Help with training a cockatiel please?

Question

i need some help. i have started to try and train my 19 month old cockatiel but he is really stubern and mood so he wont do anything until he wants to and its always at awkaward times (like 11-12 oclock at night) do you have any suggestions on how we could train him and over come this obsticle.

Answer 1

By 11-12 PM your bird should be asleep; perhaps he's grouchy from lack of shut-eye?

By around 9 make sure he's tucked away in a dark room where no one will disturb him.

Answer 2

There is not enough space to go into to many details..

Parrots are motive by food. You control there food and you will control them....

1. Convert them to a pellet diet, Seeds are a treat, (this will take a couple of weeks)

2. Figure out what kind of treat he likes the best (Sun flower seeds)

3. Figure out how much food he is eating. Take his dish out at nitght before bed. Careful Fill it and weigh it in the morning before you feed him, also weigh him and put it in a log with the date.

4.When you know how much food he eats, then only give him that much minus 10%. Measure out the 10% in sunflower seeds you give them to him from your hand only, before he gets his food in the morning.

5. Now you can train him to do what ever you want using the sunflower seeds. Get a book on clicker training and follow it.

Answer 3

19 months is a little old to begin training, so this may be why you're having some difficulty.

I'd suggest not trying anything too challenging.  Just start with something simple like getting him to step up onto your finger when you hold it in front of him.  Make sure you reward him every time he does it, and take things very slowly.

As for the timing - just try at times that are appropriate for you, and if he's not interested, try again some other time when it's convenient.  If you try to push too hard, it will make him anxious and may put him off.  Just keep trying but be gentle and don't stress over it.

Good luck.