THE RESULTS - Differentiated step up commands

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Hey everyone!!

About 2 months ago I asked about creating different step up commands, one where Parker has no choice but to step up ("step up!") and one where he has a choice ("come here"). I wanted to share with you the results of what I've found.

The goals and the results:

Goal 1 - make response to step up command consistent. SUCCESS

Parker has responded very well in this respect. Step up used to be an occasional struggle, maybe 50% response rate without forcing (repeating myself, lifting of the toes). This has been upped to 98% response rate. Had to grab his toe to force a step up yesterday for the first time in weeks.

Goal 2 - give him option to come when he wants. SUCCESS/FAILURE

In all honesty this one is hard to judge. Response rate to "come here" is almost nonexistent, only rare successes, and when I hold the fingers up and say ""come here" he almost universally runs away. It's difficult to tell if he really is just expressing his disinterest or has come to develop a negative association.

Come here has also gotten me bitten/nipped at a couple times.

What I may have done in doing this is actually probed the depths of his desire to be alone. If we assume this truly was a success, he's lack of response to "come here" shows the extent of his desire to stay put. Make no mistake: regardless of the words I utter, He knows what fingers held up to him means.

Under the assumption of success, The biting could be an indication that I pushed him too far, farther than what he wants at that moment.

If this really was a failure, it still made he step up command more consistent.

And this is where we currently are ��
 

SailBoat

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Great single parrot Study!

I would guess that this will be continued, due to its short time-line. It is very possible /highly likely that you are still in the development stage of this 'more relaxed' response command.

Since I am an Amazon Snob, I do not have the experience in the 'clues,' possibly 'Body Language' that are common to your Parrot. Adding /noting those verbal and/or non-verbal communications prior, during and after a command may provide a clearer understanding of the reasons for your Parrot choosing to or not to respond to your command.

The most important factor (which you are following) is to never back-off on the importance of the 'Step-Up' command. And, as you know, it is just so very important as part of the overall relationship with our Parrots and the need (emergency) to quickly move the Parrot when needed.
 
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Scott

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Great job, Chris! I too agree the "step up" command is virtually non-negotiable for many reasons.

Wonder if adding a hand-gesture to the "come here" command might help? Something like a wave or head gesture? I was able to train my female Goffins to return to her cage by stating "cage" and motion repetitively in the direction with my left hand and arm. She doesn't always comply the first time, might take a minute or two, but she assuredly knows what I want!!
 

Anansi

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Great to hear the results of your study, Chris! Very interesting.

I thought the "Come here" command/suggestion might be a difficult one to implement, and I see from your results that the success or failure is actually rather hard to quantify. Do you intend to continue developing this one? Or are you only sticking to the step up command?

As for the success with "Step up", I couldn't be happier! This is a huge victory, as a consistent step up is so important. Good going, Chris!

How has the biting been? Has the hormonal behavior cut down?
 
OP
chris-md

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
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Thanks all! I do feel this was a revealing exercise.

Stephen, I will continue with this, if for no other reason than I don't want to go back to saying step up and have him not respond if I want to give him a break.

i wish I can say biting is better but we're going through some phase right now. I'm at least getting nipped once or twice a week. No real blood drawn but he has shown a bit more aggression. He's also much more vocal lately, screaming at the top of his lungs when we're out of sight.

I think he's stressed with everything going on. We just got back from a week aand a half trip to Hawaii, during which time he was boarded. Additionally, we are selling our house so lots of strangers have been coming through (mostly contractors; we're under contract and the showings happened while we were away). Our agent is very sharp so lots of stuff has changed: furniture moved, area rugs thrown out, she insisted the cable running to his tv by his cage go away since it was stapled to the wall throughout the basement so he doesn't have his tv during the day.

The dogs not herself either. Bird's screaming lately gives her panic attacks, which is giving her colitis causing bowel issues.

Lots of changes and stress lately, and the stress is causing more problems than would otherwise be typical. We're doing everything we can to minimize the stress but it's going to be along month and a half when we settle on both houses.

On the plus side, Parker will have his own room in the new house with views of the woods. And the house has a massive sunroom which will be our primary living room so he will have lots of natural light and views. So the stress will all be worth it.
 

SailBoat

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A quick way to get Parker's TV back on is to WIFI it. Your cable people can do that quickly and it is even possible for you do it.

We had moved to a new home two years ago. Greatly change the family cottage last year and this is the first year that thing have been a bit easier.

That eighteen months had our Amazon crazed from time to time. OK, months at a time!

This to shall pass was our saving words!
 

wrench13

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Do Ekkies harbor resentment like amazons do ? He could be pissed off at having been boarded. I know when I go to CHina for 2 weeks, Salty is pissed at me for awhile.

WHen I want to give Salty a choice, I say "you wanna....", and 'step up ' is no choice at all.
 

Gxg

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Peace & Quiet (Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conures, brother and sister). They are my babies whom I love very much and they are such a blessing.
Hey everyone!!

About 2 months ago I asked about creating different step up commands, one where Parker has no choice but to step up ("step up!") and one where he has a choice ("come here"). I wanted to share with you the results of what I've found.

The goals and the results:

Goal 1 - make response to step up command consistent. SUCCESS

Parker has responded very well in this respect. Step up used to be an occasional struggle, maybe 50% response rate without forcing (repeating myself, lifting of the toes). This has been upped to 98% response rate. Had to grab his toe to force a step up yesterday for the first time in weeks.

Goal 2 - give him option to come when he wants. SUCCESS/FAILURE

In all honesty this one is hard to judge. Response rate to "come here" is almost nonexistent, only rare successes, and when I hold the fingers up and say ""come here" he almost universally runs away. It's difficult to tell if he really is just expressing his disinterest or has come to develop a negative association.

Come here has also gotten me bitten/nipped at a couple times.

What I may have done in doing this is actually probed the depths of his desire to be alone. If we assume this truly was a success, he's lack of response to "come here" shows the extent of his desire to stay put. Make no mistake: regardless of the words I utter, He knows what fingers held up to him means.

Under the assumption of success, The biting could be an indication that I pushed him too far, farther than what he wants at that moment.

If this really was a failure, it still made he step up command more consistent.

And this is where we currently are ��
Thank you for helping me to make sense of this more. I've seen a couple of videos on the issue with Step-Up. At times, my conures will come to me and other times, they will back away/run away ....at times it can be draining, but other times they step up repeatedly when I tell them to. So having different words for association makes sense.
 
OP
chris-md

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
  • Thread Starter
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  • #9
Wrench, I can only speak for Parker. He generally doesn't hold a grudge. Maybe once in the past for a long trip I took. But he did well with this last trip we took a few weeks ago!

Gxg you're very welcome :). That's the whole reason I did this, because several new people here kept saying they didn't understand the boundary between accepting non response to a command as simply "I don't wanna right now, please let me be!" - which is fine, sometimes you're just not in the mood - vs creating a situation where your bird starts thinking it doesn't have to listen to you.
 

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