My cockatiel, Boomer, has recently started being against stepping up, though the behavior is odd, and I'm not sure what I did to trigger it.
While he won't step up, he wants to be next to me at all times. He's not clipped, so when I try to get him to step up, it ends up with him flying around the room a few times and landing on the suitable perch furthest away from me. If I go sit down, he will fly to my shoulder, THEN he will step up and basically do whatever I ask.
He will step up, get down, and let me touch him wherever I'd like, even completely covering him with my hand and giving him scratches.
He used to be very obedient, though this behavior seems to coincide with his wings growing back and him becoming confident in his flying ability. I've been seriously debating clipping his wings again, but I don't want to if I can avoid it. My green cheek is full flight also, and she'll always step up, step down, and is even picking up on the phrase "Go home" where she will fly back to her cage on command (Though sometimes not without a fight, of course ).
I'm trying step up, step down exercises with millet, which is his favorite, but even then, he doesn't cooperate. If it helps, he's around 8-9 months old now.
edit:
I've had him for 6 months now, also.
While he won't step up, he wants to be next to me at all times. He's not clipped, so when I try to get him to step up, it ends up with him flying around the room a few times and landing on the suitable perch furthest away from me. If I go sit down, he will fly to my shoulder, THEN he will step up and basically do whatever I ask.
He will step up, get down, and let me touch him wherever I'd like, even completely covering him with my hand and giving him scratches.
He used to be very obedient, though this behavior seems to coincide with his wings growing back and him becoming confident in his flying ability. I've been seriously debating clipping his wings again, but I don't want to if I can avoid it. My green cheek is full flight also, and she'll always step up, step down, and is even picking up on the phrase "Go home" where she will fly back to her cage on command (Though sometimes not without a fight, of course ).
I'm trying step up, step down exercises with millet, which is his favorite, but even then, he doesn't cooperate. If it helps, he's around 8-9 months old now.
edit:
I've had him for 6 months now, also.
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