Ducorp Wont Come Out

[miraent]

Hi MY NAME IS MIKE
I HAVE A NEW DUCORP COCKATOO NAMED ALEX. HES BEEN HOME FOR ABOUT A WEEK. HES ABOUT 7 MONTHS OLD.
WHEN HE FIRST CAME HOME HE WOULD EASILY COME OUT OF HIS CAGE AND STEP UP ON OUR HANDS. NOW SUDDENLY THE LAST FEW DAYS HE DOSENT WANT TO COME OUT OF HIS CAGE OR GET ON OUR HANDS. HE WILL CUDDLE AGAINST OUR HANDS IN HIS CAGE BUT WONT STEP UP. HE ALSO HANGS ON TO THE CAGE FOR DEAR LIFE IF WE TRY TO PICK HIM UP. I DONT WANT TO SCARE HIM SO I TRY TO AVOID THE PICKING UP ACTION. HE' LL COME RIGHT OVER AND EVEN SNUGGLE AGAINST MY CHEEK. HES VERY AFFECTIONATE JUST DOSENT WANT TO COME OUT AND WHEN OUT ON HIS PLAY PEN HE EASILY STEPS UP AND DOWN BOBS HIS HEAD FLAPS HIS WINGS AND GENERALLY ACTS VERY HAPPY. SOMETIMES WHEN PUTTING HIM BACK IN HIS CAGE HE WILL GRAB THE OUT SIDE BARS AND CLIMB UP TOP AND THN ITS BACK TO NOT STEPING UP AGAIN. HE ALSO BECOMES A GREAT BIG WHINNER IN THE EVENINGS WHILE PUTTING ON THIS CHERADE.
PLENTY OF TOYS PLENTY OF SPACE WE DO HAVE A DOG WHO TAKES INTREST IN ALEX BUT HAS NEVER BEEN AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS HIM AND WE ALSO HAVE AN ILLIGERS MACAW NER BY WHOM IS VERY QUIET AND HASNT YET HAD ANY CONTACT WITH ALEX. WHAT SHOULD I DO???

[cbalvino]

time,my cag did the same thing,it came out at 1st,then wouldn't,then the climb the cage,keep offering,be patient,he'll come around

[grandma]

Try just leaving his cage open all the time. Is it noisy in the room? How many other people are around? Should be a quiet and calm environment. Sit a few feet from his cage and just talk to him.

[FeathersNFur8]

WE DO HAVE A DOG WHO TAKES INTREST IN ALEX BUT HAS NEVER BEEN AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS HIM

Is it possible he's bothered by the dog? Whether the dog is aggressive really doesn't matter to a prey animal, they can still worry just from seeing them in their safe space.

Edited to add; Sorry, I didn't realize I was posting a response in the expert section.

[KimBear]

This sort of thing is often just a matter of giving the bird some basic training so he learns what you expect of him and is able to gain confidence and trust. Not wanting to come out is most likely from being unsure of what's going to happen and maybe also a little insecurity about his new home overall. Even though your cockatoo would probably get over this to some extent on his own, it's better to help him along.

There are several levels at which you can work with your bird, the first one (and the least "intrusive") being him in his cage and you sitting or standing near him. Since he's already fine interacting with you this way, he needs to have confidence getting out of the cage so you can progress. You've mentioned that once he is out he's pretty much okay as well. So something about that initial stepping up and coming out has him nervous or upset. He needs to have some trust that getting onto your hand will lead to only good things, and that there's no harm in being led away from the cage.

Two options on how you can go about teaching him that stepping up anytime you ask (not just when he wants to) is a good thing: One is to get him out with as little trauma as possible and work with him away from his cage. You would do step up drills using lots of praise and maybe food treats to show him that when he complies, he gets something good. You could also do "in and out" drills: Take the bird out, give him a treat, let him settle down, then put him back in and give him a treat. Wait a few minutes then repeat the process.

The downside to these two activities is that if you are having trouble getting him out in the first place, the whole act of taking him to another room and/or taking him in and out several times in a row may freak him out. Sometimes a stressed out bird doesn't focus well on the task you want him to work on. Plus it's best to minimize fear if you can help it just from a standpoint of building trust.

The other approach, which may be less antagonizing to the bird, is to do most of your drilling when the bird is in his cage. Then you work towards getting him closer to the door, out the door and so on. This happens in stages so that eventually he learns to step up and stay on your hand. Treats and rewards still apply, of course.

At first you may end up settling for just a finger or two under his toes while he's clinging to the sides of the cage, but as long as he's touching your hand, it's a start. Baby steps!

The disadvantage of this method is that it may not be as physically easy for you to stand there with your hand in the cage for long periods of time. It is also fairly time consuming and not everyone has lots of patience to do things in such a step-by-step manner. If you're the type of person that gets easily frustrated if things don't move as quickly as you would like, it may be a challenge for you to go this route. This is usually the approach I recommend but obviously circumstances will vary so I can't say which one would be best for you without talking to you.

By the way, a little "netiquette" lesson: When you type in all caps, it's considered yelling. I know you weren't in that state-of-mind so be sure to turn off your "caps lock" button.

[TooLover]

Thanks Kim for the great advise, as always!!!!