help- I have "untrained" him!

[adams86]

So I have been trying to train Tango and making sure that I only reward him for good behaviour and ignoring him when he is screaming or doing other bad behavior (which is not often at all) but when I first got him I had no problem with "step up"/"step/down" but now that he has figured out that I need him to "step up" to get him back in his cage, he refuses to do it! Now when he is on my shoulder, he won't step up either, but if I lean over towards his cage, he will step down on to it... but then I can't put him in of course-- smart bird! I am going to start taking him to other places in the house away from his cage to do some short training sessions with step up/step down as has been suggested to me. I have been spending a lot of time with him in my office where his primary cage is and maybe seeing his cage when I ask him to step up is causing issues? I just wondered if anyone else had some tips to share? :?

Thanks,

Don

Tango - 6mos WBC
Kona - Great Dane
Rustie - Chow/Shephard mix
Lucky- Cat

[saroj12]

Tango says "Step Up == Cage. I'm not stupid!"

So maybe if Step Up also meant to go to some fun place or just get special scritches for stepping up with no hidden agenda, (scritches or walnuts or whatever he's nuts about, haha).

I practice step up every morning with my wbc Chickie and she is a fool for walnuts. But she's too smart for me, because when she knows step up means cage, she won't budge.

Hey maybe I'll follow my own advice about going to fun places....:D

[Janette]

I have always given Spike a small treat (sunflower seed) every time I put him back in his cage. He goes along with it because he will do anything for a treat.

It also means he associates going back in his cage with getting a treat, so it is more of a positive experience than a negative one. I have to do this with Cosmo too or there is no way he would go back in.

[LeRoy's owner]

too funny, I can just picture it. Leroy hates to go back in his cage and we have tried everything. He is just too smart. I have ended up resorting to having him lay in my hand on his back which he thinks is play and then I lay him on his back at the bottom of his cage. Its hard to picture but it is funny because he just lays there on his back and gives me that look that says " are you freaking kidding me lady" I'm sorry I'm no help, just wanted you to know that you are not alone. LOL .......conne

[slic102]

:D:p Oh I can relate too!! Pogo NEVER wants to go back to his cage...not even when I've just put his dinner in there. I always have to grab him around the back and place him on a perch, or more likely, the bottom of the cage. Connie I so know that look!!! Does he ever do the pitiful little cry as you are walking away???:weirdface

[LeRoy's owner]

:D:p Oh I can relate too!! Pogo NEVER wants to go back to his cage...not even when I've just put his dinner in there. I always have to grab him around the back and place him on a perch, or more likely, the bottom of the cage. Connie I so know that look!!! Does he ever do the pitiful little cry as you are walking away???:weirdface


sometimes, he usually lays there for a few seconds plotting his next move then he gets up runs over to the bars of the cage and says "step up' over and over again in a very whiny voice. Can drive me nuts but I still laugh. These birds are the best.

[jinx1764]

Royal is okay about going back in her cage as long as she's had some decent out time. She doesn't do well with strangers in the house either so she's gotten used to being put in her cage when the doorbell rings, or when I'm in uniform (means that I'm leaving soon).

[Jinta]

Alway's when rikki have to do something he doesn't like, he wil stretch his wings. First one wing ..... relaxe .... than the other wing .... pffff ... maybe he will step up... or wait! Another wingstretching is necessary...pffff LOL !

If you really want your bird do stuff you want to let him do, make it fun. Allway's think what the bird will think, like: Whats in it for him to go into his cage???
If you put some nice treat in the cage, he probably will go inside ;-)

good luck!

[Emily]

My guys when they don't want to go in, will go all limp but hanging onto my hand for dear life. I try and put them next to a perch and they leeean all the way over like 'look I've fallen and I can't get up' and turn on the puppy dog eyes, big time. Its pathetic, lol. I like Janettes suggestion.

[adams86]

That's real funny about the wing stretch routine, Tango did that to me once too! lol.. Those are all really good suggestions, glad I am not alone in this "issue"!!

Don

[sweetpeaches]

So far Bailey still does his step ups pretty well. We practice them almost everyday. I always put one finger in front of the other like he's climbing a ladder. He thinks that's fun. I never have any trouble putting him back in his cage yet though. But sometimes when he's on the floor and I go to get him he will hop away. It is so funny. He'll also try to run away when "he knows" he's not suppose to have something...like when he gets my bluetooth!! urrggg.

[Mom of JoJo]

"Step up" has taken on a life of it's own. It's not that we don't enforce it, it's just that she loves saying it. When she's playing with her toys, she'll tell them, "step up, step up," and for instance, this morning, when I took her to visit her my husband who was still in bed, she said, "step up, step up" to him. I held jojo in front of my husbands face and jojo said, "step up," as in "get your ass out of bed!"

Jojo also says "good morning" and when she gets excited, she'll get confused and say, "Step morning", mixing the two phrases.

:)

We just insist on saying step up until she follows the command. So, even when she is on my shoulder, doesn't want to come down, bites herself and me, I don't whine or cry. I just continue saying step up, until she steps up and follows the command. She can't get out of it when I make it an expectation. Ultimately she knows what it means, and we just have to get through her tantrum to get there. There are times when I have to towel her if she won't budge.

[LeRoy's owner]

They can be stubborn little buggers can't they. Gotta love them anyway. LOL

[allyoop1982]

I have two birds. My caique is very good but my red bellied parrot is stubborn to the core. He refused to "step up" and will fly off to avoid going in his cage. I have tried the rewards and put special treats in his cage that he likes, but NO luck so far. I wish you luck, I'm just butting heads now with a stubbord FID.

[Kokomo]

My little bundle of joy loves his cage. Most of the time when he is out he'll end up going back into his cage on his own after a while. I guess if I had a home filled with toys and fun stuff I'd always want to be there too.

[hogdad]

Getting my guy into the cage was almost impossible short of just dumping him and closing the door quick. Which sucked by the way especially with a newly aquired bird like mine. I found like putting him in on his back with a toy ready for either his feet and/or beak made it a breeze.

[Kokomo]

lmno385,
Get off of crack today, its damaging your brain.