Need Help with Step Up training

I apologize for what is probably yet another step up training yell for help, but I couldn't really match my needs by searching. My GCC is just over a year old, our first bird, we have had him for 2 months. He came from a pet store, so basically has been 'institutionalized' for the past 8 months, as the vet said. He is just now starting to let us reach in slowly and scritch him without running away from our hands. I am not sure how to get to the Step Up training. He is afraid of any type of sticks going into the cage. When I scritch him, he will lower his whole body down and will let me put my finger under him and pet his belly, but if I try to apply a bit of pressure under him to step up, he does not react at all or he runs. Should I be trying something else? It is hard to take him out of the cage because trying to catch him to put him back in is like watching a circus act gone bad, lol. Any suggestions?

Hmm, mine wasn't afraid of sticks and I started him off with pencils. Maybe you could try to put some perch in his cage that you could take out with him sitting on it? Or make him to climb on something very uncomfortable and offer some "help" letting him step on your finger (but he shouldn't notice that)? I do it with my wild IRN right now - she would run from me and start climbing on something - I'd them let her step on my finger "accidentally" and lift her off.

Have a look at this:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe0pW5v7vOs"]Parrot Training Clips from Parrot Care & Training Seminar - YouTube[/ame]

See how she lures the bird onto her hand with treats? The bird's not even really aware that he's moved from the perch to her hand, so intent is he on the treat. All you need to do is find out what your bird's favourite treat is and use that to lure him to your hands. It will take time and persistence and patience (maybe weeks), but if you stick with it, you'll get there. Be prepared to spend a LOT of time with your bird doing nothing more than whispering sweet nothings and shovelling treats into him.

What sort of cocky is that one with the freaky hair-do? And what is happening wrapping the bird up in a tea-towel?

They're Gang Gang Cockatoos. The male has the red hair and the female is plain dark grey. Gorgeous, aren't they? I keep forgetting how many species only occur on either the west coast or the east coast. This is one of them. Gang Gangs are pretty common around here (central coast, NSW). They're about the same size as a Galah and travel in smallish family groups. The ones I've seen mostly keep to the coastal heathlands, where they eat native plant material like banksia and grevillea.

The tea towel is being used to teach the bird to be towelled happily and painlessly in case of an emergency vet visit etc. I really like Barbara Heidenreich's methods because she only uses positive reinforcement.

Betrisher said:

Gorgeous, aren't they?

Click to expand...

Thanks, yes. They look like the result of a liaison between a galah and beaker from the muppets.

I had a aviary bred IRN stepping up onto my finger in a day and I agree that it does takes a lot of time, patience and persistence. this is something you must do everyday and be committed.

I got a clicker.
Clickers are the best for training. Do some research? B F Skinner is a good start. Clicks won't confuse the bird. Where has words can. Without realising, words can be changed. It doesn't seem much, but it is to a bird. Has an example you might be saying "good boy". Then you say "that's a good boy" or you’re a good bird. Clickers are a bridge to identify wanted behaviour between you and your bird.

I use sunflower seeds has training treats as Delfin preferred them over other type of tidbits. The method I used to find Delfin's favorite treat was to put five different types of foods on a plate and let Delfin pick. This can be pine nuts, sunflower seeds, dice fruit or veggies. Whatever your bird picks, it must not be part of the bird’s diet otherwise it defeats the purpose of being a training treat.

With Delfin on his T-stand, I would give him a sunflower seed and click the clicker. This indicates that training has started.
I would hold the clicker and the sunflower seed in my right hand. The set up was the clicker in the palm with my middle finger on the button and the sunflower seed held between my thumb and index finger. With my left hand I made a pistol so my finger was parallel to the perch and about 3 cm away. Then I would bring my right hand up behind my left hand and show Delfin the sunflower seed and say "come Delfin". If, after 15 to 20 seconds Delfin hadn't climb onto my left hand I would remove the sunflower seed from his sight. Wait 20 seconds and reshow the treat. When Delfin climbed onto my left hand and took the sunflower seed I would click the clicker at the same time. Then I return Delfin back to the T-perch and repeat.

Note: By removing the sunflower seeds from the Bird's sight you encourage the "what have I just missed out on. Was that food? Where did it go? Then when you re-offer the sunflower seeds. The bird thinks I'm not going to miss out again.

Note: This is important and that is, not to force the bird to do something it doesn't want to do. Let it approach the Sunflower seed.

Note: Don't put your hand inside the cage has the bird could see this has invasion of their territory.

In the mornings we ask Delfin if he wishes to come out. There is a perch mounted on the cage door and if Delfin wants to come out he will climb down to perch on the door and says "out". Then and only then will we let Delfin out. To return Delfin to his cage we get him to step up and then put him onto the perch and close the cage door. No chasing Delfin around the house or the cage. No stressing Delfin out.
So we can remove Delfin from the cage and return to the cage in a calm and controlled method. This did take a bit of training with a clicker. The Perch was mounted on the cage door. This door is hinged and opened outwards. No putting hands inside the cage. Conducted lots of trust building and bonding sessions (training).

The other advice I can give is
1 move slowly around the bird
2 let the bird come to you.
3 Don't force the bird to do anything that it doesn't want to do.
4 make the trust building and bonding sessions (training) fun
5 end all training sessions on a positive.
6 patience.

You are all truly awesome! I cannot wait to begin more training today. I am amazed at how much fun this is to be working with our Stitchy every day and every single little bit of progress seems like such a milestone. I can see I still have so very much to learn. I will keep looking for ways to get our little guy out of and in the cage easier and on his terms so that training will be easier. Hard to train properly when we are battling a maze of perches and toys in the cage

You've already gotten some great advice here, Stitchy.

For me, target training was huge. You mention that your GCC is afraid of sticks in the cage, but I get the feeling that you were referring to sticks that could serve as perches. If you use a small pointer type stick (like a chopstick), and start from outside of the cage and merely reach through the bars to target a point on a perch within, you should be able to begin target training.

Each time your bird touches his beak to the stick, praise (or click, if you are using a clicker) and then give him a treat. Once your bird gets the idea, he will come to see that stick as an opportunity for his favorite treat. When this happens, you'll easily be able to target your hand. Make sure to use the command "step-up" whenever you do this.

It will take time and patience, but he will catch on.

Oh! If your bird actually is afraid of any stick, even one as small as a pointer, just use a variation on the method you just saw in that Barbara Heidenreich video. Affix his favorite treat to the tip of the targeting stick and slowly send it between the bars of his cage. Stop at a point far enough from his current location for him to remain comfortable, yet within easy reach from one of his perches. And then wait. Patience is key. As Delfin pointed out, don't rush him. If he sets the pace, he's more likely to trust your actions.

Just give him time.