Step up and recall training help!

[pepperudacockateil]

Hi this is not really a question, I just need help with the recalling and step ups because it seems that I feel like im not doing much to tame my bird because im usually just in my study room the whole day doing homework but I do check time to time if he is ok but I feel like I do to little trying to tame my cockateil can you help me like request some tips please?

 

[Birdboo]

Hi this is not really a question, I just need help with the recalling and step ups because it seems that I feel like im not doing much to tame my bird because im usually just in my study room the whole day doing homework but I do check time to time if he is ok but I feel like I do to little trying to tame my cockateil can you help me like request some tips please?

Hey!
If you know what kind of treat he likes that will make it so much easier.
Try to put your finger under his belly and push slightly so that he will put his foot up than reward and try again.
Recall is just starting close and getting further away.

hope this helps

 

[BirdAddictK]

Hi this is not really a question, I just need help with the recalling and step ups because it seems that I feel like im not doing much to tame my bird because im usually just in my study room the whole day doing homework but I do check time to time if he is ok but I feel like I do to little trying to tame my cockateil can you help me like request some tips please

Look, the first step in taming is to get the bird used to your presence. When he is not freaking out with you being around, then find what treat he loves. Then try feeding it through cage bars. After he is comfortable with eating from your hand, you need to open the cage door and start feeding him. When he is fine with close contact with your hand you need to put the treat awy from the bird so that he needs to step up onto your hand. When he is comfortable with that, distract him with the treat and slowly start taking him out of cage. Then when he is fine with that, just keep interacting with him!

 

[Skarila]

Look, the first step in taming is to get the bird used to your presence. When he is not freaking out with you being around, then find what treat he loves. Then try feeding it through cage bars. After he is comfortable with eating from your hand, you need to open the cage door and start feeding him. When he is fine with close contact with your hand you need to put the treat awy from the bird so that he needs to step up onto your hand. When he is comfortable with that, distract him with the treat and slowly start taking him out of cage. Then when he is fine with that, just keep interacting with him!

From my experience it was very hard just to lure the bird onto the hand for the first time. I had to hold the treat in the hand, and only way to access is was to step onto the hand to get it. I think doing this for a few days or up to a week, the bird was already more comfortable getting onto the hand to get the treat. from there on we worked on the stepping up. Also for some reason the stick training worked better with my bird to step up on the hand :/ he was such a weird bird back then.

Another tip to train is to do it when the bird starts getting hungry, like, take away the food from the cage, and after an hour or two you can try the training. If the bird keeps refusing, try this in another time or another day. For cockatiels I think they can get quite cranky in the evening, at least ours was super cranky in the evenings.

 

[wrench13]

Some pretty good advice above. Parrots are all about trust, so first thing tis to get him used to your presence in general. THis finding out the very favorite treat is spot on, that becomes your training tool and should only be offered during training sessions. THe advice about starting thru the bars and progressing is useful. Keep the sessions short, like 5 mins at first. Some general tips for training:

Be consistent - ask for the action or trick the same way every time, so you dont confuse the bird.

Be immediate - reward immediately when there is progress, however small. Have the treat ready, so the bird can make the connection with the action to the reward.

Be PATIENT! - parrots are stubborn creatures, some more so than others. Be prepared for 1 step forward and 2 steps back and dont be discouraged.

I find training sessions done at a regular time each day work really well. The parrot learns that this is the time to learn new things and comes ready to absorb. They are very smart animals, but bird smart, not necessarily human smart. You have to learn to think like a prey animal - what can you trust? Which leads me back to the beginning of my response. Measure all you do by asking the question: Will this add trust or break trust with my parrot?

 

[Skarila]

Measure all you do by asking the question: Will this add trust or break trust with my parrot?

This is a really good and important thing - I like to refer to this one as "birdie trust bank".

