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How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

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

Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby WarToilet » Fri Nov 23, 2012 11:47 am

Polarn wrote:about the touching and zons... it isn't too uncommon that they never get to like touching, their not (like most birds) not cuddly animals, and amazons tend to be even less so... but ofcourse there is the odd one that figures out pretty quick that headscratches n stuff are really nice, others take time to develop a "cuddly" behavior through training. and other well they will never really like it. But as far as the targettraining... you could hang the targetstick inside the cage (providing the cage is big enough for the bird not having to live in fear) until you have seen it knock it a few times, or hang it outside the cage near a playstand or whatever and see if they go check it out. once they have checked it out they should no longer be scared.

Hanging it somewhere outside the cage so that it already is there when he/she arrives at that location would be the best option out of these scenarios, and I would never (unless you have a cage big as a kingsize bed) just hand the stick in the cage straight away, but I would start further away and move closer with it day by day.


Oh, okay, thank you!
I understand that they may not like being petted or cuddled, but will they eventually stand on my hand?

Turns out they're both not DYHA... One is a DYHA, the other is a BFA. I was so excited when I saw them that I didn't really pay attention to what my dad was saying, LOL. I just assumed they were different colors, similar to how dogs of the same breed can be different colors.

The DYHA is a female, and the BFA is a male. I know that just because they're both opposite genders it doesn't necessarily mean that they'll have babies, but is it POSSIBLE for them to have babies even though they're different breeds? :S

I was also wondering if I should I keep them in separate cages, but in the same room, or separate cages and different rooms. They're currently in the same cage, and they seem to get along most of the time, but occasionally they'll fight. I'm mostly worried about scaring the DYHA when I try to train the BFA. She gets really spooked when I feed the BFA and doesn't like me being close to the cage. Would it be best to separate them, and work with them separately? Or should I keep them together?
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby TooFace » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:31 am

Hi everyone, thank you for everything on this site! So I got my first little too almost a week ago, shes very tame, takes food from me, gets head scratches from everyone, she's 9 months old :cockatoo: . My concern is she seems to get a little attitude already when I ask her to step up to get out of the cage or when she climbs on top of her cage, once she's out shell step up on anyone. I haven't tried to push her bc she gets a little nippy (not hard bite) or shell just run to the other side of the cage. Am I doing this too early,should I just let her be if she doesnt wanna step up (she will somtimes so I guess its when she feels like it). I know she just moved to a new house but I want to get her trained ASAP to avoid problems later, I want a happy bird :D o she actually does this cute thing where she'll pet her own head when she wants a scratch so she'll want this and doesn't wanna be picked up
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby Polarn » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:38 am

I see your too isnt flighted, sigh! this is actually something i beleive increase biting (among tons of other issues, including health (mental and fysical) ) Anyways. start asking for permission, if you get a no as a response accept that and try later. But not only that try to figure out why she doesnt want to step up, think about what happens before you ask(A), response (B), and what happens after(C)? by looking at it this way and tries to replicate the successful ones your most likely gonna get overall better success.

Every time a bird does something you either increase or decreasew the likelyhood of it happening again. In order to chaneg a behavior you need to look at the A and C and change either one of them, wich means for stepping up you either have to change the way or situation when you ask, or you will have to change what happens after a successful stepup (treats/attention etcetera etcetera) to something more rewarding.
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby TooFace » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:36 pm

Thanks! Yes I received her with her wings clipped, it is ok for now, I am living at home and my dad is scared of flying birds :P , when I move out I will let them grow out, its also winter time over her in NJ so I cant take her out for walks yet, but im really looking forward to it in the spring! Even though they are clipped she can hop and flap to where she wants pretty easily.

Shes not really into any food or toys yet, Ive tried giving her different things (eggs, oatmal, veggies, pasta) so Ive been praising her for everything she does well with kisses and head scratches. I feel like she may just want to be left alone when she gets on top of her cage or is it the "over your head height she feels dominent" thing? Or shes getting territorial about her cage?

I think yesterday we got her first happy to be alive screaming and dancing! :danicing:
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby Polarn » Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:13 pm

I would actually say (and some may disagree etcetera but..) that there is no "over your head height she feels dominent" thing. Simple as that birds arn't a domination driven species of animal, I would say most of the cases of "high domination agression" comes from cornering them. count escape routs... if you have a corner cage, you originally have two basic directions a bird can go when ontop of the cage, you stepping up on a chair or whatever removes one or both, leaving one or zero... wich means the bird is cornered, same deal if you have the cage mid wall you block its escaperouts and corner it. I noticed my zon in the beginning was far more on edge while up against a wall (outside of the cage) since the wall was blocking one direction... his cage is his domain, I will never push him in any way while in his cage unless he asks to step up, I will reach in to give him a treat but not really anything else (mind he is never really caged... I actually just recently brought out cages again just because they has to be present...but then he had his tree where I wouldnt really disturb him).

I say look into alternative ways to move the bird instead of having it step up from places where he isnt conftible stepping up, he hasnt't been with you for too long and once he figures out everywhere is fine to step up from and that you ask for a step up rather than demands one, the currently unconftible is probably gonna become palces where he feels safe to step up from as well.
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby TooFace » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:22 pm

OOOO ok, that is def her right now, she hangs out in the back top of her cage sometimes, I think she is starting to figure out when I want her to go back in and will just go instead of stepping up.

Thank you for this! I wont push her into it
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby Polarn » Sat Dec 01, 2012 8:17 am

well some pushing might be needed sometimes, but overall ty to affect the successrate by looking at what happens before and after a successful stepup. meaning try to get the ratio of stepping up to be brought somewhere fun higher than the rate of stepping up means going into the cage etetera.
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Polarn
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby Andromeda » Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:07 pm

Michael, do you know that YouTube removed your step-up video (the one linked here and in your blog in the Taming & Training Guide)?

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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby Michael » Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:15 pm

Yeah, I've worked on some alternative ones but haven't had the chance to edit/post them yet. I'll do it when I can.
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Step Up and to Come Out of Cage

Postby theintangiblefatman » Tue Jan 22, 2013 8:48 pm

Hey Michael,

I am having trouble getting my bird to step up consistently without showing him the reward. This is what normally happens: I put my arm out and ask him to step up. He doesn't. I show him a treat he really wants with one hand, put my other arm out, and ask him to step up. He usually does, sometimes slowly, occasionally quickly. I click and give him the treat and praise. He doesn't have this problem when he targets, turns around, or shakes; he can do all these without showing him the treat.

What should I be doing so that he wants to step up when I say step up without showing him the treat? Someone on another forum mentioned that I need to fade out showing him the treat or he will only step up when he sees the treat. How do I start fading off the "lure"? Do I show it to him and then cover it up with my hand, then ask? Or should I give him more time. I've been training him to step up for the last 2 weeks daily.

Thanks
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