Dealing with Defiant behavior

[gopack041]

What do you do when your bird just won't listen to you. For example, if my bird ever gets on top of his cage, dome top, then he will hardly ever step up.

I've only had my GCC for a little over a month. He is very comfortable with me and listens, except for when he's on top of the cage. Any suggestions on what I should do when this happens?

Most of the time, I open the cage door and he climbs straight up there. And I can't pick him up because he will grab onto the bars.

 

[Crazy4Birds]

Nicky used to do that a lot too and he has finally gotten better about it. Sometimes I would walk away to the next room to show him that I wouldn't pay attention to him if he wasn't going to listen. He would usually come flying after me. But if I needed to go somewhere and I needed him in the cage there was nothing I could really do except to be persistent by not giving up until he stepped up. Just curious, how old is Jonah? Nicky became really moody and defiant between the ages of 3 and 5. I call it a bird's "teenage" years. Some people call it the "terrible two's". But trust me, it does get better.

 

[gopack041]

He's a little over 6 months. Thanks for the advice. He's actually taking a nap on my shoulder right now! Like you said, it's just frustrating when I need to go somewhere and he won't step up.

 

[SharonC]

I use a stick perch when Fred refuses to step up. He hardly ever refuses anymore, but there are times when I must move him. He's come to learn that the stick perch means he has to....

 

[Chris Winkler]

Your relationship with your GGC is still very young and he probably doesn’t understand what you want from him yet and that he has to listen to you either.

Keep working with him with positive reinforcement and things will rather quickly turn into a routine. I must agree using a perch till he gets the idea will help alot!

Echo has had periods of time when he is very defiant but he is still young. He turned 4 last October. He has finally actually started going in his cage when he is told but not every time as of yet.

Find what works right for your FID like a favorite treat. Echo will do anything I want for a piece of walnut so I reward him when he gets inside his cage with some walnut. Believe me the last place he ever wants to be during the day is inside his cage.

At this time all I have to do is pick up the walnut container and he will go inside his cage like a little kid waiting for a piece of candy!

Just be consistent in the way you work with him and you should see a difference rather quickly!

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Chris put it quite well. No animal is really 'obedient' (including humans). We do what works - we do what get's us what we want.

Make sure you're training your GCC so that every time he steps up he gets something good. It sounds like he likes being on top of his cage - try to find times to let him hang out up there, but then when you take him away from there he needs a BIG reward.

Also do some training where you pick him up (initially with a perch) from the top of his cage. When you get him to step up, give him his favorite reward, then put him right back. Come back a few minutes later and do it all again. This way he will learn that he always gets something good for doing what he is asked, but he rarely looses anything good (access to the top of his cage) for doing what he is told.