Stepping Up

[AMArenson]

Hey Everyone,

So I got my baby eclectus mid July 2013 he is about 4 months old. When he first got him he was very timid and afraid of everything, he has gotten much better. At first he wouldn't let us touch him then he started stepping up on my husbands hand. Now he steps up whenever my husband puts his hand in the cage.
For some time he wouldn't step all the way up on my hand but he would put one foot on my hand, like holding it but not moving to put the other on me even when I tried to lift his toe a bit or lift his leg that was holding on to me.
We have been very busy lately so we have not had time to work with him everyday (although we do make time to talk to him in short sessions multiple times a day).
It has been about a week since he stopped even putting his one foot on my hand and I don't know what happened or changed. I tend to interact with him more than my husband does feeding and talking to him but for some reason he is not warming to me at all.
He did come from two male breeders which may explain in some ways why he is more open to my husband but I feel like now were going backward with his behavior toward me. The breeders suggested having my husband first pick him up then transfer him to me but Merlin doesn't go for that. I've also tried looking more masculine by taking off my rings and pulling back my hair but that hasn't worked either.
Sometimes in the morning when I try to switch his seed bowl out for his bean/veggie mix he sits on the food door and glares at me, I can't open the door when hes on it so usually I'm somewhat in a hurry so I leave and come back in a bit when he moves so I can place the bowl inside. I don't know if this is a game he is playing with me or if he gets annoyed that I don't figure out a way to get the bowl in the cage with him sitting on the door. Is it playful or asserting dominance?
Anything you can think of to help I would appreciate it!

 

[dulphinz]

I'm sure some of the experienced owners will chime in. Now when he's on the door, do you mean you have a perch on the inside of the door? That's one thing Someone had suggested I do because I too was having issues having my boy step up. It did help a little. With my boy I sometimes put my other hand behind him. I DO NOT push him and I did wait until he was totally comfortable with me, but just putting my other hand behind would help him step up and now I rarely need to do it. There are still times when this doesn't work and then I know he's just not in the mood to be out, so I wait a little and try again. Another I found is if I opened the door and stayed close by he would right away climb up to the top of the door and he would step up without a problem for there. Again, I am no expert, just stating my personal experience. Hope someone can be of assistance. Congrats on your new baby!

 

[MikeyTN]

With the food dish, JoJo always does it to my partner too by standing on it and won't move. So my partner open the other feed door to attract JoJo to go there instead, that usually works. In order for him to get to know you, you must spend quite a bit of time with him alone. Does he come out of his cage if you have the doors open? Try to tell him to step up once he's out of his cage. Also from what his breeder says can work too by having your husband hand him over to you. Then you can repeat the step up process over and over between your hands. Get him used to that exercise repeatedly. If your able to work with him like that for several times per day that should help you quite a bit. I had to work with JoJo quite a bit when he first came to us, he was shy, scared, and doesn't step up for nobody period. But the work I put into him paid off within just a few days. By one week he was stepping up like a pro. But the trust didn't come until about a month later. Total trust was about several months later. He trusts me completely now days as I can pet him, taught him to give me kisses. They're one of my favorite birds of all time.

 

[maillet]

Eclectus think and behave from their stomach (sad but true).

Find his absolute favourite treat, the one that when he sees it he will follow it so keenly with his eyes (darting his head back and fourth) as if not wanting to lose it.

Use one hand to hold it out of his reach, and use the other hand as a "Bridge" for him to step up to until he reached. As he moves to Step, say "Step Up" and move treat within grasp. Eventually he will associate going onto your hand with that lovely treat.

And then simply remember to give it to him on occasion going forward until behavior is so far engrained he will never forget... Even once every like 10-Times is enough to keep him thinking if he steps up he may sometimes be rewarded with his "Treasure".

Also be certain these "training treats" are unique and only given for desired behavior.

I use Pomigranite when teaching any Retrival Tricks (fetch, soccer, basketball, etc).
Pine Nuts for any hand tricks (step-up, flip, spins, etc)
and Almunds for anything I want him to do (e.g. flight training, wings, or speaking).

For our play sessions lately, he usally starts off with the type of trick (and food he is most in mood for that day which I am surprised has been fairly balanced every day).