 

[Zoruace]

if i were you i will start from square one tbh ,try target trainig through the bars and only reward him if he touches the target gently once he mastered targeting throught the bars open the door and maybe put a branch/perch so that he can come out and retreat when he feels threatened once your bird can come and go comfortably start offering you hand and a target behind it so he has to step up to get it keep repeating and reward once she steps up not when she touches the stick if she puts one foot still reward her she will get comforatble overtime

 

[Zoruace]

This is a really good and important thing - I like to refer to this one as "birdie trust bank".

gives me birdtricks vibes lol

 

[pepperudacockateil]

Thank you so much for the help his favorite treat right now is millet spray because I honestly don’t know other treats also, how long does it take for a bird to like his environment because recently I moved my birds cage outside since there has been small bugs going near my study room because the food of my bird so I ask myself if I need to wait again because I changed his area so im just really curious on how long it’s normal time for a bird to like his environment.
The reason why I wanted a bird is because I found them really cute and I wanted my own bird also because they look so cool when they just sing and sit on your shoulder im getting a bit frustrated because I have other things to worry about like my classes and my pet fishes and my dog but honestly I have kind of been busy with my bird because sometimes I want him to go outside to walk around but all he does is sleep all day even if hes getting 12 hours of sleep at night he sleeps at 7 pm and wakes up at 8am it’s not always like that but I am syre he gets 12 hours of sleep almost everyday sometimes even 13 or more hours if I do not have school he sleeps at 7pm and wakes up at 10am so he does get a lot of rest but my thought is that he gets stressed because of me because I might have done a lot of mistakes before and I think he is traumatized I did many wrong things before I joined the forums it seems like bird does not super trust me yet but I am buying more millet spray so that we could have training sessions already but I am just very sad that I think his wings are clipped I wish to acheive my dream with my bird I will try accomplishing it in 6 months because it takes a while to make a bird trust you. That is something I learned in the forums and thank you all so much for the support and tips thank you!!!!

 

[Skarila]

if i were you i will start from square one tbh , put your hand in her cage for about five minutes in the same perch she is on the reward keep repeating closer and closer each day till she is comforatble try target trainig through the bars and only reward him if he touches the target gently once he mastered targeting throught the bars open the door and maybe put a branch/perch so that he can come out and retreat when he feels threatened once your bird can come and go comfortably start offering you hand and a target behind it so he has to step up to get it keep repeating and reward once she steps up not when she touches the stick if she puts one foot still reward her she will get comforatble overtime

Please do NOT put your hand INSIDE the cage. Unless the bird feels VERY comfortable with you, you wanna avoid this, cage should be the "safe space". Only space in the cage where the hand should go is around the door.

 

[Zoruace]

Thank you so much for the help his favorite treat right now is millet spray because I honestly don’t know other treats also, how long does it take for a bird to like his environment because recently I moved my birds cage outside since there has been small bugs going near my study room because the food of my bird so I ask myself if I need to wait again because I changed his area so im just really curious on how long it’s normal time for a bird to like his environment.
The reason why I wanted a bird is because I found them really cute and I wanted my own bird also because they look so cool when they just sing and sit on your shoulder im getting a bit frustrated because I have other things to worry about like my classes and my pet fishes and my dog but honestly I have kind of been busy with my bird because sometimes I want him to go outside to walk around but all he does is sleep all day even if hes getting 12 hours of sleep at night he sleeps at 7 pm and wakes up at 8am it’s not always like that but I am syre he gets 12 hours of sleep almost everyday sometimes even 13 or more hours if I do not have school he sleeps at 7pm and wakes up at 10am so he does get a lot of rest but my thought is that he gets stressed because of me because I might have done a lot of mistakes before and I think he is traumatized I did many wrong things before I joined the forums it seems like bird does not super trust me yet but I am buying more millet spray so that we could have training sessions already but I am just very sad that I think his wings are clipped I wish to acheive my dream with my bird I will try accomplishing it in 6 months because it takes a while to make a bird trust you. That is something I learned in the forums and thank you all so much for the support and tips thank you!!!!

