Cockatiel Potty Training: Too Early?

[Nokota]

I got Vivi, my Cockatiel, at seven weeks old, he is now three months. The breeder who raised him did not handle him much, sadly, and he never learned to fly despite fledging at 4 weeks or so like most 'tiels, so the first thing he did out of the cage is bite my mother and fly out of control straight into the ceiling.

A lot of clicker training, handling, and a 5-feather wing clipping later (he can still fly, he just can't power himself straight into the ceiling like that. He can learn better control as those feathers come back) he is being handled willingly, knows how to step up, and can target.

My issue is this: I've been trying to get him potty trained. I am wondering if this is too hard a behavior to teach with a bird so young since our human kids don't learn until around two years old and a 'tiel is not as intelligent (at least, not at three months) as a human child. Shall I wait until he has more worldly knowledge and, as it were, more bladder control? Or is it realistic to expect him to learn this behavior now? I have two "potty perches" that I made myself and are quite adequate, but it's been well over a month and he just isn't getting it.

We have been doing recall training and he does fly to me, but any farther than about two feet and his aim suffers horribly, still not too coordinated in the flight department. I am wondering if I ought to hold off on that, too? Until he figures out how to aim better, anyway.

I aim to eventually get my little guy in an Aviator Flight Harness and take him with me around town during the warmer months!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKCxkohG ... 87B9AB2868

[GreenWing]

There are other recent threads about this, see here:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=9019

(too lazy to BBcode)

No harm starting now. You don't want to potty train with treats and a clicker, though. Verbal praise only. Too much enforcement in this can cause digestive issues for the bird.

[Michael]

I don't think a Cockatiel can or should be potty trained. Stick to the timing method.

[Pricey_boy]

I don't think a weiro should be potty trained either their not like lories or cockatoos who do big wet poos all the time they only go every now and then and only do small ones and I've noticed that birds like that will poop less often when on your shoulder just wait till he gets a bit older

[Eric&Rebecca]

Having a cockatiel I wouldn't because they poop so often and it's not like their poops are particularly messy or stinky. We have a piece of kitchen towel when he's out and we just pick up as he goes. Sometimes he will fly back to the cage and go and sometimes he won't. I guess that's part of having a birdie, knowing they will poop everywhere.