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Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

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

Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Gale&Yogi » Fri Oct 19, 2018 10:30 pm

I tend to take in parrots from horrible places.

I got a 5 month old green cheek conure and tamed and trained her. Then I got another one, being sold because the owner was terrified of him. He no longer bites and gives the best kisses, but he REFUSES to step up. He lets me grab him and I can put him on my finger, but he will not step up; he gives me 3 warnings before he bites hard.

Then I rescued a Quaker and moustache parakeet who were being kept in an unheated shed and the temp was going down to -40C, so I told the woman to let me have them or I was calling animal welfare and the police. So at 11pm on New Year’s Eve,I brought them home.

The moustache steps up, gives great kisses, but resists other training. The Quaker, like my male GCC, refuses to step up but will fly to me but will try to take chunks out of my neck.

I have made it a condition to try to step up to get their daily nutriberry or their nightly millet.

They absolutely refuse.

And my female GCC still refuses as well, so it’s just my moustache, and until 2 days ago, my parrotlet would step up. My parrotlet was killed by my sister’s dog after he got out of a food port I had not closed properly. I was in the shower when it happened. My dog and cat are still upset about it.

Back to stepping up... I have tried perches, my arm, finger, bribes, but no luck. I can’t teach them anything until they step up.

And I have separated my hormonal GCCs.

I have tried everything in the book, but no luck.

I want to get them to the point where I can leave them out all day. Right now, just my cutie pie moustache Charlie comes out.
Gale&Yogi
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 12
Number of Birds Owned: 4
Types of Birds Owned: Parrotlet (recently deceased), 1 male and 1 female GCC, 1 male Quaker and 1 male moustache parakeet, and a deceased IRN
Flight: No

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby liz » Sat Oct 20, 2018 6:00 am

Bless you so much for taking in rescues and throw a ways. I do the same but only with cockatiels. I cannot take in anything bigger since my Amazons are free from their cages.

I have found that interacting with the ones who want to will bring the others around. I ignore the ones that are afraid of me. I have 9 rescues in a free flight 10X12 room off my living room. It has a screen door so I have constant contact with them.

When they are ready they will do what you want.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Michael » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:07 am

Gale&Yogi wrote:Back to stepping up... I have tried perches, my arm, finger, bribes, but no luck. I can’t teach them anything until they step up.

I have tried everything in the book, but no luck.


Must have been the wrong book then! :lol:

Try mine, rather than just focusing on teaching step-up or not-biting, it’s a complete approach to harmonious parrot keeping. Often times you have to learn to do other aspects of parrot care right in order for the parrot to train effectively.

The way I have taught my birds to step up, let me grab them, fly to me on command, talk, do tricks, and develop an outstanding mutual relationship is all explained in The Parrot Wizard’s Guide to Well-Behaved Parrots.
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Michael
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
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Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Gale&Yogi » Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:56 am

Hi Michael
I have your book and Barbara Heindrich’s. Hers is useless

I have tried everything. Their past must be traumatic because if I use a perch to try to get them to step up, they run away from it. They are all clicker/target trained, but getting those boys to step up is frustrating or bloody if I push it.

I have even tried to get them to step up using a nutriberry just far enough away that they have to step up, and they would rather do without. Even millet and blueberries don’t work

I have gotten my Quaker to no longer bite me by asking for finger kisses. If he bites, I say “no bites, only kisses” and present my finger again, and the next one is always more gentle, so he gets a dried blueberry. All the others give gentle kisses to my nose, except Charlie my moustache, who puts his beak on my lips.

My Quaker Wally is a sweetie because when I get home after being out or away for a while, a I get the she’s home squawking, and when it’s quiet, I get a “hi baba” from him.

I love my animals more than I can say, I just wish I could get the boys to cooperate.

I never wanted a female bird, but the DNA proved my male purchase was a female, and she already had my heart, so I couldn’t take her back, and after getting a second female GCC who turned out to be a male when he bred with my female, a situation I didn’t want to get in, but i make sure they know it’s nuclear winter here because they get 14 hours of darkness every night.

