Have I untrained the "step up"

[jimmycoop2005]

I have been trying to get Cosmo to step up all day to come out of his cage. He will let me scratch his neck the entire time but refuses to step up. If I leave the door open he tries to get out but can't figure out how. I go to help and he goes back in his cage. I really hope I didn't untrain the little guy.

[lovemyGreys]

It's early days, just keep at it with the step up, it's probably the most useful command you can have your grey learn.I have three greys & some days they are stubbborn & refuse to step up ! Hang in there you've done nothing wrong

[judygram]

I must have had an easy one, Josey has stepped up for me almost from day one, and she continues to step up for me, she is a good bird.

 

I assume you have tried to put your hand in front of his chest and push slightly while he is on the perch, keep pushing as if trying to knock him off balance and they usually will step up to keep from falling. If he does step up, praise him lavishly.

[jimmycoop2005]

He grabs the back of the cage when I push up on his chest.

[Laurie]

If he's resisting that much, he probably just doesn't want to at the moment. I am soooo lucky, Klaus comes out of his cage if the door is open. That's all I have to do is open the door. He SO much prefers being out to being in. Now, when he MUST step up (i.e. it's bed time and I have to tuck him in so I can go to bed) I put my finger where it needs to be and put my other hand behind his butt so he can't back away.

[ziggy]

Hey Jimmy,

Have patience with him he will get the picture. Rome was not built in a day and this will not either. Give him time to get use to the command. You are doing it right but have some patience. He will come around in time.

When you are giving the command are you placing your finger under his chest? Place it there firmly and tell him the command and force your finger under a little more till he has no choice to step up. Give him a treat when he does it(favorite nut or fruit). After a few times he will want that treat and he will step up on his own. First show him the treat and keep repeating it until he figures it out. The joy of owning one of these special pets is to work with it and enjoy every minute of it. Also give him plenty of breaks when doing it, let his mind relax in between. The best advise I have for you is BE Patient with him.<br><br>Post edited by: ziggy, at: 2007/11/30 06:17

[judygram]

Mario, aka, Ziggy, has given you some excellent advice and he should know, he has lots of birds and experience, just keep working at it and in time he will do it for you.

[ziggy]

Thank you Judy for the props. You are a great person.

Yes it takes time to work with these little guys. I see people that buy a bird and expect it to become a show bird or a Alex. These things take so much time and effert by the owners, you cant expect it to be done over night. Work,Work,Work thats 1 of the pieces the other is Patience,patience,patience. We will come around after time.

[jimmycoop2005]

ziggy wrote:

Thank you Judy for the props. You are a great person.

Yes it takes time to work with these little guys. I see people that buy a bird and expect it to become a show bird or a Alex. These things take so much time and effert by the owners, you cant expect it to be done over night. Work,Work,Work thats 1 of the pieces the other is Patience,patience,patience. We will come around after time.

 

I never once acted like I expected him to be "a show bird" or Alex. I understand it takes time, I am just making sure I am doing everything right. I come here to hear from other owners that I am doing it correcty. I didn't post, why isn't he talking, he doesn't know how to count, there is something wrong with him because he can't count.

[ziggy]

Hello Jimmy

I never said you said that. I responded to you with it takes time I used those as examples. I have been around birds for 25 years and I was offering you advise if you take fine if you dont thats fine. Have you ever in your life herd the term "UNTRAINED" I sure have not. I would love to hear how you untrain a pet. It does not even sound logical. But I am always wanting to learn. One other thing if you ask for advise my suggestion to you leave the sarcasim out of your response. You do that to enough people you wont find to many others willing to give you any responses. Agian that is advise take it or leave it.

[jimmycoop2005]

Maybe you misunderstood my original post then. He usually steps up just fine, just lately he hasn't. I think it is possible to untrain an animal. They are going to have the desire to want to do what they want. If you train them to do something then you slack off on doing it, there's a big possibility they will go back to their original ways. I never said your advise was bad, it just felt like to me you were insinuating that I think that I buy an African Grey and think it will be just like Alex. I thought your advise was good, your remark after words came off rude to me at the time. I was already having a bad day and when I read that it seemed like it was a shot at me. Now after I have calmed down I re-read it and I understand what you was posting. I'm sorry if I offended you, like I said I was in a bad mood, and people perceive things differently in that state of mind.

[nevjoe]

Sometimes, words don't come out the way we want them to.

You were asking for advice, and members were responding to try to give you knowledge they have obtained over the Years. There advice might not be what you thought it should be, but when more the one reply with the same advice, think again, before you respond so Strongly. It will all work out for you so just enjoy the forum.

Joe

[danmcq]

Joe hit the nail on the head, communications. :-)

 

We all use different terms to describe a scenario. I understand Jimmy's comments and agree.

 

The use of the prefix "un" is a common one to describe the opposite of something.

 

You can call a change in behaviour un - freindly, natural, armed etc. The bottom line is, something changed. :-)

 

You can train a dog to play bite your hand or you can untrain him (behaviour modification) that your hand is not a play biting toy.

 

The bottom line is we can change the behaviour of a person, animal or bird by our actions and consistency of them. Also, keep in mind, every living creature has "freewill" and can decide they no longer want to continue to participate or obey what is being requested.

 

Jimmy, none of us can truly nail down why your Greys behaviour changed, but we can sure offer lots of "maybes" like try this or did this happen or he is just "testing" or he is not wanting to leave his cage etc.

 

We all just put our "best guess" out there in hopes it might help and communicate it in different words and contexts. We should not really question whither a persons use of a particular word is valid or not as a true description. :-)

 

It's all just us trying to communicate with one another.

[jimmycoop2005]

Yes I understand and I have not found anyone on here that has given bad advise. I said Ziggy had good advise, the sentence " I see people that buy a bird and expect it to become a show bird or a Alex." Seemed like he was saying I was thinking this. I apologized after I re-read it, and I am sorry again to him. One thing I hate about reading, I can't hear a tone. If I could have heard the way he said it the first time I wouldn't have been offended. I had to re-read it and interrupt it in the manor he typed it. Again Ziggy I am sorry.

 

Thank you to all who have helped me. B)

[judygram]

The tone of voice is what we all miss here in the written word, the tone tells us a lot more than the words themselves, glad there are no hard feelings, we all want what is best for our birds and that is the most important.