How to Train Your Parakeets

Parakeets make wonderful pets, especially if they are able to talk and perch on your finger. Most parakeets are naturally good-natured and respond well to training. Parakeets are very social, intelligent birds, so you will need to spend a lot of time with them to have the best result with training. The more time you spend with your parakeets, the more responsive they will be. Repetition, gentleness and lots of treats is a good recipe to train even the most stubborn parakeets.

Instructions

  1. Finger Training

    • 1

      Start finger training immediately after you bring your parakeets home for the first time. Slowly put your finger in the cage and talk to the bird so that it becomes used to the sound of your voice.

    • 2

      Place your finger under the bird's chest, just where the legs join the body. Lift gently so that the parakeet steps up on your finger to regain its balance. It may be a few days or weeks before your parakeets are ready for this, so don't become discouraged if they are unresponsive at first.

    • 3

      Repeat this lesson four or five times a day, working for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Pick a command, such as "up," that you use every time the bird steps onto your finger. With time, it will respond to your command.

    • 4

      Withdraw the bird from the cage once it has learned to perch on your finger reliably. If it flies off, wait until it lands, then have it step up on your finger again. With time, you should be able to have the bird outside the cage for longer periods of time.

    Talking

    • 5

      Speak to your parakeets often, starting from the day you bring them home. After a while, you will notice that they raise their heads to listen to you when you begin to speak to them.

    • 6

      Keep distracting noises to a minimum so the bird can pick up your voice better. This includes keeping it away from your other parakeets.

    • 7

      Stand to one side when training your parakeet so that it can hear you, but not see you. Slowly repeat a short phrase, pausing between each repetition. Say the phrase over and over again for 10 minutes at a time, twice a day.

    • 8

      Give your parakeet time alone before and after the training session. Often, you will notice the bird mumbling to itself, or practicing what it has learned.

    • 9

      Finish teaching one phrase before moving on to the next one.