How to give our parrots CHOICE, but...

[domyoburk]

Does anyone have any advice? We want to give Ursula choice about when and where she goes. She is clipped (a baby, we got her that way), so she needs us to carry her from place to place. When we want to see if she wants to go, we ask "Go?" and offer our two fingers to her. Sometimes she steps up, sometimes not. So we've given her choice.

 

When we firmly say, "Step up" and then offer our hand, however, we are making a request that we won't let her refuse. I have done some clicker training with her around this and when we're training she steps up quickly and readily.

 

BUT... naturally, sometimes she doesn't step up when we ask her to, even when we have used the command. She's getting more and more bitey about refusing to step up when it doesn't suit her. Is is possible to train her to differentiate between a choice ("Go?") and a command ("Step Up") or are we just asking for trouble?

[danmcq]

domyoburk wrote:

Is is possible to train her to differentiate between a choice ("Go?") and a command ("Step Up") or are we just asking for trouble?

 

I think the key word here is choice. The issue is no matter how you say it, you Grey is making it's choice, not considering if you are giving an option or not. They all do this.

 

The only way I have been able to let my Grey know that he's going to step up whether he wants to or not, is to use the fist of iron and go in with my hand in a fist and the back of it towards him. He knows this means there is no choice and he can not bite to stop it.

 

I have found that by paying very careful attention to body language, how they may start to move away slightly or lower the head slightly as I approach indicates he is doing something or is happy where he is. Many times I may just be walking over to get something by him and notice this.

 

You will need to watch your Grey carefully for these little indicators. Then when you know your going to demand a step up, use the fist of iron everytime. He will know your not offering an option.

 

When you can see he wants your attention by his body language, use a normal hand positioned un-fisted for a "Friendly" step up.

 

Others will chime in as well I'm sure with more good thoughts. :-)

[domyoburk]

Thanks, Dan! That makes lots of sense - to pay careful attention so we can give her some sense of freedom in her environment, but not set up situations she gets to feel like she's succeeding in refusing a request from those pesky humans.

 

Lately we approach, talking about whether she might want to "go" and making a subtle approach with our hand - if she really wants to go, she lifts a foot long before it's a step-up situation. If she doesn't lift a foot (and it doesn't matter), we let her be.

[Luvparrots]

Thanks Dan for the advice!!!! Makes so much sense!