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Problem Stepping Up

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Problem Stepping Up

Postby SoaringBirds » Sun Nov 06, 2016 1:20 pm

I have a 2 year old female IRN :irn: who is my 1st companion. She will step up when I hold her perch up to her & will even move over on my hand. But if I directly offer her my finger she would just move away. Also if I move the perch forward and upwards she wont mind, but if I move it backwards and downwards she would be ready to fly off. Help plz!!!
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby Pajarita » Sun Nov 06, 2016 1:47 pm

I am sorry I am sure it's me been dense but what, exactly is the problem with what she does? She steps up to a stick which allows you to move her from point A to point B which is, basically, the reason why one wants them to step up so why is it necessary that she steps up to your hand? Having said that, IRNs are aviary and very difficult to get to bond closely with a human once they are sexually mature. It's not that they don't love you or that they will bite you, it's that they just don't bond the same way as companion birds do and insisting on it will only make the bird despondent. So, my advice to you is try training it with positive reinforcement and a high value reward (this implies the right kind of diet and identifying the treat that is high value) but if it continues to refuse, don't take it personally because it's just the way they are.
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby SoaringBirds » Mon Nov 07, 2016 6:19 am

If she steps up on a stick and gladly moves over to my hand, do you really think that there is a problem about directly stepping up???
P.S: Sorry for my bad English.
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby liz » Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:27 am

Your English is just fine. I would like you to list where you are since I cannot remember most of the time.

There is a famous little URN named Marni on YouTube. He has entertained so many of us. We all enjoy watching him. Thinking back the little guy was so social but I can't remember him being handled by his human. Even so he is a wonderful little companion.

Each little being has his own personality. You don't know what you have until he lets you know. Give him love and respect and he will grow emotionally.

I have been told that Amazons are not cuddly. I have two and they are. There personalities are different. Myrtle shows affection by preening me and talking to me like a 2 year old child. We love each other very much. Rambo/Rainbow is 31 years old and I had him/her for 16 years before I realized he was a she. Rainbow is so cuddly. I like watching TV in bed. He/She will climb my close hamper to see if I am in bed. He will then climb up my bedding to be with me. He walks through the dogs and cat on my bed to walk up the front of me and ask for scratches. He then will get as close to my face and neck as he can to take a nap snugged up against me.

Each bird has it's own possibilities.
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby Wolf » Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:34 am

May I ask how long you have had this bird?

As to the bird getting ready to fly off of the hand held perch when you move it down and backwards, it is doing this because this movement puts their body in the right position to take off and fly. Have you watched your bird closely when it is getting ready to fly on it own? My birds will squat down so that they are ready to leap into the air, then they lean forward shifting their center of gravity forward and partially open their wings then they leap forward and up to begin to fly. The backwards and downward movement of the perch moves their body into the position for takeoff and acts like a partial leap into the air. Watch you bird and see if your bird does the same and then I think that you will begin to understand why this movement encourages your bird to fly.

I think that the step up directly to your hand is a trust issue and how long you have had your bird as well as how much time that you spend interacting with the bird daily and how much of your time is spent in the same area as the bird where it can see as well as talk to you are going to have a major impact on how soon and how much trust the bird has in you. The fact that the bird is willingly moving from the perch to your hand shows that the bird wants to trust you, is trying to trust you and given just a little coaxing with perhaps a treat of a sunflower seed or a piece of a tree nut to further intice it will be just enough to get it to step directly onto your hand.
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby SoaringBirds » Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:47 am

6 or 7 months maybe. I interact with her for about more than 1 hour I guess... My bird is placed in the living room where I mostly hang out during the day.
The thing is that I do reward her for moving onto my hand.
D'you suppose that I should rank the treats like 2nd favourite for small accomplishments and the most favourite one for major brakthroughs
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby SoaringBirds » Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:48 am

*breakthroughs.
SoaringBirds
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby Wolf » Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:14 am

I don't know. It appears to work for some birds, but it also depends on the diet that you feed and when and how you feed what foods to the bird. For instance, if you feed seeds or pellets all day long then using treats as an incentive for learning new behaviors or trick does not work as well. All parrots have their very own personalities, each one is unique and just as in raising and teaching human children what works to teach one child does not work well for another one. Many times the differences in their personalities has a larger effect than the differences in their species.

Still species difference are important and IRN's are classed as aviary birds because they bond much closer to other birds of their species than they do to humans. This does not mean that they can't make a great companion bird, it just means that it require more effort on your part to help them to remain bonded to you. One hour per day for out of cage time and personal interaction is simply not enough to maintain a great relationship as a companion with them. They really need as close to 4 hours per day as you can give them for out of cage and personal interaction. By personal interaction, I mean that they are in physical contact with you while you scratch their heads, talk with them, teach them tricks, share bird safe treats with them and other such activities where you are primarily focused on the bird.

The sharing of food with a parrot is a bonding activity, I am sure that you have noticed that if you have anything to eat or drink and your bird is aware of it that it always wants some of it, well that is the reason for this. They do not eat alone in their natural habitat and often share their food with each other, it increases the bond between them and their flock. So while the bird is out with you and you have a snack make it something that is god for the bird such as nuts, vegetables or fruit as this will help to build and maintain your bond. This will also help with your friend learning to step up directly onto your hand.
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby SoaringBirds » Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:35 am

Thanks for your advice. I noticed today that she doesn't move from perch 2 perch without using her beak for support. Even if the perches are placed at same height and quite close to each other. So when I directly offer her my hand she seems reluctant to put her beak on, though she does raise her foot. She also rarely holds objects with her feet. She does it only when it is the last option. Does she have some calcium deficiency or weak bones or is it only her natural behaviour which varies from bird to bird.
SoaringBirds
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Re: Problem Stepping Up

Postby Pajarita » Mon Nov 07, 2016 1:38 pm

Is this bird clipped or fully flighted? As to using its feet to hold things, although all parrots have the capability of doing it, not all species do and I think it has to do with their natural diet. IRNs eat lots of fruits, buds and blossoms off the trees so they don't really need to use their feet to hold the food.

You can't just spend one hour a day with an IRN and then this hour be training. It will never work. Yours is still not sexually mature but, as it gets older, it will become more and more aloof if you don't spend more hours with it. The trick to keeping an IRN happy is to allow it to spend the entire day out-of-cage and keep it company for many, many hours... at least, that seems to be the common denominator of all the 'good' IRN's :lol:
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