Help with step up

[Q9550]

Howsit Guys/Girls/Birds

 

So i haven't posted in a while, been busy with work and stuff also been busy with nonsense, trying to become her best friend lol There has been some new developments that i would like to share. Some of you might know that we recently started letting her out the cage and then she didn't want to go back in. Now days we don't seem to have this issue anymore. I usually let her out and then when i need her to go back in i place a bowl of food with a few peanuts and then disappear from her sight and she will then go inside for a nice snack. She still only stays on top of her cage and just looks around from there, she sometimes falls asleep there. She now also doesn't mind my presence when she is out the cage. She use to fluff her feathers and stare at me if i was walking past her cage now she doesn't seem to mind me much and i can walk past pretty close to her and she doesn't seem to be bothered too much.

 

I do feel like as if she trusts me more now and i can get a lot closer to her. When she's out the cage i always spend a few minutes doing target training with her. Yesterday i tried to target her to get closer to me and to my surprise she didn't seem to have too much of an issue with it. She was a bit reluctant at first, so even if she turned her head to me i would give her a small treat, eventually she started walking closer and closer to me for her treats. I then placed my arm on the cage and tried to target her to get as close to my arm as possible, she immediately seemed hesitant but i talked to her and encouraged her to come closer and she came right up to my forearm, at this point i think i was more afraid of her then she was of me(given her past history of biting me for fun), she then put her beak on my jersey feeling it for a bit then she tasted it and was uninterested and walked away i gave her a treat and ended the session.

 

So my question is, how do i know if its the right time to teach her how to step up? and how do i go about it the RIGHT way. I'm still a bit nervous of her biting me, its always ended in bloodshed in the past and laughter from her soon after so while it may be fun for her its not really my thing lol

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by Q9550

[neoow]

I think the target/treat training may come in useful here. As nonsense is quite treat motivated, you should be able to continue with what you are currently doing- getting her to come closer to you to get a treat. Slowly, you may be able to morph this into stepping on your arm for the treat. If you put your arm at the edge of the cage top and get her to come across the cage to you for a treat, you may be able to continue this into her actually stepping on to your arm to get at the treat by holding the treat out of reach of the cage top- so that her only option to get the treat is to step on your arm to get it. Remember, patience is key. You may need to wait before moving on to this step until she is comfortable approaching you/your arm.

 

I am envious that nonsense is doing well with the target/treat training. I can offer Alfie his favourite foods as a reward as much as I like, if he doesn't want to do what I'm asking, he's not interested! And target training? No chance- he tries to kill whatever I used as a target!! Haha.

 

The hardest part is absorbing a bite. If she does happen to bite, you're best off trying your hardest not to react (easier said than done, I know!). If you can absorb the bite without reacting (other than to end the session and give her some space) then it isn't so much of a game to her anymore. Alfie still nips me from time to time. When this happens he is either moved to his cage/a perch away from me- or if he's already on his cage/a perch then I just move away and give him a little time and space to get over whatever he's grumpy about.

[Q9550]

Hey Neoow,

 

Thanks for the comments. I guess i'll stick to the target training for now, until i see she's a lot more confident to approach me. What you said about placing my arm on the cage is a good idea. For now i'll target her to get as close as possible until she wants or looks like she wants to step up.

 

Nonesense never had an issue with target training, the credit for that has got to be the peanuts. She LOVES them and it was fairly easy to target her using them but she does get into her moods where even a peanut wont make her happy. She just throws them out the cage, then i just leave her to calm down and come back later when she's feeling a bit happier.

[SRSeedBurners]

I'm no parrot trainer, but I'd try laying an arm on the cage and seeing if she would step up onto the arm or step over the arm to the other side to get a treat. Make sure your arm is vertical to your person...don't make it to where she'll get trapped between you and your arm.

[Greytness]

Is that tiny cage the one she lives in, or is it a travel cage? Greys need BIG cages with lots of toys to help keep them entertained and mentally healthy.

 

I also agree with the others. Try treating her onto your arm resting on the top of the cage.