Do you have a pet canary you'd like to train to fly free in a limited area of your home, for exercise, yet worry about how you will get him to go back into his cage?

No problem!  Just keep a few facts in mind before you allow him out to explore.  The room must be bird-safed *before* you allow him out - he must be allowed to find his own way out of his cage, and the cage doorway must be made obvious, and easy to find, from either inside or outside of the cage.

This is most easily accomplished by propping up cage doors which open downward so that they are relatively level, making a nice 'landing platform'.  Cage doors which open sideways need to be propped open to be sure they won't swing shut when the bird tries to re-enter his cage, and I will often place a temporary perch in the middle of the doorway, as an aid to easy cage exit and entry.

Make sure the room is well lit, and that there are no dangerous items about, such as poisonous plants to chew on, or mirrors or windows which could lead to a fatal crash - especially if something startles him.  You will want to check that there are no slippery surfaces about, too - many a canary has slipped and slid into nooks and crannies behind or into leather couches and chairs, for example, and far too often this can have rather deadly results - so throw a cover over any such furniture.

Key to making it easy to convince him to return to his cage under his own steam, is making sure that he can find nothing to eat while he is out.  Keep a favoured treat handy, and when you want him to return home, simply make a big production out of checking his cage, and putting the treat inside.  Make sure you put it right inside, so he has to go all the way in to get his beak on it.

Canaries love treats - his sharp little eyes will not miss the fact that there is new edibles available, and it is a rare canary who will not head straight over to check it out. Once he is busy eating, all you have to do is amble slowly over and close the cage door!

Be very sure to do this slowly, or he might notice what you are doing, and zip back out again.  If he does, no problem - simply shut the door anyway, and wait for him to discover that he is locked away from his treat!  Wait for a few minutes longer than it takes him to make this discovery, then open the cage door again.  Once he has realized that the choice is up to him, most canaries will choose to stay with their treat.

Many pet owners who only had room for a small cage, have successfully used this approach to allow their canaries some exercise, and most find that they, as well as their birds, enjoy immensely the obvious joy and pleasure expressed by their pets.