10MonthOldCockatiel- What should I teach him while he is young?

Answer 1

I'm assuming that you already know the step-up and step-down commands and that you're looking for more not-so-obvious things to teach your fid.

If you want him to do tricks, go with what he naturally does. Like, for instance, I know an Eclectus who would swing upside down, after falling backwards off your finger. To turn it into a trick, we started saying "Bang!" every time he went down. Then, we added a hand gesture to it to look like we were "shooting" him. So, now we say bang, act like we're shooting him and he falls over backward. Soon, he started sticking his tongue out (for whatever reason) We added that to the trick with "Play dead" every time he did it, and now, we have a bird that gets shot, falls over dead and sticks his tongue out.

Shake is a popular one. Tell him to shake and stick your finger down like you're asking him to step up. When he sticks his foot up, take his foot and shake it. When he does it without freaking out on you, praise him like there's no tomorrow. Praise, praise, praise. That's the way to handle such things.

Um...turn around. If he turns around on your hand, start praising it and give it a cue. I've got a girlfriend who's cockatiel "Show it off" and turns around.

Gosh...basketball with a hoop. You can train your bird to pick up a toy and then put it through a hoop. My macaws both do that. They make the hoop and then make the sound of a crowd going wild. It's hillarious.

Head bobs can be turned into yes's with praise, No's are a shake of the head.

Really, you just catch your bird doing a favorable behavior, and then you praise them on it over and over until they repeat on cue. If you need any help or trick suggestions, let me know. I'll do what I can to help you.

Answer 2

Make sure you teach him to "Step up" by putting your finger against his chest and commanding "Step Up". Praise, praise, praise when he does! This will ensure that you can always get him if he flies off. To discourage screeching tell him "no", and ever-so-gently tap his beak. Repeat whatever you want him to say whenever you see him.
Love him, talk to him and hold him frequently. Is he is a SHE, she won't talk as much, possible not at all.

Answer 3

"Step Up" and "Step Down",as well as basic manners.Cockatiels usually don't talk until they're older(18 mo. or so),but it wouldn't hurt to start talking to him to.To teach step up,put a finger(or perch) up against his breast and say 'step up' or 'up' while gently pressing with the perch/finger.He should eventually get the message.Repeat,saying step up every time until he gets it.Teach step down the same way,only lowering your finger/perch down to a perch in the cage and letting him step down himself,while saying 'down' or 'step down'.If your bird bites you while you are handling it,say firmly,but not loudly 'No'.Don't hit it,make any fast movements,spray it with a water bottle or anything like that,just a 'no'.Tone of voice does a lot for birds.Don't put it back in it's cage if it bites you either,always end your handling sessions on a good note.Good luck!

Answer 4

MAke sure you handle him a lot, a friendly bird is the best trick.