Stepping up

[tawny30]

hey there guys..it is the red lored lady again!
I don't know how many here have red lored amazons...and I have been told they are very different then other amazons in temperment BUT.
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how I can get Laura to "step up"
She has gotten on me four times but it was always her idea. She shimmied but to my shoulder like she owned the joint then nested against my cheek.
Since the second day I had her I could scratch her neck and she grooms me also..Her beak touches have ALWAYS been gentle...she has never bitten me or my husband who she also lets scratch her (though with him it is on and off..she is definitely mine)
I say she though we have no idea for sure..She has an appointment at the vet on tuesday to make sure she is in perfect health and I plan to ask if he good do a DNA gender test since hormones seem to play a huge role for amazons and knowing if they are male or female seems to be important.
I have taken her OUT of her cage twice..Once to take her from the TINY cage they had her in and put her in a new BIG one. I tried to let her do this herself but to no avail. She loved her new house right away.
and once to bring her to have her nails clipped..they were SOO LONG I was afraid to do it myself especially since I didn't know her well when we went.

Both times I used a perch to get her out and she didn't seem to like that at all.
She often puts one foot up on me but doesn't put on the other..but our vet visit is a few days away and she will need to come out for that and seems scared of the perch method.

I am really a chicken and having never been bitten by a LARGE bird..a bit nervous and if I can avoid a bite I will
I really have NO reason to think she will bite me even if I pluck her from the perch but I thought I would ask for pointers here first to see what everyone thinks :)

[PowerBBS]

I found this online - maybe it'll help????? It follows closely on how we've gotten all our birds to learn the basic "trick" - step up.
---------------------------------------

General Tips

• Practice in short, frequent sessions
• Use lots of positive reinforcement; never hit or scream at your bird.
• Always end your training session on a positive note -- if your bird is struggling wait for a successful try, reward your bird lavishly, and move on to something else.
• Once your bird has some practice, have all members of the family practice "step up" with your bird.
• Once your bird has mastered the step up skill, practicing the step up in a relaxed and fun way is an excellent way to give lots of positive attention to your bird.

Teaching your Bird to Step Up

Choose the command you will use. It doesn’t matter what word or phrase you use, but you must be consistent. Many owners just use “step up” or “up,” but you might prefer “come here,” “let’s go,” or something else.

1. If your bird is not receptive, start training in a room out of sight of your bird’s cage. Less familiar surroundings are likely to improve cooperation.
2. Pick a relaxed time with no distractions – a bird that is preening or eating is not going to be very receptive to training.
3. Hold your finger (or wrist or handheld perch, whichever you are using) in front of the bird, level with the bird’s abdomen directly above the feet. Make sure you are close enough that it will be an easy step for your bird.
4. Give the step up command.
5. When your bird steps up, give him or her lots of praise (if your bird is reluctant, see the tips below). At the beginning, you can offer a favorite treat, but as your bird gets better at stepping up, decrease the frequency of treats so that eventually your bird will happily step up just for your praise.
6. You can try repeating with the other hand, and many birds will keep on going finger to finger.
7. Always end a training session on a positive note. If things aren’t going well, try to get one good success, give lots of praise, then stop for that session.
8. Once your bird is doing well, you can move closer to the cage, eventually training the bird to step up from the top of the cage and then from inside the cage.

Potential Problems

Biting: your bird may put his/her beak on your finger, so don’t be startled. Birds naturally check the stability of new perches by testing them with their beaks and if you don’t allow this they may not be willing to step onto your finger. If your bird does bite, though, don’t shout or pull back; in a firm, deep voice say “no” and push your finger toward your bird. If your bird persists in trying to bite, use a hand held perch at first (don’t use gloves).

Not Stepping Up: if your bird is reluctant to step up, be patient at first as your bird may just be very unsure if you are a safe perch. After a while, very gently nudging the birds abdomen with your finger (or the handheld perch) may help get the bird to make that first step.

Running for Your Shoulder: try not to let you bird run up your arm once he or she has stepped onto your hand. If your bird does this, block him/her but putting your free hand in the way, and give the step up command again to get the bird onto your hand instead. Repeat as necessary, and if your bird is persistent, end the session with a good step up and try again later.

[tawny30]

Thanks so much Power :)
I do really think she is just scared because she is a clutz but I will add some of these great tips to the training sessions :)