Stepping up - the long version. Normal?

[strudel]

When I want my galah to come and do something with me, she can be very slow in stepping up. She puts up one foot, then she'll put it down, then she'll stretch a wing, she'll put one foot on me, take it down, grab me with one foot and take her time with the other. There is often quite a bit of "mucking about".

Does she hate me and not really want to come with me, is she just enjoying having me wait on her, or is this normal?

 

[getwozzy]

I'm thinking maybe this is a galah thing, because Chili does the same thing occasionally lol most of the time it's "I'm not sure going with you is going to be much more fun than what I'm already doing...but I suppooosssse I'll go...."

Or she does the step-up-rigamaro when she knows I'm going to try and put her in her cage... So she does it in hopes I'll give up lol

 

[strudel]

"I'm not sure going with you is going to be much more fun than what I'm already doing...but I suppooosssse I'll go...."

Coupled with "wait there, I just need to have a stretch before I'll be ready to go"

 

[getwozzy]

Yep lol she'll stretch both wings and legs (and she takes her time doing each) and then looks at me like "do I have to??"

 

[strudel]

then looks at me like "do I have to??"

It makes me feel terrible. I'm all looking forward to some "fun time" and she's like "go away, I'd rather sit on my own in a cage"

At least I know that I'm not completely alone in encountering this.

 

[getwozzy]

Yep, same here. But! Don't give up, just be patient and continue the step up process because once they figure out how to make you give up to get what they want (i.e. staying on their "throne") then you're in trouble lol

 

[RavensGryf]

Don't feel bad... Raven the Pionus HATES stepping up for me. He'll just look at me with a facial expression like he thinks I'm some idiot, or other times he'll run away from me. Sometimes he'll even scream!

He'll ONLY step up for me at bed time and only AFTER I put his friend Griffin away first. OR if I have a nutriberry. Such a brat! He'll step up for Don any day, any time. Don can even hold him close and cuddle him. With me he's a typical hands off male Pionus who won't even step up. No fair, he's MY bird, not Don's lol. Raven didn't get that memo.
I recently discovered he likes safflower seeds. I'll have to start getting motivated to work on training now that I know he likes these. Hopefully he likes them ENOUGH, or else he'll probably just give me 'that look' and run away lol.

I got Raven as a tame hand fed juvenile! See? No guarantee getting a bird as a baby that you could mold them how you want them (like I've heard people say). They have their own personality from a very young age. I never met Raven in person first (I picked him out by photos and he was shipped across the country). Perhaps if I'd met him first he'd have said to me "no, you're not the parront I want" lol.

 

[strudel]

because once they figure out how to make you give up to get what they want (i.e. staying on their "throne") then you're in trouble lol

I do give up. If she doesn't want to come, I just let her stay there and come back later, (when she is usually a bit speedier with it.)

Don't feel bad... Raven the Pionus HATES stepping up for me.

See, that's what I don't get. She's fine with me picking her up lots/most of the time, it's just this "performance" some of the time. It's not an overall reluctance, it's just this "wait there, I'll do it when I'M ready" thing she's got going on. It's not every time, sometimes she hops straight up and we're away....

It's reassuring that she doesn't just hate me, though.

 

[RavensGryf]

It's reassuring that she doesn't just hate me, though.

I'm sure she doesn't hate you since although she's slow stepping up, at least she'll do it. I think she still sounds like a good girl.

Sometimes I do think Raven hates me. Maybe not hate, but he's definitely chosen to not be bonded to me, and will be clear about reminding me. That bums me out, but oh well, what can you do... they're just individuals like people and like who they like. Sometimes he'll preen my hair while on his cage if I promise to keep my hands away. Tonight was a really RARE occasion where Raven did step right up (I couldn't believe it), and I had Raven and Griffin both on me. It was nice.

The Bronze Winged female I had who died was such a sweetheart. I looked high and low for another Bronze Winged and ended up with Mr. Cranky LOL!

 

[strudel]

and I had Raven and Griffin both on me. It was nice.

It's a bit like the Prodigal Son, cuddles from the non-cuddly pets seem more special than those from the smoochers. One of my cats tends to hang out by herself in the other room, when she comes to me and goes all head-rubby, purring and smoochy, it's something special. It's a bit unfair that the other 2 smoochers who are always there, ready for a cuddle, don't have their efforts given the same appreciation. I do appreciate them, but because it's freely available it doesn't seem such a "prize".