THE POLITE PARROT

 

Step-up Training

 

The term step-up is a universal command to “ask your bird to place themselves onto your hand to be moved or to spend time with you”.  Step-up is as universal as the sit command is to a dog and should be instilled upon your parrot as sit is to a dog.  Parrots’ being wild animals and not domesticated you will have to be a bit more patient when training especially an older parrot or a parrot that has not been handled in awhile.  I believe that a parrot should be asked if they would like to step-up as they are not domesticated and do not always want to do what we tell them.  Therefore showing respect to them by asking and using the correct body language when asking is always appropriate.  By asking I mean do not walk up and demand that your parrot step-up onto you, this is just asking for a bite.  You should be relaxed in demeanor and calmly walk up to your parrot and ask “ Would you like to step-up” during this time you will want to watch the parrots’ body language.  Some parrots’ may put their foot right up for you, some may strike to intimidate you, some may pin their eyes and flare their tails, and some may step-up and then bite.  The outcome of having a wild animal step-up onto your hand there will always be a risk of being bitten.  If you show fear or apprehension the parrot will sense this, therefore if you feel that you are not confident enough you should use a perch or a Booda rope for stepping up to help give you the confidence you need when working with a parrot that is un-known to you or has not been handled in awhile.  Know that a bite is always a possibility, yet the more confidence and trust you show the parrot the better chance you will have in succeeding in this process.

 

Many people that I see use what I call “Noodle Hand” this is a limp hand that you put out when you ask your parrot to step-up, no parrot will step onto a perch that they feel is not secure.  So your hand should be firm with your thumb tucked into your palm.  This shows the parrot that this is a strong safe perch for them to place their body onto. This also shows that you trust the parrot and that you are confident in your handling capabilities.  Many parrots’ that are young may use their beaks to test the perch before stepping onto it, the mistake we make as humans is that we will try and reprimand them for this when in all actuality we should not respond and let them test the waters’.  Once a parrot feels your hand is a secure perch especially a baby you gently push your hand into their belly and ask them to step-up.  If they refuse, try to bite or strike at you, you can switch to using a small perch or Booda rope (my preference because they cannot run right up to you shoulder because you will keep the rope perch bent in a U shape) to help you and the parrot feel more confident.

 

Another method is to give them a choice of an un-familiar item versus a familiar item.  The un-familiar item being something they do not know yet is not scary in any way such as a magazine, strange toy etc.  Hold this item with your opposite hand off to the side slightly above the parrot to distract, and ask them to step onto the familiar being your hand.  This technique works like a charm with many parrots’.  Remember that when working with parrots’ that tend to get very nippy to keep their minds distracted by going right into another step-up or wing flap them.  Once they are a little tired they are more amicable to being worked with as parrots’ fly anywhere from five to twenty miles a day in the wild.  They work all day; they do not just sit on a perch in the wild.  We as humans expect our parrots to adapt to us when we should be adapting to them and their needs.  Once again showing them respect is of the utmost importance.  When you give respect you receive respect back.  Many people could use a lesson on exactly what respect is.

 

RESPECT:  To have to have courteous regard for: esteem, to treat with politeness or kindness, to avoid intruding upon; Regard as sacred, a high regard for appreciation and worth. To be treated as sacred.

 

Knowing this take a different look as to how you interact with your companion parrot.  Do you treat your parrot with respect?  Or do you expect?

 

Example:  Every morning when I wake up my flock, I go into their room and go around and change waters, I say good morning to all of them, I do not rush them out of their cages.  Once everyone has had their morning greeting, food, and water change, I go from cage to cage and ask them if they would like to come out and play?  Some do, some don’t.  They are all required to come to the perch on the door if they would like to come out.  There is a perch on the doors of every cage, I never enter their space with my hands, if they want to come out they come down to the perch, the cage door is opened and I ask them to step-up.  They are then praised and I place them out in the room.  This is their morning time where they play up high without me interrupting or trying to pet or handle them.  I know I do not like to be bothered right when I wake up so I give them that same respect.  After a couple hours they are climbing down and asking me for attention and scratches and loving.  I respect their space and they respect mine.  I do not ever force touching or petting on them, I wait until they ask for it and then they shall receive.  I have nine-foot ceilings in my bird room and they all play up high, do I have aggression problems?  NO.  Why?  Because they know that if they do not step up for me when I ask them, whether it is to move them to a play gym or place them back into their cages they know if they do not step-up that up-high privileges will be taken away the next day and step-up training will be done through out the day on and off.  This shows respect on both sides, I respect their time and they respect me for it. FYI up high privileges has not been taken away from my parrots for over five years.

 

Okay, now let’s go back to step-up training.  Step-up training should be done in short segments of a few minutes with lots of praise and reward, it should be done from a T-stand, and if the bird is having aggression problems it should be done in a neutral room that is used only for training sessions.  Although I do firmly believe that you should also move the T-stand into familiar areas to work with the bird once you are comfortable with handling.  Praise should be done with each and every wanted behavior that your bird shows you.  The first time a parrot steps onto your hand you should praise the parrot for at least five seconds, go into another step-up praising the whole time that the parrot is pleasing you.  Be excited but not too excited.  At the end of the session reward your parrot with a favorite food that is used solely for these sessions.  After your parrot has the step-up command instilled you can do the training sessions a few times a week instead of a few times a day.  Always break the sessions up into small segments and always always end on a good note.  If your parrot goes to bite because it is tired, distract and have them do one more step-up onto the T-stand to end the session on a positive not a negative.  If you stop when your parrot bites, you have just taught it that all it has to do is bite you to end a training session.  Eventually the bite will come before you even begin. 

 

How many sessions should be done and how long should the sessions last?

This will depend on each individual parrot.  If you have a baby that you have just brought home, sessions should be very short about one to two minutes, three times a day.  If you are working with a rescue bird or a bird that has issues sessions should be about five minutes three times a day.  If you are having no problems just simply asking them to step-up each time you handle is usually enough, although I do like to give my guys a little refresher course about once a week for about three to five minutes. 

 

Some things not to do:

Never chase a bird around a cage to get them out

Never wear gloves

Never use force or demand

Never yell, hit or scream

Never handle a parrot when you are stressed

Never just expect your parrot to step onto you without being asked

 

Things to do:

Be calm

Be confident

Be respectful

Be patient

Set boundaries

Be positive in all training

Give lots of praise

Set your parrot up to succeed in training

 

Most of all remember they did not choose to be taken from the beautiful blue skies and green trees and raised in captivity by man so be aware that this is not their choice and we need to adapt to their needs by giving them as fulfilling life as possible.

 

Michelle Karras

Avian Behavior Consultant

The Polite Parrot

Board of Directors and licensed foster home for A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife

( 501c3 non-for-profit parrot rescue)

Published Birds USA

Lecturer

Video Positive Parrot Behavior Volume 1 “The Importance of Toys”

Slave to twelve rescued parrots’

 

Copy Rights Michelle Karras and The Polite Parrot