# Problem with stepping up



## ilovetiels (Jul 31, 2008)

Hi everyone! I'm having a bit of a problem with my cockatiel Saffron stepping up. It's not that he won't - he's pretty much tame, he doesn't bite at all and loves his scritches but there's just one thing. He won't step up inside his cage. Don't get me wrong, he steps up no problem whatsoever - once he's out of his cage. I don't even need to give the up command. (I do try to every time though) He'll just try to hop on if my finger is anywhere near him, lifting his little foot up before I even say anything.
Inside the cage is a different matter. No matter how many times I put my finger in front of him and give the up command, he just climbs away from me and doesn't want to have anything to do with it. Once I open his cage door for out time, the only way to get him out is to turn away, completely ignoring him til he gets out or onto the door frame, then he'll step up. He won't come out if you're looking. 
Do you think it might be because of the way I trained him? I think I sort of did it in reverse - letting him come out of the cage to let him know that hands meant good things, (you know, from opening the door and feeding treats) then my boyfriend somehow got him to accept scritches and from then on, step up was easy.
Any ideas on how to get him stepping up inside the cage? Or should I just leave things as is? Any opinions are welcome. Thanks!!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Have you tried offering treats when he steps up inside the cage? You could even bait him a bit by holding the treat on the other side of the hand you want him to step on. So that he pretty much needs to step up to get the treat. Then offer lots of praise. May be it would help!


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

mine loves my writs bands  once knows she is coming out she clibs my arm to get to the door  

she find it hard out side she gets up on my sholder and thats it coming down is tricky lol, i have a clicker do you think that would work or scare her, shoukd use a prise word and treat ? 

sorry for taking over the thread


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I have one tiel, Snickers, who i have to chase around the cage a little before he'll step up. But he's a bit of a rebel out of the cage too.  I think sweetrsue has the right idea with treats, i'm not sure if you've tried using bribes before?


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## thecrabbykeet (Mar 24, 2008)

Mister and Tara refuse to step up while in the cage, once out of the cage and on the top, Tara will step up but you have to kind of chase Mister around a bit. I've begun clicker training with Mister mainly (tara is slowly following behind). I'll clicker for him to step up while offering a treat as he is in the cage even if he just puts one foot on me, I'll let him have his cherrio. Occasionally, I'll do it without the treat now, and he is slowly learning that it's actually the click he is responding to, not just the treat. The clicker has done us wonders with Mister and Tara. Good luck!


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would try and use some millet as a bribe as well


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

ok tyred clicker training not working, she lives on my shoulder eating my hair my clothes and glases, i am starting to feel veyr down hearted now 

i did the clcikcer thing but she saw where hid the milet and went for my hand, not to bite but to get the milet i have been told if i dont keep handling her she become untame with a day, i really dont wnat this but i cnt have a naughty bird either


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## Plukie (Aug 26, 2007)

Elijafan...........slow down!!!! You have not had her long enough to gain her trust completely yet. It takes time.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Don't be discouraged you have to remember you just got her and she is young, clicker training can take weeks and sometimes it just doesn't work, I don't know where you got the information that if you don't keep handling her she will become untame within a day thats not true, I will give you an example my Georgie who I have had over a year prefers to go solo she doesn't like the other tiels and would prefer to just be left alone and I respect that because I know her and how she works, I open the cage everyday and leave it open Ollie comes right out to me, but Georgie prefers to stay in she will come out on her own and other times she just sits in her cage, she is not big at hanging out with us humans but she will do it when she feels like it, if she is out and I need her to step up she will do it so I wouldn't say she is untame because she is not handled constantly like Ollie is she just doesn't like to hang out as much with me but we still have a mutual respect if that makes sense to you. 
If she is eating your clothes and glasses I would not allow her on your shoulder find other places for her to hang out your chest on your finger, put her on your knee etc... she is just doing what babies do exporing and pecking at everything its up to you to correct it and stop the bad behaviour before it gets out of hand everytime she goes up to your shoulder and tries to eat your glasses say no and remove her it will take time but eventually she will get that its not allowed.


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

thanks 

i just feel like i am goign backwards not fawrds,i knwo i havent had her that long i am trying to give her space znd time to get ust to me, tonight she doesnt want o come out and is making like pig noises at me,


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

If she doesn't want to come just sit by her cage and talk to her quietly she is probably still scared she just came away from the only home she knew and she was with other tiels and is now alone with strangers give her a couple days to settle in I am sure she will come around, sometimes tiels are just funny little things with different personalities that can turn in a instant my Ollie is the biggest suck out of all my tiels he kisses me begs for scratches wants to always be with me, but he is also my biggest bully and can turn on you in an instant when he gets in a mood.
Just look at it like you would do with your own child when there learning to walk and exploring and getting into everything tiels are much like little children your constantly telling them no when they get into things they shouldn't but you keep correcting them they eventually grow older and hopefully wiser


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

yeha thats true, she just seems to have changed, she now never stops eating and make noises at me when i go near her, i know she is a baby but i bought her tame i supose tame is difrent to bonded right


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

yes is it bonding will take time, as hard as it is don't let her intimidate you birds are great at picking up on when someone is not so sure of them when you go near her just talk to her and let her know everything is ok so she can build that trust with you, at work we have two cockatiels that are just wild not tame at all everyone is afraid of them because they freak out and bite when anyone goes near, so in I went...lol I got a towel and took them out one at time held them in the towel while they tried to bite me and talked to them calmly let them know everything would be alright and I wouldn't hurt them I slowly let them out of the towel and they flew down to the floor I put my finger out and surprisingly she stepped up on my finger and sat there for a good five minutes no fighting biting or struggles, it just took time and patience.
Don't get discouraged you will build a bond with your tiel it will probably happen sooner then you think and you will look back at this and think what was I worried about


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

yeha yours probs right, i put her back in her cage but ave since given her millet and she did step up, still making a noise, i was told to get her out again if she bites and i put her back in i will scare her? i have not ignored her and have given her millet she ate it fine stepped up, played with my wrist bands, 

did i do the right thing putting her back, as i was just to nervous to keep her out, i am being told i will make her worse keeping her in ?


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

If your nervous keeping her out which your going to have to quickly get over or it will just get worse, have you tried just letting her sit on her cage and observe whats going on around her? You don't always have to be holding her I just open the door to the cage and let mine come out on there own I don't always go over and pick them up and take them out I give them the choice a lot of times they just want to be out but sit and do there own thing under supervision of course, maybe you could invest in finding a playgym for her so that she can sit on it and entertain herself but still be with you, you could try a window perch that you attach to a window mine love to sit on the perch and look out the back door to see whats going on.


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

yes i have a stand  i put her on it and she optionally fly to my shoulder, sits up ther a tweets, she was trying to wolf whistle today, then she makes the noise 

but when i go to get her donw thats when i get her backing off, maybe if i just not move my hand, its only on my shoulder she doesnt step up from most other places she is fine .


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

If she is not stepping up from your shoulder then do not allow her there at all till she is more bonded to you and will do as asked, have you thought about clipping her wings sometimes it helps with the training process, I know you call her a she, is she dna'd or just guessing if she is trying to wolf whistle you could very well have a he there.


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

would that make a difference ? i mean being boy or girl mood wise ? the breeder told me she was a she and her beack is peachy pink, omg there not budgies are they 

where do i get her wing clipped ? and how do i stop her going up to my shoulder if she flies up there from where ever i put her, and then wont come down,i say no but when i ty and move her she backs off until my finger are inline with her back


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