Step up training?

[Birdlover1]

I recently bought myself a 6 year old male B&G macaw named Echo.Ive had him for around 3 days and he lets me give him scritches and eats out of my hand.He already seems to have settled in pretty good and I want to work on step up training him.So far Ive put on a nice heavy pair of gloves and fed him his favorite treat(shelled peanuts) while wearing them so hes not scared of them.When ever I would but my hand close to him with/with out gloves he attempts to bite and often lunges at me.I try not to flinch away don't move my hand away.Hes tried to bite my bare hands a few times but I was able to distract him from doing it.He has bitten me threw the gloves as I try to move my hand towards his feet.
In my opinion I want him not to bite me no matter what but we all know this is one thing that happens with parrot ownership.Ive decided that the best method for him to learn step up would be with holding a perch and using another one to block his attacks.So I went outside cut down some tree branches and made some macaw safe perches.Hes is absolutely terrified of them!I wonder if maybe one of his previous owners hit him with perches?I hope not.

How should I go about getting him not to be scared of the perches and to teach him to step up?

Gosh,I hope you guys can understand all that.

 

[weco]

What you're thinking is attempted biting may only be attempts at beaking...all parrots will beak objects & if you're not understanding of how parrots use this to test things, taste things & lead with their beak when stepping from one surface to another, it is easy to misconstrue beaking for biting attempts.....

Three days is not enough time for some birds to get used to their new surroundings and not enough time for you to understand a macaw's body language & what it is telling you.....

There are a lot of decent, free training videos on youtube & this is one of the better step up training videos: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpLv4l41wWM]Teaching Parrots to Step Up and Down - YouTube[/ame]

Good luck.....

 

[MonicaMc]

Might I suggest hunkering down and start reading??? A macaw is no budgie, and they aren't quite nearly as easy to shove around either, considering they have the ability to cause a whole lot more damage!

• Training Parrots | Parrot Training DVDS & Books
  • Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk
    • Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk: Help! My Parrot Wont Step Up!
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    • Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk: Stick Training Parrots
    • Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk: Training a Scared or Aggressive Parrot To Step Up
    • Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk: Training Tips and Parrot Bites
    
    
    
    
• Lara Joseph | An avid avian training, behavior, and enrichment enthusiast.
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• Written Works: Learning and Behavior - BehaviorWorks.com
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[Birdlover1]

Thanks guys!I guess I'll get back to reading

 

[weco]

Hmmm, maybe you shouldn't have mentioned you were home schooled.....Monica must think you've got too much free time on your hands with all those reading/video links ! ! !

 

[Birdlover1]

Its fine.I do have alot of time so Im happy to read all those.

 

[JerseyWendy]

How's Echo doing with the "step up" training??

 

[Birdlover1]

Well Ive decided not to try anything till we have a really good bond and so far hes getting alot less nippy.Now he lets me pet his feet and around his belly with out snapping.He's also been following me around while hes on his cage since he still hasn't gotten off it.
Its really funny though when Im feeding him out of my hand if I try to give him something he doesn't like he either smacks it out of my hand or grabs my hand in his mouth and shakes it around.I hope soon I can lure him onto my bed(since its by his cage) and let him play in the blankets.So far so good

 

[triordan]

If you haven't already I would get rid of the glove I a lot of birds are afraid of them , good luck

 

[BirdBrains2233]

Get a shock collar from PetCo!!!! It works on my wife, so why not a bird? j/k I have yet to have any issues with a bird stepping up so this is an area I am unfamiliar with. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Birdlover1]

If you haven't already I would get rid of the glove I a lot of birds are afraid of them , good luck

He actually loves playing with the gloves but I have already decided not to use them.

Get a shock collar from PetCo!!!! It works on my wife, so why not a bird? j/k I have yet to have any issues with a bird stepping up so this is an area I am unfamiliar with. Let us know how it turns out.

lol!Well my first bird was a feral cockateil(R.I.P) and it took me a good 3 months to get her to step up on her own.My budgie took less then a day since he was already trained at the pet store.Due to Echo's very large beak I have to be extremely careful because if he bit me bad my Mom would probably try to kill him.Of course I would never let her,but still its best for him and me not to get mad at each other.