did u do research before getting a bird?
research is very important for birds or any pets try apples and other fruits it takes about a week or so for birs to get used to thier envoirmentmaybe he is sick thats why is sleeping all day i advise you take him to an avian vet

 

[Zoruace]

Please do NOT put your hand INSIDE the cage. Unless the bird feels VERY comfortable with you, you wanna avoid this, cage should be the "safe space". Only space in the cage where the hand should go is around the door.

it is? it seemed to work with my past conure he would not let me anywhere near him in the cage after ive done that he was okay with me putting my hand in his cage and alot of trainers seem to be doing it

 

[Skarila]

it is? it seemed to work with my past conure he would not let me anywhere near him in the cage after ive done that he was okay with me putting my hand in his cage

With new birds best to avoid, unless you really have to. I'd be comfortable doing this ONLY if the bird has a very big cage, even then I'd be careful. By doing this at one point you're not respecting the bird's space. My Pascal also lets me stick my hand in his aviary but even then it must be for a reason (change water, change his toys, etc). Where he steps up to me from the cage it is always from a single perch which is by the big door that he finds comfy to step from. That being said, I have to point out he has a humongous cage (1m x 80cmx180cm). I always prefer him to step to the door so I pick him up. Some birds are more some less tolerant of you sticking your hand in cage. You can offer a treat with sticking your hand into the cage, but best is to kind of see where is the line, how far/deep you stick your hand into the cage.

Try doing this (sticking hand in cage) with a senegal or a quaker and you might lose a finger.

 

[Zoruace]

With new birds best to avoid, unless you really have to. I'd be comfortable doing this ONLY if the bird has a very big cage, even then I'd be careful. By doing this at one point you're not respecting the bird's space. My Pascal also lets me stick my hand in his aviary but even then it must be for a reason (change water, change his toys, etc). Where he steps up to me from the cage it is always from a single perch which is by the big door that he finds comfy to step from. That being said, I have to point out he has a humongous cage (1m x 80cmx180cm). I always prefer him to step to the door so I pick him up. Some birds are more some less tolerant of you sticking your hand in cage. You can offer a treat with sticking your hand into the cage, but best is to kind of see where is the line, how far/deep you stick your hand into the cage.

Try doing this (sticking hand in cage) with a senegal or a quaker and you might lose a finger.

u learn smth new everyday ig
i have edited out of my comment now

 

[pepperudacockateil]

Hello guys thank you for the help but I have something very sad and bad to tell you today at 10:20 am my bird has passed away even if I was doing nothing wrong I mean he didnt trust me and it was hus choice to be inside of his cage the whole day I opened the door in his cage and he was jsut standng there watching the view with trees and he just passed away like now when my mom told me that he wasnt moving he has anbig cage already and I changed his food everyday and I change his water one or three times a day and he got playtime outside even though he cant fly with clipped wings I dont think it hurts because they probably cut his wings a lot time before I dont know how he would die I think its because I sprayed water on him because he did not take a bath in a long time so I am very sad right now I am thinking of owning two love birds next or another cockateil with his wings not clipped this time I am so sad that he would die rest in peace pepperu fly high

 

[LaManuka]

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this very sad news! Pepperu was such a beautiful little bird and I know you loved him so very much. Please accept my sincere condolences, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Godspeed to the Rainbow Bridge, sweet Pepperu, until we all meet again.

 

[Zoruace]

i am very sorry for your loss

 

[Terry57]

I'm so very sorry for your loss of beautiful Pepperu. My heart goes out to you.

 

[wrench13]

I too share your sorrow. Sometimes they just ....... go. Same thing happened to my beloved Max. 6 years and then one day, no warning just ........ gone. God calls his creatures home, some sooner than others. See him I hope, over the rainbow bridge someday. Pepperu too.