Fake step up

[Tishrei]

Ducky really and truly cracks me up. He knows that when I say "step up" it's a command and not open for negotiation. So this is what he does when he really doesn't want me bugging him and wants to be left alone. He just did that a few minutes ago.

I'll say "step up" and he'll lift his leg and place his foot on my finger but won't step up. I guess he figures he's obeying my command by placing his foot on my finger -- his foot stepped on my finger but not the rest of him. So I said it again and again, he place his foot on my finger and left it there but did not actually step up. I couldn't help it -- I let him get away with it so I just left him alone like he wanted. I'm such a pushover for his cuteness.

Anybody else's bird try and do a "fake out?"

[jenseits]

Yep, Stewie does that all the time. He knows he gets treats for stepping up, but often he just puts one foot on my arm and then leans really far forward and snatches his treat, all without his other foot having let go of whatever he was on. I call him a big cheater and laugh.

[ROYJOY]

tiki sometimes confuses step, up with shake hands, which both require putting feet on fingers. in the end he knows both will get him a treat.

[jenseits]

Originally Posted by ROYJOY

tiki sometimes confuses step, up with shake hands, which both require putting feet on fingers. in the end he knows both will get him a treat.

Hey, cool. Now I can say Stewie knows another trick. When he does his fake step-up I'll just pretend he's shaking hands!

[gbird]

Pita just runs to the back of the cage where I can't reach him. So I do the big fake out, and say OK, see ya...and walk away. He screams, comes to the front of the cage, then as soon as I put my finger out, he runs back again. Mind you, this is all being done on top of his cage, not inside.

[Amazonwar9]

my budgie revi does the fake step up. it's so cute she puts her one little foot very firmly on my finger and then stares intently at me...i wonder what she's thinking. i just give a very slight upward motion with my hand and she finishes.