by Wolf » Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:06 pm
With this last post that you made, I think I know what is going on in his head, and therefore how to remedy it. If I am right the reason for his refusal to step up while in his cage is territorial and the reason behind his refusal and avoidance while on top of his cage is that he thinks that you are going to put him in the cage. I know that this sounds contradictory, but it really is not. more on that, in a moment, for now how to deal with this.
As far as for when he is in his cage, just open the door, step away and give him the space and a minute or two so that he can come out on his own. As for when he is on top of his cage, make sure that you have a couple of other places to go other than his cage and then ask him to step up, don't chase him when he moves away, but just let him see that you have a treat. Don't let him know about the treat until he has moved away to avoid stepping up, wait a minute and then ask for him to step up again, if he does not and moves away again, wait a minute then show him the treat while you ask for him to step up, repeat if you must and when he steps up take him to one of the other perches, give him the treat. Stay where he can see you and do something for a couple of minutes and go to him and ask for him to step up. When he does take him back to the cage and place him on top of it and go do something. You need to vary this and sometimes take him to both perches. sometimes just walk about with him and return him to the top of the cage or to one of the perches and sometimes put him in his cage always giving him a treat when you ask him to step down. This should solve the step up from the top of the cage.
Don't concern your self about when he is in his cage, allow him to say no to step up from inside. If he is willing to come out of the cage, which will be almost always let him come out on his own and he will. You will be able to ask for and get a step up fro the top.
Now back to what is going on and why I said to allow him to leave the cage on his own. First, birds are not wired to follow orders and he needs to feel in control of his life a little, he also needs to feel that you respect him and listen to him and what he wants and this is the best place and time to allow for this to happen. He also knows that the cage is his house and he needs to have a safe place where he knows that he can relax and no one including you will try to force themselves on him and his home is the ideal place for it. It is in his mind his one safe place and it should be that place so respect it as such. It will pay off with a better relationship and more trust on his part and a stronger bond. You will find that if you do this that there will rarely be a time that he doesn't come out which is also his way of saying that he is ready to be with you. This is why he tries to avoid you stepping him up from inside of the cage.
The part that at first seems to be contradictory is his refusal and avoidance of the step up from the top of the cage. Consider that by coming out of his safe place, the cage, he is saying that he is ready to spend time with you and that you are telling him that you don't want to be with him when you step him up just to put him in his cage and go away. That is not what he wants and that is the basis of his refusal and avoidance while on top of the cage. It is also why he should always get a treat when you put him in his cage. Your bird wants more than anything else to spend his time with you, it is why he comes out of his cage on his own and the reason that he doesn't want to go back in it, although he knows that it is his safe place. When you step him up take him with you and do something with him and talk to him when you do this. Go look outside when it is too cold and talk to him, take him to watch a few minutes of tv with you and talk to him and give him a couple of head scratches then take him to his cage for dinner or whatever. it will pay off for both of you.
Try this for a week and let me know how it is going.