How do I potty train my African Grey?

African Greys are fairly easy to train because they are intelligent creatures who can quickly understand words and learn what it is you want them to do. They can also be quite fastidious about their droppings. Start by saying a word or phrase every time your bird goes so that it associates the words with the action. A good time to start is in the morning when you know there will most likely be a large dropping that has been saved overnight. Just do this for a while so the bird learns the connection. Then you can either put the bird where you want it to go and say the words or you can watch for the tell tale signs of tail wagging and quickly move the bird to the location. Make sure you praise your bird and it will soon realise that there are certain places for droppings. For example, you could train it to use only those places which have newspaper underneath. This would then include the cage and the playstand or stands. By teaching this the Grey learns by default that it doesn’t go on YOU! However, don’t punish your bird for accidents. Just keep using praise and encouragement.

Jane