Taming that new pet parakeet.

According to the American Pet Product Manufacturer’s Association survey parakeets (actually budgerigars) are the number one pet bird in the United States. Their happy chirping, constant chatter and clownish behavior make them a delightful first bird. They are affectionate and easy to train. The experience of having one as a pet is greatly enhanced if they can be taken out of the cage and handled. Children are especially thrilled if they can have their little friend sit on a finger or shoulder. This bonding also makes further training much easier.

When I worked in retail pet stores I used my method of finger training as part of my sales pitch. My claim to fame was that I’d have the customer’s parakeet of choice sitting calmly on their finger before they ever left the store. I used this simple method to put on a bit of a show and turned it into a learning experience for the new bird owner. As I worked with the bird I’d talk about care, handling and training. In variably it turned into a sideshow that attracted the attention of other customers. Although I used it as a very effective sales tool, it really is an effective means of training young keets to perch on your finger.

The first step is to make sure that the bird’s wings are properly clipped. Before a bird will bond with a human it must first of all trust, and second of all depend upon their human companion. Gentle handling develops trust, clipped wings develops dependency.

Clipping wings is a simple, safe and painless procedure. The first time you’ll probably need an extra pair of hands. Once you have clipped wings a few times you should be able to handle it solo. You don’t want a "heavy clip", just take the tips off of the longest 4 or 5 flight feathers. This keeps the bird from being able to gain loft, but enables them to float safely to the floor without crashing. Please refer to "Wing Clip Tips" article in the D.Y.K. Archives page of our web-site for more detailed information on clipping wings.

Step two is to clear a fairly large space in the room without a lot of furniture that the bird can run under. During the early training sessions the bird will bail-out and have to be recaptured. Use a small catch net to retrieve the bird from it’s cage. Using a net speeds up the process and stresses the bird less that catching it by hand. Remove the bird from the net by grasping the bird gently from behind so that it’s back rests in your palm and your thumb and index finger rest along side the lower mandible (jaw).

It’s easier to tame and train a young bird. When purchasing your new pet, look for one with large clear black eyes. The barring on the head of very young birds extends all the way down from the crown to the head to the cere (nostrils). As birds get older, the black stripes recede to the crown of the head.

Hold your opposing hand mid-way between your waist and neck with the index finger extended. Keep this hand in close to your body. About 6 to 8 inches away from your chest is just about right. When you place the bird on this finger, you don’t want him to be able to see beyond your body. If he sees an escape route he’ll use it.

Place the bird feet down on the extended index finger, but keep your palm of the "holding hand" positioned above the bird to keep him from trying to jump up and off. Talk soothingly to the keet and slowly draw the "holding hand" away. You must be alert at this point, because this is when the bird will first try to escape. Be ready to catch him in mid-flight as he attempts to get away. When he does, grasp him again and place him back on the extended index finger.

Once he settles a bit extend the index finger of the "holding hand" and bring it up behind the bird. Gently tap him on the butt with this finger and lift, while dropping the other index finger. Use a verbal command such as "step-up" and lift into the bird so that he steps backwards onto the finger to maintain balance. Quickly bring the other index finger up behind him. Tap him on the butt, "Step-up" lift and lower. Repeat. Keep repeating this procedure until the bird readily steps from finger to finger as you change hands in a stair step fashion.

The bird will "bail out" repeatedly during this process. Keep catching him and repeating the above procedure. Don’t view the "bail outs" as failures; its part of the process. Eventually the bird will begin to tire from the escape efforts. Use his tired condition to your advantage. When he’s a little winded he’s less inclined to try to escape. When this happens increase the frequency of the hand changing step-ups. Once the little guy seems to have caught on to the routine, switch to bringing the "new" index finger up to the front and tap the breast just above the legs, lean into him and step up from the front until he can repeatedly perform this simple procedure comfortably.

The first session shouldn’t last more than 20 minutes. Subsequent ones should be between 5 and 10 minutes long. At the end of each session return him to the security of his cage and leave him alone. You don’t want him to begin to think of these sessions as marathon work-outs. They should become fun for both of you. Only work with him once a day for the first week or so. Once he has the "step-up" trick down pat, reach into his cage with an extended finger and try the "step-up" trick inside the cage. When you reach the point that he’ll step up inside the cage and ride your finger out of the cage, then you’ve bonded well with your friend. Bringing him out on your finger to receive a favorite treat really seals the bond.