Teach the Step up Command

[siobha9]

I have noticed lots of questions about how to have your bird step up. Hopefully this will help!

 

Stepping Up

 

The step up command is the most important command to teach your bird as it gives you some control over him and helps you to interact with him. Many birds will have learned how to step up before you get them home, but if they haven’t this short guide should help you.

 

1. Choose the command you want to use and stick with it. It can be as simple as Step Up but it should not be a question and should be short and sharp.

2. Choose a time to train when you have the birds complete attention. You may need to go into a neutral room such as a bathroom away from the cage to begin training. Make sure there are no distractions for the bird’s attentions such as other pets, or people.

3. Hold your hand at the bird’s abdomen above the feet and give the Step Up command. The bird should step up. If he doesn’t try pressing lightly on the birds abdomen.

4. When he steps up give him lots of praise and his favourite treat. As he gets better at stepping up you can decrease the treats, but keep praising.

5. You can have him step from hand to hand to practise. But when it seems he is getting tired or losing concentration, stop at the next successful step up, give lots of praise and end the session.

6. When it seems he has mastered the step up away from the cage you can begin practising it from inside the cage.

7. Have different family members practise the step up with him

A couple of things to remember when you are teaching your bird to step up;

1. Never get cross with your bird, always be positive and ignore any unwanted behaviour

2. Keep the practise sessions short, but frequent.

3. If the bird appears to be going to bite your hand, relax, he may just be testing to make sure the perch (your hand) is stable. If he does bite, say firmly “No biting!” but keep your hand steady. Use a perch as a last resort.

4. If he doesn’t seem to want to step up, or understand what you are expecting him to do a gentle push on his belly will help him to make the step. When he steps up, remember lots of praise and treats in the early stages!

5. And lastly remember if a step up always results in a negative outcome such as being returned to the cage, your bird may start refusing to step up. Keep stepping up fun!

[lovemyGreys]

Siobhan great post,perhaps you should make this a sticky in the training room

[julie41]

i guys,

I was reading in a book the other day, that if your grey is above you when you ask the step up command, he thinks he has control over you, but if your above him your in control over him! Is that right or is it wrong? I,m confused because charlie will not step up if i'm below him but he will if i'm above him, so that way works for me, but is it the wrong way or the right way bacause i don't want him to be afraid of me. Please help.

[siobha9]

Hi Julie,

 

The issue of height is one that is debated for and against. I am sure DanMcQ wont mind if I copy an excellent post he made a short while ago on this very topic.

 

DanMcQ wrote:

The suggestion that Height = Dominance in the avian community, has been proven wrong over and over. It is a common misconception that keeps rearing it's head by persons assuming it is a fact .... it is not.

 

If you have problems getting any bird down from the top of a cage or your shoulder. It is not dominance it is displaying, but is the message that he/she does not want to come down or step up or be moved.

 

They are simply expressing their "Thoughts" and "Desires". They use their beaks in the wild to communicate effectively with one another all day long, accompanied by body language. The real root of the problem is either the owner has not learned to read that language or is struggling with a re-homed bird that has issues and they must understand that type of behaviour is normal as the bird is expressing it's desire. If it is not neccessary to have compliance, respect the birds wish. If it is required, then follow through using all the various techniques to move the bird to where you wish to take it.

 

It is the natural response of any "Critter" or "Avian Species" to let whatever creature is desiring some type of an action from them, to signal by body language or vocalization that they do not intend to comply. It does not matter if they are on the ground, mid -level, eye level or higher. They will respond in the only way they know how to indicate they do not wish to perform that request.

 

If you are trying train your bird to step-up for example and you know he will fly or run from you. The more remote the "Place" the bird is at, the easier it is for them to not comply and flee. It has nothing to do with dominance. It has everything to do, with that bird expressing their desire for you to leave them be.

