Hi all,
Pie has always been great about "step up" regardless of where she is when I ask her too (cage, play pen, shoulder, etc), but now I'm finding I'm getting a bit of attitude about it!
Like today, I needed to get her off her one cage (where she was playing) to move her into the other one - and she just would not do it. She wasn't really being aggressive or biting, but just kept backing up and making her mad noise. I was in a huge rush to leave the house, so in the end I actually just had to scoop her up to get her off the cage - which she was super cheezed off about! I know this wasn't the best idea, but I didn't have much choice as I was trying to run out the door. Later when I got home I was trying to get her out of the cage to come out and play, but she wouldn't step up again (maybe she was just mad )
So, what is the best thing to do when my little feathered friend won't step up?
Thanks!
Brittany
PS - She said her first words today! And it was to tell me to "step up" lol. I kept asking her to step up, and she repeated it but never did step up!

Ever since my birdy started her molt she's has a little attitude about stepping also. She'll even left her foot up for you and just leave it there and just stare at you.

I just have to play it day by day. She has her good days and bad.

Congrats on the first word!

Food. Clyde does that when he's on the budgies' cage, where he is not supposed to be. I have a plastic thing I put on top of their cage that he's afraid of, that keeps him off of it, but if I forget to put the thing up there, that's the first place he goes when he gets out. Then he refuses to step up so I can move him off of it. However, if I get a pumpkin seed, he'll step up for that.

Thats what Pie does in her cage too, she puts the one foot up - but doesn't even put weight on it, just kind of "holds" my finger lol, but if I try to lift up, off goes the foot! lol

Frost has always considered step up optional. If she isn't in the mood she hunkers down and glares at me.

JoJo can be ike that too. I guess it is just part of having or rather being owned by a quaker

To tell ya the truth..in our house the birds are not given a choice when it comes to step-ups.If Dodger hunkers down and gives me that 'try and make me' look..I do just that..make him lol He is asked "step up' a couple times..each time with a firmer voice and if he still refuses, i grab him in the 'baseball' hold and pry his little feet from the cage or perch.Most times after a second stern "STEP UP" he usually does.He really hates to be pried off
The macaws are toweled and then pried from the perch when they refuse a couple step ups. The NEVER step up from inside the cage...i NEVER try because..well...i like having fingers But usually step up from the door.Sometimes Sebastion will climb to the top and thats when the towel comes out.He dislikes being taken from his playstand as well and sometimes has to be toweled Although lately when he sees the towel..out goes the foot and he starts saying "STEP UP" Shelby is pretty docile and will step up 98% of the time (just don't pet her much)
I think its important to make them...or they will soon figure out that they can do it only when they want too.Reinforce your step-ups with the laddering often to help teach them that you are top bird.We do step-up laddering every evening.Dodger will voice his disgust with this exercise the entire time (expcially after 3-4 times) but we still keep at it.Offering a treat after 10 minutes or so.
My understanding of having birds (expecially big ones) is that its important that you establish yourself as the boss as soon as possible..otherwise they will bully you and try to establish themselves as top bird in the flock.All three birds say "mom's the boss" lol and often times hubby has to have me get the birds back in cages, which is a huge difference from the first few months with the macaws.I was afraid of their bites and the knew it.Now they know moms gonna win the battle the easy way or the hard way. Now to teach that one to the hubby

My Buddy steps up 100% of the time. Jade on the other hand is hit and miss. She never learned it until a month or so ago and she is 3. When she is not in the mood, she latches on with both feet and her beak too. Its kinda funny, she will grab a cage bar in her mouth, but follow me with her eyes. she knows she's being a stinker. I find if I walk away and ignore her, she will usually change her mind in a minute or two as she doesn't want to be left behind and ignored. I should be a little more firm about it, but she was so neglected before I got her, I want her to want to do it, not be forced inrto anything. She was never out of her cage for her whole life of 3 years, so she really has come lightyears.
She doesn't have a problem with telling me to "step up" though.

Bhurji is moody about it. Most of the time i dont have to say STep up, just hold out my arm and he comes. But when he is on top of his cage, he does not want to come sometimes, so I actually hold a towel behind him. He has two options. Be picked up or step up. He chooses the latter!

We were trying to leave this afternoon because our band had two gigs, one in the afternoon and one this evening. Jade went into her cage fairly easily, though she raised Cain about it, but after Clyde saw us put her in, he decided he would NOT step up because he knew I'd put his little behind in the cage. He did the thing with putting one foot on my finger and just holding it. Stinker. I kept trying and saying, "Come on, Mommy and Daddy have to go" and finally he did it. I don't make them do things if I can help it. I don't care if they think they're the boss. Usually they can be persuaded to cooperate if I'm patient. He did say, plaintively, "pretty birrrrrrrrrd???" when I finally got him in the cage. He knows that makes me feel guilty for locking him up.

racal will not step up he will say come on step up and then grab his cage with his beak and laydown and look at me like you step up no matter where or how i do it or say it unless he's on the floor then he will step up and look at me like i am supposed to praise him which i do but it's not the best way to things he will however get on my shoulder he has a real aversion to hands I and only I can touch him no one else and i can only do that because i have worked with him