# Problem getting cockatiel back into the cage



## mannycool

my cockatiel knows the step up( not 100%), when i let he/she out he/she flies around but when it's time to go back in, as i get close to the he/she starts looking at the ground and the cage then hiss a little bit and flies away. i'm sometimes able to get him/her on top of the cage but at this point he/she does not listen and the step -up. how can i stop this??. (sorry for the long post x)


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## Bird Junky

Hi The step-up will improve if you give a treat every time. Don't let the birds out until
step-up is 100%. That way you will have no trouble....B.J.


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## mannycool

thanks, i'll keep working on it


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## CaitlinT

My bird, Lunar, used to do this like crazy. He had wonderful recall training and and learnt spin and wave but when it came to going bad in the cage every time I got him near it he would fly away, I got so frustrated!

I've found giving them a treat such as a sunflower seed or some millet when they go back in helped me hugely, this was paired with numerous attempts along with my my routine though, so I can't tell you how much it works alone. Here's some other ideas and things I did:
- Maybe start work inside the cage, pick up your bird, put them down, reward. Let them understand that being put down inside the cage gives them food and strengthen their step-up.
- When they're out of the cage and go in all by themselves, reward them but don't put them away - make going in the cage be about food, not getting shut in. 
- Spend a time putting your bird in the cage, reward, leave a while and let them out again. Your bird might be worried about the time you leave him/her alone, being trapped in without anyone around can be upsetting, if being put back in the cage is linked with you going away then of coarse s/he won't want to go!
Doing this simple exercise can help remove the anxiety. Spend a spare day doing it, put them in the cage and go away, leave them for 5mins, come back let them out for say 20mins, get them back in, leave them them 10mins, let them out for 20 and so on till you end up leaving them for an hour. 
- During their outside time if they go in, reward them, shut them in, leave for a short time, let them out.

I'm not suggesting all this will work, I tried numerous variations of these steps together along with training a food routine and now have birds who go inside the cage whenever I ask. It can be a long slog but man handling them but in or using nets just makes it difficult - trust me as soon as I stopped grabbing Lunar and starting really trying with him it all got much better.


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## mannycool

omg, thanks for your help, she is finally in, i did what u said (kinda) but she's finally in after 2.5 hours of waiting(nightmare), i'll keep working on it and hopefully 2.5 hours turns into 2.5 seconds


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## lperry82

The best way i have learned to put them to bed is turning my lights off and put a lamp on and they will go to bed themselves sometimes, if it don't work i will turn the lights out and ask them to step up and put in the cage.

They know how to step up fine but putting them to bed is like dealing with toddlers lol


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## sunnysmom

Also try to spend time with your tiel when she is in the cage. You don't want her to associate cage with your going away. And treats help. The only time my tiel gets millet spray is when he's in his cage. So its a reward for going in his cage. Also, I've found a set routine helps. My tiel and I have a regular night time routine and part of it involves me sitting by his cage until he settles down and is ready to sleep. He knows I'm not going to just put him in and leave him so he doesn't have a problem with it. I actually almost never put him physically in his cage. I've worked with him so he goes back in on his own and is generally very good about it.


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## mannycool

haha!!, they really are like toddlers


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## cheery

Before Beauty died he would go back to his cage of his own accord when he was tired or hungry. If he was still in the lounge at bedtime I would say 'Bedtime' and he would jump off the sofa and walk into the kitchen and climb up the ladder. 

If he was already in his cage at bedtime when you put the kitchen light on to go upstairs (we had under cupboard lights on always) he knew you were going to bed and climbed out of his cage and stood on top. Sarah said he was coming out to guard us!

One of my son's friends stayed on the sofa one night and we didn't know. I came down in the morning to find Beauty sat next to the sofa staring up at this lad as if to say 

'What are you doing in my house?'

I think I need another bird!


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