Pet Information > ASK Experts > Pet Birds > Parrots > Roger Steps up!

Roger Steps up!

23 10:06:55

Question
QUESTION: ROGER, my cockatiel, finnaly learned how to step up from inside his cage! and when i take him out the cage when he is still on my finger, he goes up on the top of the cage and just stays there. if i wanna get him to step up from there, he walks the other direction. over and over until i have to lure him with a treat so he steps up and gets it and bring him to the cage. So would you guys agree that he trusts me now? and that the next step is to get him to step up and go back in its cage without the lure or what?

ANSWER: Oh wow you guys are doing very well together. He does trust you and you have made awesome progress! I think you should continue to lure him with a treat and eventually he will not need the treat and only your praise. Do you mind if I put you on my testimonials page? Would you mind writing me a little thing about you experience, this will be for my behavior section of my website, not for allexperts.com.

Thank you and I think you and Roger are going to have a long happy life together!
Jen

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: No i do not mind at all. in your next answer. PLEASE include what you want me to put in my testimonial and where i should send it to you. i hope luring him wont give him the habit of "show me the treat first or i wont come". but i will try as you said. After the teaching him how to go back to the cage on cue and when to come out. what should i be our next step? you have been really helpful to me and i could have never made it without you. ThankS!

ANSWER: You are more than welcome to just reply to this answer or you can send it to my email. My contacts are located on my website:
www.thebirdnerdsrescue.com
Thank you so much!

I don't think that this will form a habit as you said. I work at the local zoo and a lot of time with the trainers and food is the #1 thing they use to encourage a behavior. You will praise them each time with the food as well and eventually they will learn to do it with out a treat and instead just a verbal praise.

After you have trained him to do go in and out of the cage on cue, the sky is the limit really. You can work on trick training, you can do anything you want really. Or you can just continue to do the things you have been doing and just love on him as a bird. It really depends on how much training you want to do with him. The most important commands are the step up commands so now that you have those almost down your basic training is almost done. :)

I have enjoyed guiding you along with Roger and I would be happy to answer any future questions.

Thank you again,
Jen

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Okay you would like me to just write about what roger was in the beginning and how he is now? i cant believe my eyes! today i wake up at 9:15, roger steps up on my finger, I DECIDE to put him on the top of the cage. he runs a little for about 10 seconds when i approach. then suddenly, i put my hand out he steps up. i do the process again about 5times and he steps up without running or anything! and one thing thats telling me he might be sick . :( at first, he would let me give him headsratches by getting it and running away a little bit. now today when he was on top of the cage, i gave him head to body sratch about 5times then i made him step up again. and guess what!? there was no problem! i AM SO happy! and this will be my biggest testimony yet! Reply as soon as possible, Alvin

Answer
I am so happy that he is doing so well for you! That is so great!!! Sure, you can talk about how he was in the beginning and how he is now and pretty much just what you though of my answers/help, how did my training techniques help you and such :)

Again, I am so happy for you ad Roger and thank you!
Jen