How to Teach Parrots to Step On a Hand

Most parrots and other pet birds willingly step up onto your hand or arm if you offer it to them. However, if you have a baby parrot or a parrot that is reluctant to step onto your hand, you have to teach it to do so. The step-up command is not only useful, but it is a necessary way to assert gentle, loving dominance over your parrot.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Place the lower half of your arm in front of, and within an easy step of the parrot's feet. Until your parrot is comfortable stepping onto your arm, do not try to get it to step onto your hand. If you reach your finger or hand out in front of the parrot and it doesn't understand what you want, it might bite.

2. Decide on a verbal command and consistently use it every time you ask your parrot to step onto your arm or hand. Most people use "step-up" but you can use anything you want.

3. Hold a treat in your other hand, while your arm is extended in front of the parrot. Place the treat on the other side of the arm you want the parrot the step on so it has to step onto your arm to reach the treat. Say your verbal command. If the parrot steps onto your arm, praise it and give it the treat.

4. Push your extended arm gently into the parrot's chest to knock it slightly off balance backwards if it does not step onto your chest. To prevent falling over, she steps onto your arm. Give tha parrot the treat immediately and say "Good girl or good boy".

5. Offer your hand for your parrot to step up onto after it is already on your arm. Give it the verbal command while your hand is in front of its chest. Push into the chest lightly with your hand if it does not step up. Reward with praise and a treat after it has stepped onto your hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Some birds can become territorial of their cage and become agitated or bite when you reach your hand into their cage. Teaching the step-up command and using it every time you reach into the cage can prevent your parrot from getting territorial.
• Every time your parrot steps onto your arm of hand should be a positive experience. When you are first teaching your parrot to step up, use treats as a reinforcement every time. As the parrot gets more comfortable with step-up, treats to not necessarily have to be given each time, but being on your hand or arm should be a positive experience.
• If your parrot has already become territorial with his cage, hold your step up training out of the cage in a secure place. If biting is still a problem when training, start the step-up training with a stick before offering your arm.