 

A supporting study/article on the subject of Height = Dominance written by S.G. Friedman, PhD, Utah, and Bobbi Brinker, Ohio, is available at this link, if you would like to read it:

 

http://www.mawebcenters.com/soaringspirit55426/Dominance.html

 

(edited because the link wasnt showing.)<br><br>Post edited by: siobha9, at: 2008/09/18 20:37

[musicluvr]

My rescued CAG and he is so scared of hands that I can't even begin to train him. Even when he's scared and landed on the floor, he will only step up long enough to flap to somewhere else.

Anyone have any suggestions for sticks (which he flies away from) and hand training? I have many years exp. with rescues, and this little guy is just not making progress. He is very cute and interactive, and if he never learns to step-up, that will not be the end of the world......

Thanks for any suggestions: email me @ music.luvr@comcast.net

[Hrund]

How long have you had him? I have the same problem with my TAG. He is 6 years old and was a breeding bird, not much handled. He will step up on a stick from the floor but doesn´t always stay for long. I´ve got him to step from the stick to my hand. He is really afraid and growls if I get to close but he has gotten better. I´ve changed my tactics and the only thing I do now is talk to him, I´m working on getting him to trust me. He didn´t get out of his cage at first but he is starting to do it. I think you just have to give your bird some time.

I would really like to hear how things are going with your bird because I don´t know anyone else that is in a similar situation to me.

[Colliz]

Hi peeps

 

It may be a really STUPID question, but how can you train them away from the cage if they won't allow you to take them away to another room? My CAG will step up onto my hubby's hand (without a command), but he freaks if he is taken out of the range of sight of his cage... and as for anyone else if they get near him he just lunges beak first.....

[danmcq]

At 6 years old, you CAG knows the step up command and is doing so for your husband. Since he is a rehome, the only place he feels safe at presently is his cage. Trying to take him out of the line of sight of his "Refuge" is something he is not yet really to readily accept.

 

He has only been there 3 weeks or so. Give him time, lots of love and let him broaden his safety zone in his own time. :-)

[bonek]

guy,i need help in here!!! my CAG(bonek) is 3 years old i just had him 3 days a go...the problem is he always bite me every time i want touch him???but not with my wife. if my wife call him bonek he always come!!! so what a should do,...so he not bite me???thanks

[timotian]

thanks

[GinniKoko1]

I have a question on this topic - my bird knows step up but she does it when she wants to, not when I ask her to. Any ideas on training her to do on que?:blink:

[casper]

When I have trained my three I used their favourite treat which happens to be pine nuts but at the same time as giving the treat use the command you want to use. I use the birds name followed by "up".

 

Gradually reduce the treats but always use the command so your grey associates this with the action.

 

I think sometimes they can all be a bit stubborn though,I get the odd time one of them wont step up but the pine nuts havn't failed me yet:P

[SpiritofMusic]

Hey, I need some help. My grey Waldo is 15 yrs old, I got him in late june this year. He has no problems talking and lets me touch his beak but thats it. Sometimes he lets me give him scritches but not all that often. Can anyone help me have a closer bond with my grey and get hime to step up?

[SueLaBar]

Well, I am glad to see that Nala isn't the only stubborn "step up" bird.

If she floats down I can lift her or have her step up onto my hand or her rope. But I can not get her to step up off her cage or even try putting a toe on my hand. She loves little scritches on her head and under her throat and make funny puppy like sounds when I stop and walk away. She puts her head right down and loves every second of a good scritch. One nigh i was rubbing her head and she actually acted like she was dozing off! Her legs collapsed and she just sat ther hypnotised and dopey!

[mehmetk]

i am from Turkey, this forum is perfect, we don't have enough articles about training. I've really loved this forum. I will try that, but i am afraid of biting.. He is really angry..

[mehmetk]

i tried but i couldn't. Yakup has bitten me I don't know what can i do with this parrot!! I am really bored...

[judygram]

Mehmetk, why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us some more about you and Yakup so we can try to help you.

