If you've never owned a parrot before, starting the process of training your new parrot can be a bit overwhelming. You can get started right away by teaching your parrot some basic behaviors, no matter how long you've had your bird. The step-up command is easy to teach, and it is also one of the most helpful things you can teach your parrot as well. How the step-up command works is that your bird should step onto your hand without hesitation whenever you give it that particular command.
Why is this important? The main reason is that it makes it so much easier to get your bird out of its cage. 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. Parrots sometimes will bite when you try to get them off of your shoulder. A bird that has been trained to step up will be easier to deal with in this situation. And if you ever find your bird in a dangerous situation, the step-up command could literally be a life saver. Additionally, training your parrot to step up teaches it to cooperate with you at the same time. So all in all, the step-up command is a great place to start when first beginning to train your parrot.
OK, Let's Get Started
It is generally very easy to teach a bird to step up to your hand. First, slowly move your finger so that it is in front of your bird's feet and in a regular voice say the words "step up." Remember that your bird doesn't understand our language, so it will learn what these words mean over time. For now, you can gently push your finger against your bird's lower stomach area to push it backwards just a little. If you continue to press the bird gently backwards, you'll find that it should then step up willingly to your hand. Don't forget to praise your bird enthusiastically once it has stepped up onto your finger. You can then ask your bird to step-up a few additional times, encouraging your bird to go from one hand to the other. Be sure to give the step-up command each time.
Troubleshooting the Step-up Command
Sometimes a parrot will cling to the perch for dear life. Who knows what is going on inside their heads, but this is how you handle this situation. Keep your finger in front of the feet as described above, but take your other hand and move it around behind the bird like you are going to scoop 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. Nearly one hundred percent of the time, the bird will wisely choose to step up. When your bird steps up, be sure to let it know how wonderful it is for choosing to step onto your hand.
Keep Practicing with Your Bird
Keep practicing step-up with your bird on a regular basis. It's really best to practice every day at the beginning. Even after the bird has this command down, you should reinforce the behavior with occasional practice sessions throughout its life. If more parrot owners did this, they would find that their birds would be much more cooperative with them, and even the "terrible twos" are easier on a bird and owner who have learned the step-up command together. And just think - you are now on the path to becoming an expert in training your parrot.
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