My african grey won't step up to my hand :(

[f_ammari]

Hello Michael,

Thanks, I read most parts of the tutorial.

I'm having a problem with target training, is that if the hand perch is involved, he wouldn't target. One time I removed the food for around 7 hours since morning (all night without food + 7 hours since morning), I kept trying to target to the perch but he wouldn't step up on it. After 7 hours I thought that would make him awfully hungry that he would do anything to get food. But he didn't get close to the perch. If I get the hand perch away he targets immediately. With perch, he just moves away and loses interest.

After the 7 hours passed I was scared I would harm the bird, so I gave up and put his food back.

PS: I adore your birds, especially Truman.

[Michael]

Yeah. Please don't do that anymore (morning + 7 hours). He's still young and developing. I don't even go further than morning + 3 hours at the most extreme extent. Meal + 7 hours is already much for a young parrot. After a certain point no amount more hunger will increase motivation. If he is keenly targeting in other situations but not onto hand, it is not an issue of hunger so no need to go any further.

Have you tried using other perches for him to step onto or taking a perch out from the cage that he is familiar with to use?

[nikii]

hi f_ammari ,
actually i have same problem also.my bird doing target training very well but as soon i show him the perch he will step back.i tried with many different perch(even with his cage perch) n he still run away.
as soon i take away the perch,he doing targeting again.twice i make him very hungry but he still refuse to step on the perch.

now i give up with perch n try to approach my hand,n he give me disaster bloody bite everyday but still-no step up.

what we have to do???

[Michael]

Oh. Well here's a trick that works pretty well. You open the cage and lean a handheld perch atop and perpendicular to one already inside the cage. This way the perch is really steady and blends in with perches that are in the cage. Sit in a chair so you can hold it like this for a while. Target the parrot around the cage and progressively closer and closer to the perch you are holding. Perhaps target it past the perch you hold so it has to step over it to continue on the perch it is standing to target. The point is to get it near and on the handheld perch. On the first attempts, don't move it but just practice targeting on and off of it.

[liz]

Myrtle just stepped up last week. She had always come to "come 'er" onto my shoulder. I was not worried about it and did not push her because she would let me just pick her up.

She also said "help" when she dropped a toy. That was the word I most wanted her to learn.

[nikii]

thanks michael,
seems ur advice really gonna work.he keep only seeing it but dsnt runaway anymore.
hope this is a good start.thanks again

[f_ammari]

I'm going to try this trick too
As the cage perch is not working for me too.

[f_ammari]

A questoin please.. what kind of treat do you use for training?

I know it depends on what the bird likes so there are no rules here... but in general is there something common that parrots would go grazy for (especially african greys)?

My Fluffy likes dried corn.. but since each seed will take him forever to finish.. that makes the training process pretty slow and boring for the bird...

[Michael]

http://www.TrainedParrot.com/Treats