Parrot Training 101
It’s not as difficult to get started with parrot training as you might think. It doesn’t matter if you have a young bird or an older one; you can begin training right away by teaching your bird some simple behaviors. In my opinion, one of the best things you can teach your parrot is to have a reliable step up response. In other words, you tell the bird to “step up” and it should immediately step onto your hand.
So why is the step-up command the first thing you should teach your parrot? To start, removing your bird from a cage becomes much easier once it knows the step-up command. Step-up makes it easier to get a parrot off your shoulder - a practice which should be discouraged but which stubborn parrots sometimes do anyways. In this situation, some parrots may try to bite, so especially with a larger parrot the step-up command will make getting the bird off the shoulder less dangerous. And if you ever find your bird in a dangerous situation, the step-up command could literally be a life saver. You also want a parrot that knows how to cooperate with you, and the step-up command accomplishes that goal. As you can see, the step-up command is useful for several good reasons which is why many behaviorists suggest teaching it first.
Start Training Your Bird to Step Up
It is generally very easy to teach a bird to step up to your hand. The first thing to do is to move your hand so that it is in front of the bird’s feet or slightly higher and tell your bird to “step up.” At first the bird is not going to understand what you want it to do, so you may need to gently press your finger against the lower torso which will cause the bird’s balance to shift backwards. In most cases, the parrot will step onto your finger as you give this gentle push. Don’t forget to praise your bird enthusiastically once it has stepped up onto your finger. Continue to work with your bird by asking it to “step up” from one hand to the other several times.
What If My Bird Doesn’t Step Up?
Sometimes a parrot will cling to the perch for dear life. It would be interesting to know what is going on behind those intelligent eyes at times like these. Whatever they are thinking, here’s the best way to handle it. Continue holding your one hand in front of the bird as before, but with your other hand, you want to move behind the bird so that it looks like you are about to pick your bird up from behind. What you are doing is giving your bird a choice of stepping up to your hand or being picked up from behind (which most birds don’t like). Most of the time, the parrot will choose to willingly step up to your hand when presented with this choice. Always remember to enthusiastically praise your bird when it does the correct behavior.
Keep Practicing with Your Bird
Keep practicing step-up with your bird on a regular basis. Practice daily at first, and then do semi-regular practice sessions throughout the bird’s life to reinforce this behavior. If you practice the step-up command consistently, you will be rewarded with a more cooperative pet and who knows, it might just save its life one day. Best of luck to you and your bird as you explore further parrot training topics.
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