Parrot Training: The First "Step"

If you've never owned a parrot before, starting the process of training your new parrot can be a bit overwhelming. It doesn't matter if you have a young bird or an older one; you can begin training right away by teaching your bird some simple behaviors. One of the best ways to get started with training your parrot is to teach it to step up to your hand on command. How the step-up command works is that your bird should step onto your hand without hesitation whenever you give it that particular command.

So why is teaching step-up important to you and your parrot? To start, removing your bird from a cage becomes much easier once it knows the step-up command. 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. Some parrots will try to bite when being removed from a shoulder, but this is less of an issue with a bird that is well-trained to step up. 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. This is why people who are experienced with parrots often recommend beginning training with teaching the bird to step up.

Let's Begin

Let's now take a look at the steps used to teach your bird to step onto your hand. You simply place your finger in front of the bird's feet and say "step up." Your parrot won't know what "step up" means at first, so you might need to press your finger gently against it's lower breast area so that it feels a little off balance. In most cases, the parrot will step onto your finger as you give this gentle push. Once the bird steps up, you should heap on lots of praise saying "good bird" or the word good followed by your bird's name. Continue to work with your bird by asking it to "step up" from one hand to the other several times.

If the Bird Clings to the Perch

There are a few particularly stubborn parrots that clamp down on the perch with their talons and hang on for dear life. What they are thinking as they do this is anyone's guess, but here is what you can do. 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. Most parrots don't like to be picked up this way, and this action gives the bird a choice of either that or stepping up to your hand. Nearly one hundred percent of the time, the bird will wisely choose to step up. Remember to praise your bird when it steps up for you.

Continuing Education

Be sure to keep up the practice with your parrot. It's a good idea to practice daily at first. But even throughout the bird's lifetime, it's a good idea to occasionally practice step-up just to reinforce the 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. And just think - you are now on the path to becoming an expert in training your parrot.