Although widely accepted as a training technique, misuse of the "Up" command can damage the relationship you have with your bird. Parrots do not understand the concept of a benevolent "boss." They do, however, understand fear and how to submit to heavy-handed or aggressive approaches used to dominate them.

"Up" is simply a cue, or signal, to the bird that you want it to step onto your hand. A more effective, obvious cue is simply to offer your hand to the bird. (Calmly offer a finger to a small bird such as a parakeet or cockatiel and your entire hand to a larger bird, such as a cockatoo or macaw.) However, if you want to use both verbal and physical cues, that's fine. It's what happens afterward that's important.

The word "up" has no meaning until it is associated with something else. Unfortunately, many people have been taught, or have come to believe, that they should use the "up" command to assert dominance.

Birds owned by these folks learn to step onto the hand to avoid something they dislike, such as being chased around the cage or floor. Unfortunately, this strategy can create a relationship built on fear, not trust.

We humans understand hierarchies because they are part of our culture. Many animals, including our pet dogs, also understand dominance-based relationships. Parrots, on the other hand, do not use physical force in the wild, so it’s a difficult concept for them to understand in captivity.

Even if you do not make your bird feel threatened, you may unwittingly enforce what is called "learned helplessness."

This term describes the actions of any living thing that realizes no matter what it does, it cannot change the outcome of the situation. It therefore submits to avoid continued pressure.

If you pressure your bird to step up, it will eventually realize it cannot escape and it will comply, although not happily. The next time it may give up a bit more quickly as it begins to realize that no matter what it does, it will not be able to change the outcome of the situation. Eventually, the bird stays with you even when it does not want to.

The better approach is to reward your bird with something positive. It could be anything the bird likes, such as a scratch on the head, verbal praise, a favorite treat. Then you can "let" the bird step onto your hand for rewards instead of "make" him perform out of fear or learned helplessness.

World-renowned animal trainer Steve Martin established one of the first free-flight bird shows in the country at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1976. His international consulting company, Natural Encounters, Inc., now helps zoos all over the world train all types of animals using positive reinforcement.

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