# Bonding With Daisy



## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Hi! So now Daisy can go on my finger, shoulder, and head! She just won't get on my finger from the cage. When i try, she hisses, gets away, or both. I have to get the stick and get her and then she will go on my finger. When i am really close to the cage with her she will fly back to it with her clipped wings. She keeps going on my head. What does that mean? And she still won't let me even touch her. If i try, she gets away. And when it kinda get later in the evning. Like around either 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm. She gets really grouchy. She starts hissing and biting a lot.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

She's really pretty Morla! I believe the standing on the head is a show of dominance. Her ruling you basically. You have made amazing progress with her. Keep at it.. remember.. baby steps. She's probably more grouchy in the evenings because she's getting ready to settle in for the night. I can imagine that some birds just do not like going to bed late. I know that if I don't have Gibbs and Hetty covered by 8:30 ish.. I get an earful!


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Awesome progress with Daisy!  Birds like heads because they are up high lol Aero always lands on my head


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I don't think the head thing is dominance with 'tiels. Heights make them feel safe. Also, hair is fun to preen and play with.


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## jessnry (Mar 26, 2011)

Heads are also an easy target to fly to  bigger landing zone than a shoulder or finger. Keeping a strict bedtime and making sure Daisy gets a solid 11-12 hours every night should help a bit with her grumpyness, though many tiels get fussy around betime!


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## chloe92us (Jul 12, 2011)

Hi Morla-- I am at the same point with Casper. I think it's because we both had to give them medicine and now they are somewhat afraid of our hands. It will take time for them to trust us. Keep doing what you're doing and she will learn that you = good, not bad. As for the getting on your head----mine both do it all the time, I just make them get off cuz I don't want poop in my hair! But they love it up there! 

Hang in there! You're doing everything right. The fact that she will sit on your shoulder and head and finger out of the cage shows that she's tame. Just keep working with her and she will trust you in no time.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Sounds like good progress...check out lperry's sticky about training, there's a trust exercise at the end of the first post that should help a lot with their fear of hands.


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## jeme (Jan 19, 2010)

Sounds and looks like she's doing great! 

I agree, the head thing is more about being up high than about being dominant. She's still getting used to you and her new environment, so she probably wants to be able to keep an eye on things.

She's really looking healthy and beautiful.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I am sure I read that somewhere about the standing on the head. If you think about it.. higher up yes.. they enjoy high places because they are safe and they can watch everything below them. It is a place of control. I might have worded it wrong ... But it is still a place of being dominant. It definitely wasn't meant in a bad way if that's how I came across. Let's face it.. our birds have a very dominating factor in our lives.


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Thanks! I will keep working with her every day! I am just dieing to pet her! :wacko:


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## katew (Sep 6, 2011)

Wow Morla you're going great guns!
I wish my IRN would come to me.
Have you tried opening her cage and holding a favourite treat so far away that she has to step up on your other hand to reach it?


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

I haven't tried that yet but she just is so araind when it is in the cage she won't go near my hand. Her favorite food is probably sunflower seeds.


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## Kikode (Aug 17, 2011)

Ok this may help with Larry from the moment I owned him he knew how to step up on my hand. And I could pull him out of the cage no problem but after he realized the cage was his home he was very territorial and mean but only when in cage like your Daisy. 

What I did was Put the Ladder hanging from the Cage door So he can actually step up on the ladder. He loves sitting on it. Then when I wanted to play with him I would just Pick up the ladder and and take it out of the cage and then he was fine stepping up. It just kind of happened naturally over time that he started letting me skip that step cause I think he got over his Agression towards me invading his space. I dont feel bad about it either my whole Apt is his so he has to know that his cage is shared as well If that makes sensce? Im far from an expert but its worked for us.


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Oh! Thanks! I am sure she will be fine sometime! I love my cockatiel!


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