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Step Up Issue?

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Step Up Issue?

Postby TerribleTim » Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:53 pm

Ok gang, here's an issue I think I might run into pretty quickly here. I'll tell you what up and then tell you why I think it's going to be an issue.

The Issue -
Iago leads with his beak when he steps up. So basically, he is super tame (for me anyway) and will come right to me and step onto my hand without hesitation. But when he does it, he leads with his beak. So his beak will touch first, then he sort of acts like he is sort of pulling himself on instead of just stepping on. It really doesn't matter how I position myself, he still leads with his beak. He will even stretch his neck to get to me before my hand is close to him.

Why I think It's A Problem (or will be soon) -
I want to teach him to wave, but how can I get him to lead with his foot? It seems that the beginnings of a wave is the step up. See what I'm saying?

Any advice?

Oh yea, one last thing, for Michael - ;)
There are all them bird smileys over there on the right, but none of them are a Nanday Conure. :( The Sun Conures and the Jenday's get all the love. :cry:
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Re: Step Up Issue?

Postby Polarn » Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:13 am

I only got one suggestion to correct this stepping up behavior, and that is if you want him to step up on your right hand you hold a perch or your left indexfinger slightly above it, this would make him want to use your lefthand for leverage instead, so he will walk onto your hand upright with the feets first, once he starts to step up like a champ, with your left hand there, you start fading the left hand out until it is no longer needed at all. The only important thing here is that he can not be allowed to use your left finger/perch for leverage, its mostly there asa distraction, if he happens to grab it... just make sure he get no leverage, but actually has to step up properly while holding on...

There is probably more ways to train this behavior away but this is what I would do, basically plocking the hand to step up onto, by destracting him enough.
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Re: Step Up Issue?

Postby gabbagabbawill » Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:11 am

You can do what I do and just to hold a treat up in the air for him, so that his beak goes to the treat and not your hand as he steps onto your hand to get the treat. Practice and repeat this behaviour, and soon he'll be stepping up this way every time. It's good to reinforce the behaviour of stepping up from time to time with treats as well once he learns it.
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Re: Step Up Issue?

Postby Polarn » Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:34 pm

good point, basicly the same thing, the only difference is showing the treat beforehand or reward for doing it right, but then again.. as soon as i put the treats out my birds know their gonan get some goodies so again.. basically the same thing :) Oh just noticed it sais your bird is clipped (I am not gonan get into that discussion :P) however seeing that I think the treat infront of him might be a better idea, simply becouse it isnt too uncommon (ive read) among clipped bird to have this behavior, simply to feel safe in the process. so the matter isnt as much of teaching it not to use the beak as it is teaching him that he can feel safe stepping up without it. And even if distracted with treats or whatever he will eventually figure out that he can trust himself, and you enough to not fall even if he doesn't use the beak as a securityline.
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