Parakeet Training Record

In the 60's, science had an answer for everything, and vinyl did much more than just supply you with the latest pop tunes. For a mere 98 cents, this 45rpm disc from Hartz Mountain claimed to be able to teach your parakeet to talk using a "scientific new method". The idea, it would seem, was to place your bird near the record player while a "carefully trained voice" recited over and over again a series of banal phrases. "Hello, baby", says the voice. "Hello, baby".

Whether this worked or not is anyone's guess (put me down for No), but judging from the wear on this particular disc, it would appear that somebody gave it a shot. It's actually hard to imagine how much easier using this record might have been compared to the "old fashioned" method it replaced. Considering that each side of the thing is only about 3 minutes long, a dedicated parakeet owner would have had to do an awful lot of record-flipping to generate any appreciable amount of listening time. Weigh that against the disadvantage to having your parakeet learn only those phrases carefully selected by the Hartz Mountain engineers, and -- wait, I keep forgetting. This was the 60's, and these are consumers we're talking about.

It's too bad that the parakeet training concept seems to have been a passing phenomenon. With today's multi-gigabyte MP3 players able to hold hours of sound, it might actually have a chance. Hello, baaaaaby...

Melanthe says:
A brief response to the bird owners worried about getting bitten. A young bird will bite to ascertain that you are safe. They bite anything they climb on. Obviously in the wild to be sure it isn't a snake or something. Put up with the biting, or teach him to climb on a perch or pencil. They stop biting after they trust you. I know it hurts like the dickens, but they rarely (if ever) do serious damage.

Re the bedwetting record -- you should have heard some of the sleep-learning recordings the AMORC had for little kids in the 50s. Kind of a "new age" ceremonial magic/ mystical lodge, not bad sorts but the things on that record were -- corny!... "Mommy and Daddy LOVE you. They want to be GOOD to you. Be KIND to others. Love pretty things." (05-09-2006)

Dealonnia Alberson-Cook (dealonnia@yahoo.com) says:
We actually used this record when I was young and our Parakeet Pete talked up a storm. He fly loose in the house and talked all the time. We had him for 9 years before he died. It was great. He said more than what was on the record He would say "Pete said come here", Pete wants a cigeratte" Pete said let me out, telephone and so forth. (05-02-2006)

tanvir (da_love_master@hotmail.com) says:
please could u send me sum more imformation of how to train a parakeet because my parrkeet is so weird it runs from me nevers sit on my finger and never talk and never be fun wit me. (04-29-2006)

amanda (amandal602@yahoo.com) says:
i want to teach my parakeets how to talk but my friends say you have to say it like a hundred times do you know any other way how to teach them how to talk? (04-10-2006)

josh says:
my parakeet is doing great in just eight days it said "i'm a good boy i'm a good boy" (03-22-2006)

tyler m says:
if you want to get your parakeet to set on your hand the first step is to push up gently on its lower belly and let it set on your hand inside the cage and when it chirps take it out slowly and make sure all the dors are shut then you can enjoy your parakeets company! (02-02-2006)

Cam Dudade2 (camelliaboutros@hotmail.com) says:
Yo ppl is there a way to stop ur parakeets from biting? cuz 1 nibbles if angry and dosnt hurt much, but the other 1 bites ur finger off like HELL! and while ur at it, how du u tell if there a girl or boy or somthin? cuz i want babys! (12-29-2005)

Rachel Maddox (rockyroo20014@aol.com) says:
I need help traning my parakeet to talk and to let me hold it. I also need help on telling if it is a boy or girl.Can someone please please please help me.if so email me or im me at rockyroo20014@aol.com (07-30-2005)

Melanthe says:
This is a knockoff of another and much better parakeet record. Birds learn best if the phrases have a lot of sharp consonants and the original record had those ("PreT-Ty BirD") rather than the phrases used here.

I can personally testify that the original record DID work with the several birds I used it with. They learned plenty of other words and phrases (including vulgarity!) once they caught on, scrambled them and made new sentences, and I could NEVER get them to shut up. You have to pay a LOT of attention to birds if you want them to talk -- interact with them a lot -- have a BIG cage, LOTS of toys, put the cage where the ACTION is and treat them like one of the family. Birdproof your house & let'em fly free if it's safe. Never clip their wings.

Side B of the original record had an honest-to-god parakeet chattering random phrases and the difference between that and this bogus recording is obvious. Today, pet stores sell loop tapes of similar training phrases. (07-20-2005)

dummy (ihateangelstormandfelano@yahoo) says:
This training record does not work at all. I've tried this thing countless time and all it does is absolutely nothing. I would not recommend this record except to people who are extremely persistent and ready to try this thing more than 17 times.(Yes i counted the amount of failures My parakeet and I went through) (07-10-2005)

George Steele (hey@hey_you!.com) says:
Paraquat good! (07-05-2005)

Lisamarie (BellaItalian8203@yahoo.com) says:
I just got a male parakeet and he's 8 weeks old. I can take him out of the cage but he'll keep biting my hands. His wings and clipped to but have never been before so if he's perched on my finger he flies off! Please help =\ (07-03-2005)

Cory says:
Yes, it does sound like the annoucer has something over his mouth acting like a parakeet. Believe me he needs lots more practice. (06-18-2005)

Lacey (wildcatgurlaz@yahoo.com) says:
Hey. I just got this parakeet the other day...the only problem is that I want to start training him but im way too afraid to get bit.I took him out on his perch today and he hasnt made any signs of going to bite. (even the chic at the petstore said he didnt bite her when she took him out)hes still pretty young so thats good. I know it sounds seriously stupid to have a bird when im too afraid of getting bitten but I would love some help to get over it. Any tips or advice on how to do this. Please help!! Email please. (05-17-2005)

your really stupid says:
ok it was a guy with a rag over the mic! LOL this is so cheap! oh my god CHEAP (03-15-2005)

Vlog says:
Is this the famous "Want a peanut?" bird-training record? My friend has one that says that, and put it on a P.A. in his car and drives the general public insane. He also enjoys blasting an "anti-bed wetting" tape. ("Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you when you wake up in a dry bed!") (02-24-2005)

joseph smith says:
on teaching a parakeet to talk about how long will it take until it starts talking, if it can talk. Are parakeets a real big trouble when they learn to talk and eventually pick up swear words. And can you get them to shut up when they start talking? (02-21-2005)

Ron Tripsitter says:
The birds on that record look rather like what the British call "budgerigars" (or "budgies" for short). (12-07-2004)

Tyson Day (tday@wiscasset.k12.me.us) says:
Hey!! i have a question..how can i teach my parakeet to talk...and also train it to do other thing? (12-07-2004)

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