Taming and Basic Training?

[TurquoiseMel]

Anyone have any tips on the taming process/ step up training ?

I got my green cheek conure on Sept 22 & he'll be 6months on the 15th. He's come a long way since I first got him when he'd sit in the back of the cage all day in fear but I'd like to have him be a little more tame than he is.

He gets out of cage time all the time , I usually just open the cage door & he comes out on his own. But I was reading that a bird should step up onto your finger before being let out in order to associate outside cage time with you.
The problem is my bird still does not know how to step up!

He's still very hand shy, even when he flies over to me on his own he does not really like my hands near him, sometimes he'll get so spooked he flies back to his cage.
SO I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips.
Right now I guess I'm going back to basics, I'm trying to get him 110% comfortable with taking food from my hands- something that he WILL do, but does extremely EXTREMELY cautiously.
I guess the next step after that I plan to get him used to the clicker & then target train him.
Next question-should training take place elsewhere? In another room away from his cage?

I feel like this question is a little pointless & that I should just shush up & be patient coz I'm probably just expecting too much too fast, but still I'd like to know if there's any tips to this? Or if anyone could help me along with it.


Also another little side question- my bird doesn't seem to play much. He has toys all over the place but I rarely see him playing with anything. & also he's very very verrrryy quiet. Could it be he's still not 100% settled in? Or could it be that I don't talk to him enough? (I'm a REALLY quiet person & I really have to make the effort to vocalize with him on a constant basis other than at feedings & good mornings/etc.) Is this normal/should I be worried?????

-Mel

 

[oled]

I think that you should do the step up and dont have him loose before it works i suspect that you have to chase him for getting him in the cage, that way he will not bond correctly

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Well actually getting back in isn't so bad. If I move my hands slow enough n talk to him he'll usually let me hold him with minimum fuss and most times I just take advantage of times where he goes back into the cage for food or water and just close the door behind him.

 

[lene1949]

Are you a bit afraid that the bird might bite you? If so, don't use a finger, close your hand... a bite is let likely to hurt, and it's easier to keep a closed hand steady, rather than a finger...

Good luck..

 

[Bright Star]

Here's a pdf on taming basics:

https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/B6/BTK/images/EPBT1011_Taming_basics.pdf

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Lene: no I'm not so scared of a bite. He's bitten me before pretty hard back when i first got him and i took it like a champ lol, didn't flinch or move my hand away. I wanted to show him that biting wouldn't work from the get go, now I'll probably get a few nips but nothing serious.
Bright star: i will check it out. Thank you very much!
I've had some progress with step up but he only does it if i have bribery in the form of a grape lol. If there's no food involved he's still warey of me. Need to work on building more trust somehow.

 

[Mamanda]

Anyone have any tips on the taming process/ step up training ?

I got my green cheek conure on Sept 22 & he'll be 6months on the 15th. He's come a long way since I first got him when he'd sit in the back of the cage all day in fear but I'd like to have him be a little more tame than he is.

He gets out of cage time all the time , I usually just open the cage door & he comes out on his own. But I was reading that a bird should step up onto your finger before being let out in order to associate outside cage time with you.
The problem is my bird still does not know how to step up!

He's still very hand shy, even when he flies over to me on his own he does not really like my hands near him, sometimes he'll get so spooked he flies back to his cage.
SO I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips.
Right now I guess I'm going back to basics, I'm trying to get him 110% comfortable with taking food from my hands- something that he WILL do, but does extremely EXTREMELY cautiously.
I guess the next step after that I plan to get him used to the clicker & then target train him.
Next question-should training take place elsewhere? In another room away from his cage?

I feel like this question is a little pointless & that I should just shush up & be patient coz I'm probably just expecting too much too fast, but still I'd like to know if there's any tips to this? Or if anyone could help me along with it.


Also another little side question- my bird doesn't seem to play much. He has toys all over the place but I rarely see him playing with anything. & also he's very very verrrryy quiet. Could it be he's still not 100% settled in? Or could it be that I don't talk to him enough? (I'm a REALLY quiet person & I really have to make the effort to vocalize with him on a constant basis other than at feedings & good mornings/etc.) Is this normal/should I be worried?????

-Mel

Mel - this sounds EXACTLY like me & Keen. EXACTLY ... EVERYTHING. Keen is very quiet ... oh but she does play toys. My cockatiel is much more vocal than Keen.