# Cockatiel Aggression Still Continues



## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

Hello everyone once again!

I know that I've made a post earlier regarding some possession/aggression regarding Enzo. However, despite trying to continually say "step-up" before I even lift my finger up towards him, his aggression continues. He still opens his beak and will fake-lunge towards any fingers that want to take him off of their my shoulder or someone else's. 

However, this aggression continues when going to have him step-up off of regular places as well. For example, sometimes he'll jump off of my finger and glide onto the table, but when anyone goes to try and have him step-up to take him into another room or such, he'll show this same aggression and will hold his beak open, lunge, and sometimes even give a warning bite.

I'm unsure what has caused him to be so nippy with all of us, and I don't understand what's causing all of this aggression towards stepping-up. At the same time, however, he rarely if at all, has any form of this aggression when being place into or being taken out of his cage. 

Also, as a side note, is it normal that sometimes when standing on my finger, he'll suddenly nip at my nails or finger a few times but then stop and lean his head down and turn it to the side? He'll also sometimes nip my finger a few times but then suddenly move on to gently bite at his own feet and then move on to start preening himself....


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## SilverSage (Oct 19, 2014)

The first thing you are describing sounds like FEAR and DEFENSIVENESS not aggression.

The other sounds like normal social preening behavior. 


Try to keep from forcing him into doing what he doesn't want to, and instead bribe him into it. 


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## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

SilverSage said:


> The first thing you are describing sounds like FEAR and DEFENSIVENESS not aggression.
> 
> The other sounds like normal social preening behavior.
> 
> ...


I'm unsure why he would be afraid though...he was hand-raised and has been with us almost three months now.


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## SilverSage (Oct 19, 2014)

Unfortunately hand raised doesn't guarantee trust. And if you have been insisting he step up when he clearly doesn't want to, you haven't been effectively building his trust in you either.

Your description of his attempts to preen you are a good sign though!

It seems like he may just have generalized insecurity rather than a fear of YOU specifically. Try to show him that he won't be forced into things he isn't comfortable with, such as going into new rooms too quickly, etc. sometimes the things that freak them out don't make much sense, but it's still important to take note of what makes them uncomfortable, and avoid those things until they can learn to feel safe. Remember, birds are prey animals, and are not domesticated. Unlike dogs and cats, they don't have thousands of years of breeding the wild instincts out of them, and also unlike digs abd cats those instincts tell them they are going to be EATEN.

Keep in mind as well that all creatures have "fight or flight" instincts. A clipped bird can't properly choose flight, so what's left? FIGHT (or in this case BITE).

True aggression would be him attacking you, not doing whatever he can to stop you from doing things to him.


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## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

SilverSage said:


> Unfortunately hand raised doesn't guarantee trust. And if you have been insisting he step up when he clearly doesn't want to, you haven't been effectively building his trust in you either.
> 
> Your description of his attempts to preen you are a good sign though!
> 
> ...


That actually makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

Is there anything else that I can do to try and help build his trust in me besides this?

And yeah, I'm aware of the fact that they scare easily at strange things sometimes. Enzo got spooked once when I tried to push open a door with the hand that he was on with my other fingers (since my other hand was full). He freaked out and fluttered onto the ground.

In cases where he gets spooked badly like that, how should I try and comfort him? I typically try to quickly pick him up and try to pet him to calm him down, but is that the best thing to do? 

Also, since you said the preening is a good sign, is it also a good sign that when he's out of his cage and I leave the room to run and grab somethings that he'll start chirping really loudly? I talk to him while I'm in the other room to try and calm/quiet him down, but that typically doesn't work. This'll also happen if I simply move out of his view too.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Just because he lunges doesn't mean he doesn't trust you. It just means he doesn't want to go back into his cage. Using millet will definitely be an advantage.


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