Formerly Cage-bound CAG: Training step-up

[Birdman666]

For going back, you usually bribe them with food... If they see you put a fresh treat cup in the cage, and you've worked with the bird when he's a little bit hungry... Trust me... THEY CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!

So, that one is fairly easy.

Coming out?! Depends on the bird and what his problems are, and personality is.

The goof balls are easy. All you really have to do is play with them, and get their attention, and then let them come to you... get them INTERESTED in interaction. Sometimes you even walk away until they step up nice. PICK UP ANOTHER BIRD, AND PLAY WITH THAT BIRD IN FRONT OF THEM, UNTIL THEY ARE SEETHING... "My turn! Pick me up." Let the bird throw a fit. "Oh, did you wanna see me?! Is it your turn now?!"

The bird comes right to you... doesn't hesitate.

IF YOU ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO GET THE BIRD, CHASING IT AROUND THE CAGE, ETC. FORCING THE ISSUE... then they run away. Do things to get the bird interested, and ignore them a little bit... a little psychology goes a long way in gaining trust.

If the bird doesn't like hands in the cage, open the door, take a step back let the bird come out on his own. THEN GET YOUR BODY BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE BIRD'S ABILITY TO GO BACK INTO THE CAGE. Put your arm on the cage door between him and the end of the cage. Now he either steps up, or ends up on the floor... where he is most vulnerable... what is he gonna do?!
(HINT: 3 Choices: 1. bite/pinch you; 2. Step up; 3. End up on the floor.)

If he ends up on the floor he will want to be picked up, so that's easy.

If he steps up, praise. He did it.

Be prepared to deflect a bite, and if he's particularly nasty about it, put him on the floor.... where he will want to step up... He doesn't get off the floor til he steps up nice.

 

[Birdman666]

The shy birds, and the territorial birds are harder.

I did the towels wrapped around my arm thing.

I've also done the towel wrapped around the bird thing.

I've bribed reluctant birds to come to me.

I've used props... cardboard boxes, toys that you get them interested in. Drop the toy in the box. Wait for the bird to go pick up the toy and play with it. Put the box on your lap. Play with the bird and the toy.

What ever it takes to get the bird to interact with you. Do what catches the birds interest.

I've sat on the floor next to a large macaw cage with my back to a bird that "didn't like people." Cracking open walnuts, eating them. Sharing them with other birds. Pretending he didn't exist... I can't see you. I can't hear you... (though the guy two doors down heard that one!) Until someone was yanking on my shirt from behind...

OH, HI... DID YOU WANT ONE TOO?! WILL YOU TAKE IT NICE?! YOU WANT ANOTHER ONE?! DO YOU WANT TO COME OUT AND SIT WITH ME?! WILL YOU BE NICE IF YOU COME AND SIT WITH ME?!

Open cage door. Bird climbs on my lap. On his own. Cracking walnuts open with me... Closed bent fist if the bird tries to latch on, and deflect the bite.

That particular bird never bit me.

Within a day or two we were buddies, and I just opened the cage, and offered my arm. (I had towels wrapped around them under my shirt. The bird, however, didn't know that.) He bites me, I just swipe his beak away, tell him to knock it off, and step him up anyway...

 

[Birdman666]

Aggressive birds?

If they chase you, don't run. Back his little butt up into a corner. Still a fun game bird?! Didn't think so. Step up. Knock it off.

The push/pull method on a lunging macaw. Two fingers on the beak. Get them off balance. They have to step forward to maintain their balance. When they step forward it's onto your arm. THAT'S STEP UP NICE. And I've got control of your beak. YOU BEHAVE. KNOCK IT OFF....

Padded arms. Deflect bites. Set and enforce the boundaries. The birds learn them, and learn to respect them. Basic step up, go down, no bite, touch training.

And then you teach them games, and you keep it fun. And they generally love it.

Then you have the opposite problem.

Clingy birds.

 

[Cashclan]

I would use clicker training. There is a ton of information on clicker training a bird on the internet.
I’m using Clicker training to potty train my 4 mo CAG. He is coming along nicely.

 

[chris-md]

Mark I wanna thank you for that well thought out thesis. Clearly took a lot of time, and I really gotta lot out of it. Makes absolute, clear sense.

My primary motivation, admittedly, is an intersection of the recall training I’m doing with Parker and Dons (psychocircus) rescue adventures. I’ve recently come to understand I really enjoy training “back to normal” behaviors, like Flight to a bird who never flew, stuff like that - not interested in trick training. And I realized it’s all aspects of rehab protocols. It’s given me a bug to learn more about rehab procedures and how to bring a bird back to a sweet, handlable state. I feel it’s well within my capabilities and something I might want to explor further.

And I really hope the OP on this thread is able to gleen valuable information for their grey.

 

[Bryce]

Yes, thank you. My bird is doing fine now, actually, she just sort of decided on her own that she'd step up, though currently she doesn't want to leave me once she gets on my hand or arm. Oh well, at least I can easily take her to neutral places for training now.