IRN stopped stepping up

[gem.collins]

hi all im new to this so dont know if using it correctly...
my IRN has stopped stepping up, nothing had changed in the household before this happened, he used to love stepping up and being taken to the shower but now he just climbs around his cage so i cant get him any advice would be welcomed

 

[SailBoat]

Well something has changed or was never well set in place.

Step-up is something that is practiced everyday several times each day. The request is present with clarity and rewarded. Owner's tend to get lack too a point that they simply present a finger. When the Parrot avoids or doesn't step-up and there is no quick follow-up, why should the Parrot step-up! After all, there is not good reason to Step-up, right?

 

[BirdField]

Maybe he associates stepping up with having to go back into his cage? When he's out have you been letting him step up a lot before you put him back? If you just have him out to play for a while and then have him step up and immediately put him back in the cage he might think that stepping up may be a bad thing therefore he'll stop stepping up.

This may not be the case but be sure to reward him for stepping up more and make sure you're not putting him back in the cage immediately after him stepping up or making him feel like stepping up is meaning a punishment is coming. Put yourself in his feathers for a while and you can figure out what may be upsetting him about it!

Be sure you don't chase him around the cage either and scare him! We're giants to them and they're prey animals so they're prepared for the worst when around larger creatures. Even if you've had him for a while something has spooked him so you may need to start back with slower steps of holding his favorite treat out to assure him that you're safe and mean well. Good luck!

 

[gem.collins]

thanks for your reply, he's out his cage all day from around 7:30am and returns himself around 6:30pm i never return him myself, he wont take treats from my hand he is quite shy but used to love stepping up and being taken to the shower, i've had him since april.

 

[gem.collins]

Well something has changed or was never well set in place.

Step-up is something that is practiced everyday several times each day. The request is present with clarity and rewarded. Owner's tend to get lack too a point that they simply present a finger. When the Parrot avoids or doesn't step-up and there is no quick follow-up, why should the Parrot step-up! After all, there is not good reason to Step-up, right?

nothing has changed as i previously said, i dont offer my finger as he gets scared by it but i have been moving my finger closer to end of the stick so as he can get used my finger that was and he seems more comfortable with that he has also tested my finger with his beak and tasted it and was very settled. i will keep trying with him tho just wanted abit of advice is all

 

[plumsmum2005]

Have you seen this?

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/60435-clicker-target-training.html

 

[gem.collins]

thankyou just checked it out and ordered a clicker look forward to testing it

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Have you tried a "step-up perch"? instead of your finger? Even after almost 30 years,I still use one on occasion with Amy...to carry her around places.




Jim

 

[gem.collins]

yes i only use a perch because he's so timmid

 

[LordTriggs]

have you been giving a treat each time they stepped up? If not they could just be bored with the activity, the way to do it is to hold the perch slightly higher up than their claws and a bit in front of them then hold a treat in a manner that they have to step up to get it. If there's no treat and you're pushing the perch against their lower body to "force" them like a lot of places say is the way to teach them then they wont like that and will start running away. Think how you would feel if someone did that to you? You'd probably get a bit fed up of it.

Also seeing the age being slightly less than a year I think it's possible that whilst a bit younger they were more compliant as many birds are as babies, but now they're starting to mature a little and want to do their own thing.

Definitely don't chase them round the cage as it will just scare them and make them more likely to want nothing to do with you and even become aggressive