GCC picked up how to say "Step up"???

[shiraartain]

So the first command I tried to teach my GCC was "step up". At this point he loves cuddles and burying himself in our hair. If I have my hair in a ponytail and move my head, he will follow it and hide himself in there again. He absolutely loathes being taken back to his cage. (I'm going to be sad when this honeymoon period is over.)

Teaching him to "step up" was a temporary measure until I could start clicker training him, but he tends to ignore the command half the time. Instead, he learned to say it. I was extremely confused about his vocalizations until yesterday when I came home and my sisters insisted he had started speaking.
While I was aware that GCC's could pick up words, it was never my intention since I was aware he wouldn't be able to speak clearly. I actually didn't believe them and told them they must have imagined it.

But sure enough, he's been saying "step up". I thought to test out what my sisters were saying and said "step up" while he was falling asleep on my shoulder and he said it back repeatedly.

[Harpmaker]

LOL. Parrots are all such characters. It sounds like he has decided it is easier to say "step up" than to DO it.

The trick now is to get him to associate the sound with the action. All I can say is only use it when you want him to step up, and reward when he does-but you were doing that anyway, right? So keep trying. He'll figure it out eventually. And you have a start on acquiring a world record for the most words learned by a GCC. Congratulations!

[Wolf]

I just don't understand why you would want to teach the bird a command. Does he have a pet that he is trying to teach to step up?

Great start, I am sure that he will continue to surprise you in various ways.

[Pajarita]

LOL -Yes, males pick up words and although their voice is tiny and you need to pay attention to understand, they can speak quite clearly.

Now, as to him saying "step up", don't just say it to him for him to repeat or he will not make the connection between the words and the action. Next time he says it, go to him and ask him to step up and, when and if he does, give him a treat and praise him A LOT. My Leo would say "step up" when he wanted to come out of his cage and ride my shoulder so they can learn the meaning of it and use it to communicate.

[shiraartain]

Harpmaker- I hope he doesn't pick things up too easily. My sister is having the time of her life trying to teach him to say "meow" and "ewww".

Wolf-I was trying to teach him to step up on command. Instead he just learned how to say the command. Sorry for the confusing wording. And he has been full of surprises. Showed zero interest in bathing (though I took him anyways a few days ago since he got banana glop on his wings) until today, when he tried to jump into the kitchen sink from my shoulder while I was cleaning his food dish. Gave me quite the scare and I promptly took him to basement sink. I had planned to bathe him since he had mango juice all over his face, but was unsure about it as since it's supposed to rain today, the temperature has dropped a bit.Though now that I think about it, he might have wanted to do it because it's supposed to rain today.

Parjarita- I haven't had him DNA sexed, since I have no plans to breed him. I've just been using "him" for now until if he lays an egg. I've been praising him and giving him scritches whenever he listens which seems to work except for sending him back to his cage, but I guess it's time to bring out the millet now.

[Wolf]

Actually, there was no confusion at all on my part, just my futile attempt at humor. It's ok, I am obviously not very good at it as a lot of people don't get it either.

[LisaB]

LMAO, Wolf! I got it and laughed out loud. It just cracks me up how parrots can pick up a phrase and then repeat it in the right context. My daughter's Quaker, Freida, will sometimes pinch too hard when "preening" necks and hands. If you say, "Ouch!", she leans in and whispers, "It's okay."

[revika]

LMAO, Wolf! I got it and laughed out loud. It just cracks me up how parrots can pick up a phrase and then repeat it in the right context. My daughter's Quaker, Freida, will sometimes pinch too hard when "preening" necks and hands. If you say, "Ouch!", she leans in and whispers, "It's okay."

Lmao omg.

@OP- Mine took a while too. It's almost taken him a week to want to finally get down to the sink like he did this morning! He even went in for a second dip after he got all dried up, haha.

[Pajarita]

Yes, the GCCs love to bathe under a faucet running a trickle of water. They would use the bowl, too, but they seem to prefer the running water.

[Wayne361]

When Oscar wants off my shoulder he will say "step up"....when I do as I'm told he says "good boy"