Pionus Paranoia?

Question

Help my pionus parrot is pretty well potty trained but he tries to go all the time now. I trained him to go on the play pen when he's out of the cage by praising him and now he is constantly trying to go, even when he doesn't need to. He strains and I feel so bad. I'd like him to stop being to neurotic about pooping and just go when he needs to. I have tried to cut the praise when he does go as I don't wish to encourage this behavior. Any suggestions? Do I need to be concerned about this? Knowledgable bird lovers answer only please and thank you.

Bonsyler,

Dude you are b****! Actually ya dumb **** birds are able to hold it for quite a while. They typically go every 10-15 but mine has held it up to an hour. I have had more than one bird and obviously know more than you. It is not joke that my bird does this. I think he uses it to get attention and things he wants. Anyway I care about him very much and it is not a joke. You are the one who is a f****** fool! you get a life!

Potty-training Your Bird

http://www.mit.edu/~rei/birds-potty.html

Maybe you should brush uo on your so-called knowledge.

Answer 1

Well Hello!

This is interesting… different people read and hear this; someone told them that, and so on.
Okay, that’s fine. I’m all for education!
But each bird is different.
I have a Quaker that can’t go 10 minutes without taking a dump.
On the other hand, I have a Grey that goes all night without going in his cage.
Granted, the morning “Bomb” is close in appearance to a cow patty, but it is his choice.
I neither reinforced, nor discouraged “Bombing” in his cage. And it has neither hurt him nor helped him. It just is.
He also has learned to “signal” when he needs to go, so as to avoid bombing on one’s shoulder.
Based on this, I would rethink the “They have no idea they are eliminating…” response from “Bonsyler”.

When necessary, he will bomb in his cage, so it is clearly not a phobic response.
Let’s sort this out:
Based on the evidence I have presented, and the evidence of many other Parrot People I am acquainted with, my situation is not uncommon.

Bonsyler:
May I see your data?
If you can present some sort of Avian Veterinary Scientific Paper backing up your claim, and since you are a Vet Tech, I would be more than happy to read it and reevaluate my evidence based on your findings. I have great respect for your work and your expertise.
My area of expertise is not on the Veterinary side of this field; rather, it is in behavior and training.
But I will even try to convince my Grey that he indeed cannot hold it all night, and insist that he crap in his cage, even when he doesn’t.

Birds can and do “hold it”. And they can certainly hold it longer than 15 minutes. How then would you explain my Grey’s behavior?

Sorry “BonSyler”, but your premise does not “hold it” simply based on my evidence. While I respect your education and passion, you cannot base your entire experience on fact and then mete out advice when you do not have the data to back up your statement.
Being a Vet Tech is admirable, but you must be saddled with so many species, and unless you work exclusively for a Certified Avian Vet, perhaps this particular detail might have slipped by your radar screen.

Now, down to the issue at hand:
Rya-

Start by neither reinforcing nor commenting on his “bombing” behavior. Do not ask him to do it, don’t comment when he does it, and just try not to even notice it. Eventually the behavior will extinguish. It will take a while, maybe a few weeks. Just before the behavior is ready to completely “extinguish”, there will most likely be an event called an “Extinguishment Burst”. This is essentially the last dying gasp of the behavior, looking for reinforcement. Hang in there. Stay with the program.
“KMQuestion” has the right idea. The association of the “bombing” with the play stand must be eliminated.
Now try and reinforce other behaviors by training things you 2 can do together. You cannot “break” a habit. Rather the most success is found when you perform a “DRI” or a “DRA”. These are, respectively, “Differential Reinforcement of an Incompatible Behavior” and “Differential Reinforcement of an Alternate Behavior”.
In short, you can’t do one thing when you are doing something that is in direct conflict with that behavior.
For instance:
You can’t smoke very well when you are too busy chewing gum, and a bird can’t pluck his feathers when he is chewing on a toy.
You simply replace one behavior for another.
I suggest you create a new “ritual” for when he is on his stand and in his cage. Praise him for other behaviors. Distract his attention from trying to please you by “bombing” to trying to please you in another way. I cannot create a scenario for you as I don’t know you or your bird. But I’m sure you will discover something he likes to do that will please both of you.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Do you have him trained only to go on his playstand or is he verbally trained? Does he seem to 'hold it' or wait longer between going when he is not on his play stand? Try incorporating a game or a new form of praise for him to get while he's on his play stand that does not include him going. He might be at a point where his main association with the play stand is "potty time", if he stops that association and the playstand as a potty becomes secondary to playstand being the place a special game is played he might lessen the strains. Another option is a second play stand that is not used for potty breaks that he spends most of his time on. Good luck!

Answer 3

So, he goes more often that every 15 to 20 minutes? It truly could be because of the praise if there is nothing wrong with him physically. Birds are intelligent that way. They pick up on something they know they'll get attention for doing and overdo it.

I know a good bit about birds, but that's an odd one. I would ask your vet if it's that excessive - just for piece of mind, ya know. Good luck

Answer 4

BULL SH!T!!
Birds have no control over their functions like dogs and cats do. There are no muscles for them to "hold it" with. They have no idea they are even eliminating.
If he looks like he is straining, he is ill and needs a vet trip. Go immediately, birds get sick quickly and "crash" quickly.
But I know this is a stupid joke so, please honey, get a life!!