Hitting a wall with step-up

[noodlehold]

Hey there!
So for the last year or so, I've been visiting local bird shops and helping out with training and socializing their birds. I've trained a few dozen to step up over the months, but a certain GCC seems to be stuck, and I'm not sure how to help him progress.

He is very skittish, but understands the step-up trick, and will do so as long as I remind him by luring him with a target stick or flashing the treat to him. But he is VERY nervous while stepping up, and will immediately step off after about a second or two. I'm not sure how to keep him on my hand for longer, as that would be the next step to his stepup training.

For all birds, I always keep my hand stationary, even bracing it against their perch so they know it won't move anywhere. And I only move on to bringing them away from the perch once they're completely relaxed while on my finger. But none of that matters for this GCC it seems. No matter how many times he's stepped up, he doesn't seem to become any more relaxed on the next step up. And he's had a few dozen training sessions over the last few months.

I don't want to have to bring my hand away to keep him perched on me, as I assume that will just make him more hesitant to step up in the future. If I try to delay my treat slightly to make him stay on my finger for longer, he gives up immediately and usually won't even try stepping up again for the next few minutes.

He's a cute bird, and many customers love his play-dead trick he can do on command that I taught him after catching him rolling on his back a few times, and capturing the behavior. But I fear he'll never find a loving home if I can't teach him to step up properly. Does anyone have any ideas on how to teach him to stay on my finger for longer?

 

[noodlehold]

Forgot to add, I've tried having him step up to my arm while it's braced against the perch, and he's much less nervous about stepping up onto my arm. Then I use the target stick to lure him closer and closer to my hand on each repetition. This seems to get me the closest thing to results as far as desensetizing him to stepping on my hand. But it still is very slow going over many months of doing this, and he still seems just as skittish as he was the first day he started stepping up.

 

[Peachfaced]

I use a spare perch instead of my hand, because Rupert still is leary of hands (less so now but he will consistently step up for a perch). I extend the time by talking to him and giving praise. Once your bird is familiar with the concept and the time spent on the perch you hold, alternate perches. Have him step from one perch to the other, and give extra treats for him hanging out on it for a bit.

 

[Peachfaced]

That way, it’s not just “oh this particular perch is safe”, you introduce that step up means I get treats no matter what the perch looks like.

 

[noodlehold]

I use a spare perch instead of my hand, because Rupert still is leary of hands (less so now but he will consistently step up for a perch). I extend the time by talking to him and giving praise. Once your bird is familiar with the concept and the time spent on the perch you hold, alternate perches. Have him step from one perch to the other, and give extra treats for him hanging out on it for a bit.

Oh I see, that's a good idea. I can get him to understand the concept of extending the time on my hand by first doing it on a perch. I suppose I could even use my arm instead of a perch since he's fine hanging out on my arm for longer periods of time.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Congratulations! Each bird is an individual and some need more time . This one may have a little fear of hands I try and not put time lines , and just let them guide me when they are ready for more .

 

[noodlehold]

Congratulations! Each bird is an individual and some need more time . This one may have a little fear of hands I try and not put time lines , and just let them guide me when they are ready for more .

Definitely true! This bird actually had a sibling in a neighboring cage when I first started interacting with him. They were both untame and would hide in the back of their cages when people were near. I had to slowly work with them until they would take treats from my hands. I learned pretty quickly that his sibling was the brave one. Sure enough, after a few training sessions, he would eagerly hop to my hand when I offered a step-up, just for the sake of getting to hang out! And of course, he sold within a week of "coming out of his shell". Always a bit sad to see them go, but they went to a good home. It's been about 2 months since his sibling left, and this poor GCC is still as skittish about stepping up as ever. But I'm excited to work with him soon and apply the new techniques.