Train To and From Cage?

[Caitnah]

Like most birds, my GCC would rather be out of his cage than in. If I am in the room, he just wants to come out and be with me.
Even though he is only 14 weeks old, I can tell when he gets hungry. If I am sitting in a chair, he will walk all over me looking for food. His cage is only 7 feet away and the door is open. So he could fly back anytime, go in and eat and then come back out (if he wants).

Can anyone recommend a way to train him in knowing that he can come and go as he pleases...when I am in the room.

I am just concerned about training in an incorrect manner.

 

[RavensGryf]

You can start by holding him on one hand and holding a favorite treat food in the other. Hold it gradually farther away, treat and praise when he stretches to it, then steps to it, then hops to it, then when he flies to it, he gets the concept enough that you can then guide him inside. Depending on the bird, it can take a while and you might be stuck on one of the first steps until he “gets” the concept.

I couldn’t touch Griffin at all when I started training him to get over his phobia of people that he had all of a sudden developed when he was around 6 months old. I started using hand signals along with voice commands. Even now that he’s no longer afraid and will step up on me, I don’t always want him to since he’s an unpredictable biter. I just say “Griffin IN”, with a sweeping arm motion toward his cage. Sometimes I need to shoo him off where he’s sitting to get him going, but many times with the cue alone, he’ll fly onto the top of his open cage door then flop his body inside, where I can close the door. At first I gave him treats, now he will do it regardless. I had also taught this to a budgie I had who didn’t want to be handled.

 

[MonicaMc]

Basically, target training as RavensGryf mentioned.

You can teach him to fly back to his cage through a series of approximations. In short, step up to cage, hop to cage, hop with flap to cage, fly to cage. It is longer than that, of course!

 

[DiscoDuck]

Yeah, good topic. My issues aren't huge or unmanageable IMO however that same scenario is one of the more complicated I deal with daily.

In a roundabout way Rudy knows what is up on all occasions, he is also a male. I believe he wants what he wants when he wants it. No sooner than when one method works, the same fails. Cage in and out I think has a lot to do with flock mentality. What I havent done yet is turn the lights out and let him sleep in front of the TV while I type on this forum.

Rudy is at the point when he is with me, If I even in so much head towards his house, he becomes a little difficult yet he will sit on my shoulder and watch the news channel while he preens. If I stand up, he knows whats up... a wrestling match!