[GoDiego]

3. If the bird appears to be going to bite your hand, relax, he may just be testing to make sure the perch (your hand) is stable. If he does bite, say firmly “No biting!” but keep your hand steady. Use a perch as a last resort.

 

This was something I was not aware of when I first started training Diego. Often he would move his open beak to my finger just as his first foot went up. At the time I thought he was going to bite and was removing my hand, this put me back tonnes with the step up command with Diego as he lost all confidence in my hand being sturdy. At a later date I stumbled upon a video on youtube which explained why a parrot mouths when stepping up and it call became clear to me. Now I don't recoil every time his beak comes towards my finger but keep my hand still and steady. It took a lot longer to get Diego to get his confidence in stepping up but now he is trusting that my hand is solid and a lot of progress is being made, although we still have our off days LOL.

 

With all the training I give Diego, it's me that is learning rather than the other way around. Such a simple thing of me not understanding his natural behaviour of using his beak as a hand made it almost impossible and it was all down to me and not Diego being awkward.

[Coral&Andrew]

Thanks this is helpful!

[hammco]

I dont know if Im doing this right, but I feel it is working. The only way to get Timmy out of the cage is to step him up on a wooden perch then slowly pull it out and away from the cage, and he seems OK with this. I then take him in another room and he steps up to my finger easily, but for some reason he wont go from my right hand to my left and tries to bite when I try it. Ill then sit on the floor and easse him to the floor to walk around and he will step up to either finger. Ill continue to do this a few times a day for 10-15 mins and it should get him to trust that my fingers arent gonna eat him, wether in the cage or in another room.

[Mickeys Mom]

Just read this thread and did not realise how lucky I was. My 2year old CAG has learnt to step up within one day and never ever since then have I even once had to ask him twice to step up when moving him from the cage to the Aviary or anywhere else. You just dont know how lucky you are somethimes to not have problems with the most important command such as to step up.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Stepup and stepdown, requires a bird to understand the goal. They will not satisfy that goal, unless they have a reason. TRUST... is the number one reason, why they should stepup. If they stepup... whats that going to get them? For us... it was an introduction to our home. Lets see our home! Sophie was introduced to all rooms, saw some amazing things! Of course, had to put her back, told her we could explore again tomorrow. We always made it fun for her. Nancy

[aw64]

This step up is a real problem for me and Alfie, he is now 13 months old and been with me since 10 weeks and did do step ups until around xmas time, in the end i started using a perch but even that is a battle, Iv tried all sorts of treats but he will give up having a treat if it means step up, Iv tried with dim lights, you name it i have tried but he puts his head right down so you can get no where near his abdomen, and if i keep trying i get bites and they are not the testing the surface out bites they are real bites that really hurt, the odd time I do manage to get him on my arm or hand he will not stay longer than a few seconds then flys off, I execpt I'm not going to have a cuddle muffin CAG but to be able to transfer him now and again would be good I cant even take him upstairs anymore and I used to. He talks great and loves tickle tickle but normaly through cage bars, he steps up every time to come out of cage but the moment my hand is out of cage he flys off, I have spent weeks now sitting with him trying but nothing is working I'm so fed up with being bit, using perch he still put head down so i cant get perch near him I have tried from behind him but just kills the perch, he wont play with me how ever much i try, what is going so wrong with us, last year when he was young i had him in harness outside now apart from talking we have nothing

[jenb416]

I've been trying this but the problem I have is my grey loves his head petted so much whenever my hand gets close to him he immediately puts his head down wanting petted and if I don't he just puts it further down and if I try to get under him he goes to bite. He will literally just put his head so far down it's at his feet so it's impossible for me to get to the right position.

[Chappie]

I've been trying this but the problem I have is my grey loves his head petted so much whenever my hand gets close to him he immediately puts his head down wanting petted and if I don't he just puts it further down and if I try to get under him he goes to bite. He will literally just put his head so far down it's at his feet so it's impossible for me to get to the right position.

 

Lol sorry I thought that was quite funny imaging it in my head..

 

Have you tried target training?