If you’ve never owned a parrot before, starting the process of training your new parrot can be a bit overwhelming. You can start by teaching your bird a few basics, and this is true whether your pet has been with you a few days or a few years. In my opinion, one of the best things you can teach your parrot is to have a reliable step up response. How the step-up command works is that your bird should step onto your hand without hesitation whenever you give it that particular command.
You may be wondering why this is the first thing you should train your parrot to do. The main reason is that it makes it so much easier to get your bird out of its cage. Step-up also comes in handy when a parrot climbs up to your shoulder, which they sometimes do even when you try not to allow it. When being removed from a shoulder, a few parrots may attempt to bite. However, with the step-up command this becomes less of a problem. 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. In summary, teaching a parrot to step up is a great behavior to begin its training with.
Training Your Bird to Step-up is Easy
Let’s now take a look at the steps used to teach your bird to step onto your hand. You slowly place your hand so that it is in front of your bird at around the height of its feet and in a normal speaking tone, give the command to “step up.” Some parrots will step up automatically when your finger is in front of it. With others, you may need to press your finger gently into its lower abdomen area to put it off balance just a tiny bit. If you continue to press the bird gently backwards, you’ll find that it should then step up willingly to your hand. Be sure to enthusiastically praise your bird when he steps up correctly. Continue to work with your bird by asking it to “step up” from one hand to the other several times.
Troubleshooting the Step-up Command
There are a few particularly stubborn parrots that clamp down on the perch with their talons and hang on for dear life. Who knows what is going on inside their heads, but this is how you handle this situation. While continuing to hold your one hand in front of the bird, move your other hand behind the bird and hold it a few inches behind it as if you are about to pick it up from behind. What this does is it gives the parrot a choice of stepping up or being picked up from behind, something that most birds do not enjoy. 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.
It’s Important to Practice
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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