My cockatoo, Bugsy, whom I got four years ago from a breeder who felt he had pet quality, is very loving but will come off his cage only on his own accord. He came with a big manzanita stick and supposedly the people that had him before attempted to stick train him, and he is terrified of it. He will not step up onto my arm. He will come down from his cage, walk across the living room, and cuddle with me. How do I get him to step up onto my arm, or a perch, and step back onto his cage? I've tried and he just runs.

-- Cheryl Nelson, cheryl.l.nelson@ssa.gov

YOUR ANSWER is actually right inside your own question. You say that he will step up and cuddle away from his cage when he comes to you. You should begin your training in a neutral environment where you are the most positive factor in the equation. Considering that the bird came with a "big manzanita stick," I'd guess that he seldom got much quality time away from his cage. Add to this the fact that he gets food, water, and comfort in his cage, it's no real surprise that he doesn't leave it willingly. The other factor that could be at play here is that very frequently when a bird is picked up off of its cage, it means that they are going to be locked up and most want to avoid that.

You need to get him away from the cage - to another room where he can't even see it would be best - and work on training him to step up on cue. If he likes a scratch on the head best (and cockatoos frequently do) you'll use that as a reward. (Or sunflower seed or peanut piece, if he prefers.) You'll ask him to step up (which I am guessing he does willingly when not near his cage) and when he does, you'll give him a quick scratch or treat and set him back down immediately. Then you should ask him to step up, reward him, and put him back down again. Quick repetition builds up confidence fast, so pick him up and set him down without too much time in between. However, the session shouldn't outlast his attention span.

Once he is stepping up without fail in your training area, then you can move toward his cage until finally you are doing reps on and off your hand from his cage. One other thing that I would suggest is to stop giving him attention when he is sitting on top of the cage. If you think he is just too cute and needs a little tickle under his crest, make him step up to get it. If he decides not to, the consequence is that he loses the opportunity for some good cuddle time. Eventually he'll learn that the really good head scratches come only when he is on your hand - and he'll be a lot more willing to step up in order to get them. Also, make sure that he doesn't get locked up every time you pick him up. Cuddle him and set him back on top. This way he'll learn that stepping up doesn't necessarily mean he's getting put up.

I've condensed a lot of steps into a short tutorial, but I hope that it will help you to begin to build a new relationship with your bird. Whether you choose to use the stick or your hand, the steps would be the same. The stick can be a valuable tool - it sure hurts a lot less if it gets bitten instead of you! But if the bird is not aggressive, I see no reason to use a stick in the first place. If you do, don't let it become a crutch.

ParrotChronicles.com

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