Every bird has his/her own cage, and I always put a short perch on the door for training purposes, and my birds know they have to be on that perch if they want out.

I have also trained my Quaker to go onto a higher perch so I can put his food in his cage without getting bit. He’s trying to change the game by coming down before I am done, but I just close the door and stand there until he goes back. He’s a willful monster, but I love challenges.

My birds like me, they just don’t see me as a flock member or leader.
Gale&Yogi
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 12
Number of Birds Owned: 4
Types of Birds Owned: Parrotlet (recently deceased), 1 male and 1 female GCC, 1 male Quaker and 1 male moustache parakeet, and a deceased IRN
Flight: No

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Pajarita » Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:33 am

Well, parrots don't have any alpha roles [leaders] so nature did not give them an understanding of hierarchy. But I am sure they do see you as a flock member [they would not interact with you if they didn't].

I don't mean to be dense but I am not sure why you need them to step up... You and them seem to have the routine down pat and, aside from the 'grabbing' comment [which I do not recommend], it seems that things are working out so why the need? I have birds that don't step up for me and, in truth, even though I would like them to, I don't find it necessary. Some of them live cage-free in the birdroom and some live in cages in my living and dining room and they do very well without it.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Gale&Yogi » Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:17 am

I want to harness and trick train them to enrich their environment. When I get out of this open concept house, I want to indoor flight train them.

I will build an outdoor aviary and without stepping up, how do I get them in and out of it?
Gale&Yogi
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 12
Number of Birds Owned: 4
Types of Birds Owned: Parrotlet (recently deceased), 1 male and 1 female GCC, 1 male Quaker and 1 male moustache parakeet, and a deceased IRN
Flight: No

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Pajarita » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:08 am

Ahhhh, I see. Well, I don't believe that trick training enriches their lives in any significant way. Flying around in an outdoor aviary... well, that's another story! That would definitely be wonderful for them! And I am green with envy because I've wanted an outdoor aviary for mine for many, many years. Why don't you just train them to go into a carrier so you can transport them to the outdoor aviary in a safe way? I trained my bonded pair of a wildcaught female and an abused male amazon to go into their cage when I tell them to: "Go home!" for when people go into the birdroom [I don't trust the male not to attack] and, although it took a while, they learned it very well and are now very obedient about it.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Gale&Yogi » Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:20 pm

Parjita, Michael’s book and videos teach about trick training. There is value because you are teaching new skills while making your bond stronger
Gale&Yogi
Parrotlet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 12
Number of Birds Owned: 4
Types of Birds Owned: Parrotlet (recently deceased), 1 male and 1 female GCC, 1 male Quaker and 1 male moustache parakeet, and a deceased IRN
Flight: No

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby Pajarita » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:33 am

Yes, I know and it's not that I am against it IF [and my problem is that this is a HUGE 'if'] people do it right. But I don't think that animals need to learn tricks to bond with people. I think that Michael's books try to teach people more how to deal with birds without 'burning' them than aything else. Only he does it through tricks because [and I am assuming here] he figured people being how they are will be more ready to listen if they are going to get some personal benefit out of it. But I am not sure all people actually learn what he is trying to teach... As to bonding, I think that love does it, not tricks. I don't train any of my animals to do tricks and they all love me - my problem often is that they love me too much :lol: I teach them the skills or responses that make cohabiting easier or actions needed for safety but i don't do it through sessions, clickers, targets, or even giving them rewards. I just do it the same way toddlers learn, through repetition, persistence, consistency and LARGE amounts of patience. My animals are all extremely well-adjusted and extremely well-behaved. There are no fights, no bites, no screams [although there is a bit too much barking going on right now because the two last dogs to come in are still too 'green' but they will learn]. Even my birds know lots of commands - and they obey them. So I have no personal experience or reason to change my methods.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Stepping up for parrots who WILL NOT

Postby liz » Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:20 am

There are no alphas in a flock. I did have one, Sweetie, who was the most adventurous. She tried every new thing first and the rest of the flock would follow her lead.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

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