been training a bold or aggressive bird (but NOT a nervous one) with the bird out of its cage, move the cage to a new location a few feet from its original position in the bird¹s ordinary room. Also alter the perches, putting them in slightly different places in the cage. The bird should see you doing this.

Now you can repeat lesson one with the bird in its cage, telling it to "step up" onto your hand, then take it out and put it back into the cage, telling it to "Go Down" as you set it down on a perch. Do not use the top door on the cage, but the lower one. The bird should not be able to look down on you at all. Each time the bird obeys, reward it in some way that you know it appreciates. You can repeat this request three or four times, and do this a few times each day. This will give you good control of the bird when it is near its cage.