Teaching your parrot to react to commands is all about the right process, whether you have a hand-fed freshly weaned baby or a more mature untamed parrot. It is of course easier to teach a younger parrot than teaching an untamed bird - that said it is still necessary.

It is preferable to try and teach the parrot outside of its cage however if this is not possible you can still perform the process with your bird outside of the cage, as long as you have a large door area and you can move the perch around. With an untamed parrot, you'll find it works best to use a spare perch or a long untreated wooden dowel. Ensure the perch is appropriately sized for the size of your bird.

The command "UP" is the first behavior you should teach your parrot. Begin by placing the perch just above the parrot's feet and just below its breast while saying "Up" clearly. Then move the perch slightly towards the bird so that it will naturally step onto the perch. Once the bird steps onto the perch, reward it either with loving sweet talk or a treat..Repeat this process for 10 minutes per session with two sessions per day.

Consistency is the secret! This is the single most important factor when teaching your bird this or any other trick - fail to be consistent and you will ruin the training.

Do not allow your parrot to refuse to perform this action after it has stepped up the first time - this is very important.You want your parrot to understand that this is something it must do when requested. In return, you will provide love, attention, foods and playtime.

As your parrot becomes comfortable stepping onto the perch, you can begin shortening the distance from your hand to the parrot - slowly. Shortening the perch more than once a week can stress them and actually create a loss of the trust you've built.

Take your time and be certain your parrot is comfortable with each level. Ensure you do not rush the process. At some point, you will reach a point that the distance from your hand to the parrot on the perch is small. Once your parrot is comfortable with your hand being that close, begin the last step - offer your hand or forearm.

How long will it take to teach your parrot this command? The time it will take you to teach your bird this command depends on you, your consistency and your parrot. If the parrot has been stressed or made afraid through abuse or trauma, it can take a long time.

If you parrot was hand-fed, the entire process should take a very short time.Be sure to watch your parrot's body language for clues to the level of trust and level of comfort with the activities you are performing with it.

The parrot will generally communicate to you their comfort level using body language.

If you would like to learn more about parrot training including teaching your parrot to talk, as well solving annoying behavior problems like biting then join the Elite Parrots Club and get videos and super coaching from the experts.