I give up. he will never step up!

izmail1215

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Sep 12, 2010
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Houston
Parrots
Yellow Naped Amazon-Sam
:mad:

My amazon parrot wont step up i bought a birdtricks.com dvd everything he said worked beside the stepping up part i read every artical i can find I wacthed every video on youtube.


I tried the wooden dowl meathod where I put his perch by his foot and target him on to the stick he just bites the perch. He lets me pet him play with him feed him what ever but no step up. he is target stick trained. but he wont even step up onto the perch when i put it near him not even for a treat. i tried to put my hand near him he didnt attack but wanted to bite it. he did how ever touch his feet. any help? i give up. hopeless

he is YNA 5 months i been trying for 3 weeks.

should I change rooms when i train?
 

apatrimo94

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Jun 15, 2010
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Hudson Valley, New York
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Bartleby-Pearl Cockatiel
S'mores-Albino Parakeet
Well, the only thing I can say is that it does take time. It took one year just to get my keet to step up onto a perch, and it took my tiel 3 months to get comfotatable with my finger. Now they adore being with me and easily step up. Just keep practicing and you Zon should get it eventually.
 
OP
izmail1215

izmail1215

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Sep 12, 2010
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Houston
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Yellow Naped Amazon-Sam
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thanks I expected more then sam can give maby i need to be wait at least 2 months. but how can i stop the perch biting if he dose step on?
 

CrypticDelirium

New member
Sep 16, 2010
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NC
Parrots
Georigie, a very maniacal ball of fluff.
Babii (baby), The cuddle sponge
Actually it sounds like you're doing great. Some birds can just be slightly hard headed and require more time and patience, then just when you feel you'll be bald from ripping your hair out they amaze you by acting like they've always done it, even give you a little head tilt as if to say "why are you surprised, I've known this all along!"

A a trick that worked well for me with my especially bent on driving me crazy quaker was to resort to bribery. I'd use his favorite treat, put it close, and then move it back just out of reach until he was forced to step out of his cage and onto my hand if he wanted it. I figure he probably trained me more than the other way around, but it's a mutual goodness, so hey whatever works right?

If you really feel it's not working for your amazon don't be afraid to go against the vids and try something different, no one knows your bird better than you!

I'm sure if you keep it up he'll get the hang of it too, three weeks seems long but it'll all be worth it in the end! Good luck! = )
 

antoinette

Supporting Member
Jul 6, 2009
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Sunny South Africa !!!
Parrots
African "Grey"
"Mishka"
Male
7 Years old
Please don't let your bird hear that you have given up, because he has not
It just takes time, patience and perseverance.
Try different approaches, you will eventually find one that works for you.
Good luck
 

Von1983

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Sep 3, 2010
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I know this might sound silly but tone of voice has a lot to with it. It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

I had to teach Cal step up inside her cage as she wasn't tame at all. When she bit the stick I just firmly said no bite(she was fond of biting the stick) and then step up while holding the stick just beneath her feet. It soon became apparent that to begin with, she wanted to pull the stick towards her simply to position it more conveniently and check it was extra safe to do that. I let her do this after I ascertained it wasn't biting. I only said no bite if she was actually nibbling.

What Cal taught me was if you try too softly softly and are unsure or frustrated, she can sense that.

Of course it works the other way - being too brusque! Balancing act!
This probably isn't anything new to you and I apologise if this is the case but I've found the simpleist of solutions are the ones I invariably miss!
 

scott4687

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Feb 27, 2010
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Your giving up after 3 weeks??? I've had my bird for a little over 3 months now. I know the frustrations your feeling. The one thing that has helped me when dealing with my bird is this one simply phrase:
"I have the next 30 years to teach (whatever) to my bird" Think about that. You have taking on a 30 year commitment. Relax... love your bird, everything will come with time.
Scott
 

nofearengineer

New member
Sep 8, 2010
575
1
Parrots
Gandalf - CAG (1997-2010) R.I.P. my baby boy.
Bitty - CAG (2 yrs old? and working on spoiling her rotten)
Keep trying! It will work eventually.

And when it does, you will find that there is no more relaxing and rewarding time with your parrot as when they are sitting on your hand, staring intently into your eyes, soaking up everything you say to it.

Once you get past the step up, you can build so much more trust. Gandalf fell asleep on my hand hundreds of times while I talked softly to him and gently ruffled his head feathers, blowing on him.

It will be worth the effort, a hundred fold!
 

Cowtown

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Aug 4, 2010
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Great State of Texas
Parrots
Abby 2 year old Female Eclectus & Solomon 12 year old Male CAG & Dickens 4 year old CAG.
Just take your time... I was having trouble getting Abby to step up when she was in her cage. I would show her the back of my had, I made a fist (not to hit her) so she would not have any fingers to grab. I would hold my fist next to her beak until she would stop the nipping. I would then put my back edge of my hand next to her feet and lift up with my hand and touch her belly and she will step up. I hope this helps...
 

leomacaw

New member
Jul 13, 2010
201
0
Hong Kong
Parrots
2 Greys, 2 Yellow Sided Conures, 1 Jardine's & 1 Lovebird.
Don't give up and be patient.

Don't scare your bird or you may need even more time to gain the trust...


Good luck
 

triordan

New member
Sep 1, 2010
1,042
1
Maryland
Parrots
Remington~ GW Macaw
Ollie/Olivia~ CAG
Our bird was 13 when we got him, and very well trained, yesterday was the first time he stepped up, we got him labor day weekend...i was prepared to take as long as he needed, but im glad we were able to make it to that point! :) be patient it will happen!
 

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