# What words do your birds understand?



## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

I talk to Bennie a lot and I realize he doesn't understand everything I say, but he does seem to know some words. He responds to "peanut" and "cracker" and "friend" (I call the mirror his friend.) But my favorite thing is when I tell him "It's time for birdies to say goodnight." He runs around on top of his cage or if he's in his cage at the time he comes out and comes to the edge of his cage. I pick him up and give him good night scritches and kisses and he goes right in his cage. It seems he understands its time for him to go to sleep. Usually he doesn't protest at all, but sometimes as I cover him, he'll hang upside down on the bars of his cage and flap his wings. But only briefly.
Do your birds respond to certain words or phrases?


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## mohum (Sep 5, 2014)

Kiki wasn't hand tame so to get him in the cage, i would say "bedtime" and show him the towel if necessary. It worked great. Although he talked, he didn't understand the words.


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## karendh (Mar 25, 2013)

The only word Birdie definitely knows is the word 'no' and responds positively no-matter the tone of voice.


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

Rocko knows "Nutriberry", "go poop" (will poop on command unless he already has recently and/or doesn't have to), "time for bed", and obviously his name. I thought he knew more than that but I can't think of anything else.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Mine know, "go potty", "come here", "shhhhhh" (but they usually ignore that one), "be nice", "thank you" and "nigh night". Oh, and of course their names


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

My bird know 'Inside!". When they hear me say it they (usually) go into their cage. It took a while, and I always say it with the same inflection.

I have to work on "No, no."


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## Mayra (Aug 4, 2014)

Mimi seems to understand "up","come", "eat", and "poop". Every morning after I greet her I let her out saying "fly" and she does a few laps around the living room, but maybe we both just agree it's a good idea to stretch in the morning cause very rarely does that work at any other time lol.


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## Peetenomax (Nov 23, 2013)

Dexter most likely know more words than I know he does.
He does know what Tickle Tickle (tiCK-L, tiCK-L) or Head Rubs mean. He also knows what Be Gentle means. He's very fussy about head rubs. He wants them in a particular spot in a particular way, which isn't always the same. It's up to me to figure it out from small clues he gives me. If i get it wrong he complains and pecks at the hand holding him. If he doesn't stop I say Be Gentle & he usually settles down & gives me another chance. If he doesn't stop being fussy he's dumped on the counter & told No More. When he asks to get back up he's usually pretty good.

Both he & Benny knows what bedtime is & they don't like it at all. Peete also knows but he's really good about it. I have to hold him a certain way, stroke his cheek while walking to the cage. He hops right in ready to settle down.


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

Aaaww! these are cute. 
Skiddles knows 'no' - but ignores it. LOL! she just looks at me as if to say 'what?".
She knows her name as well. Also 'come on' and 'on your bed' and she goes to her bed which was a triangle timber perch but then I got her a bird buddy which she snuggles into every night. SOOOO cute!


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey understands his name, 'food', 'water','time to eat', 'bedtime', 'get in your comfy spot' means go to his sleeping perch, and that's about it. I wish he'd get the concept of 'shush' and 'stop screeching'.


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## Birdflu (Sep 15, 2014)

Bart often sits on the screen of my laptop, and since he wasnt always facing me he sometimes dumped a little bomb onto my keyboard... so I taught him the command "turn around"... and now he turns around, so his little a*s would hang over the other side. Handy also for watching telly, then we dont have get up when his long tail blocks the screen (he likes to sit on the TV when we're watching movies... probably because its warm). :-D
He understands "shower" "what is this?" "Go to bed" "good night" "bye bye" (he reacts to that one with this sad little noise... ) and also "go outside", then he knows its time for a walk in the little travel cage, he loves that, and I'm the crazy bird lady of the neighbourhood... the kids all know me  
I think he understands "no", but that doesnt mean he obeys to it... rather in the opposite, forbidden things are so much more interesting! He kinda reacts to "off" because I usually only use it when I'm really serious (like frying pans).
He understnads his name (and can say it), and "come here" and "very good" and for food "nyum nyum"... then he definitely comes flying!


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## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

*words*

I didn't realize you could teach a cockatiel to "Poop" on demand. I'd like to teach Bennie that one. How did you train them to do that? I know when Bennie is about to drop one, so I position him over something like a paper, but don't always catch him in time.


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## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

Zoo gets "Peek-a-boo" and then we play and "Good morning" which means food lol and his name and hello


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

Emma also understands "Do you want to come out?" She gets very excited, standing right by the door. It's really, really cute.


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## Mayra (Aug 4, 2014)

Janalee said:


> I didn't realize you could teach a cockatiel to "Poop" on demand. I'd like to teach Bennie that one. How did you train them to do that? I know when Bennie is about to drop one, so I position him over something like a paper, but don't always catch him in time.


I think it's just repetition and reinforcement. I've been placing my tiel Mimi over a napkin or back on her perch after 10-15 minutes of not pooping since she was a baby and she just knows to go. I don't really have to say "poop" anymore though I like to and to say that and "good girl" just to reinforce that she did good. I would never expect her to hold it in or to force it though. I also watch for signs and move her if I see she needs to go.


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

Janalee said:


> I didn't realize you could teach a cockatiel to "Poop" on demand. I'd like to teach Bennie that one. How did you train them to do that? I know when Bennie is about to drop one, so I position him over something like a paper, but don't always catch him in time.


Pretty much what was already said. But if you suspect that Bennie is either straining to go when you ask or holding it in, don't do it anymore. Both of those things are very bad for tiels. Rocko knows that if he has to go but I don't ask, he doesn't have to hold it in. Same with when I do ask him - if he doesn't need to go, he'll just chirp at me and I know that means he doesn't have to.


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## lilac_hippo (Sep 7, 2014)

Tufty knows night nights and bedtime and when he gets there most nights he will hang upside down on his bed perch and flap his wings.


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## Ftest (May 18, 2013)

They both know "step up" of course, "it's yummy want some?"' House house"' their names.


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## Fortunate (Oct 31, 2011)

Hehehe! Sooo cute! Mine know "play nice", "wakey wakey", "who wants a nummy", "give mommy a kiss" and "good night" 
Tempest also knows "pretty boy" and will show off his wings and singing. 
Tori knows "come down" and "come here please" she won't do anything unless you say please!


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey is starting to catch on to what 'eat like you've got some sense' means. Occasionally he will sling his food around while eating as if he is trying to make as big of a mess as possible. I will tell him to eat like he has some sense. If he doesn't stop, I take his food away for a couple minutes then put it back. At first it would take a couple tries to get him to stop, now it is to the point where I tell him to eat like he as some sense and he stops. 

I'm not sure what makes him do it in the first place, but for a while he was doing it daily and now it is about once a week. At least he is learning and things are getting better.


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