# Training is going no where



## sagealbright (Sep 12, 2015)

Hello! 

This is my first post! I have been lurking around since I got my cockatiel, Lorenzo. 

I got him from a local family owned pet store. I didn't get much knowledge other than that him and his sibling were brought in by someone. They were the last two from an unexpected hatch and the original owners could not find a home for them. All I know is that he is still fairly young. Other than that, they didn't give me any information. 

I'm obviously not 100% sure he's a boy. He still has the baby "striped" feathering on his back and tail. But some solid colored tail feathers are coming in. I also assumed he is a boy because of the wide variety of noises and whistles that he makes. 

My problem is that I have had him for about a month and we are getting absolutely no where with training. I have been putting my hand in his cage and letting it sit in there but his cage is so big that he just hops are far away from my hand as possible when I try to inch it closer. Also, I let him out of his cage to fly and stretch his wings but when I get close to him he flies away. He seems to have trouble flying. He constantly tries to "land" on the wall and then falls. 

I'm normally completely against clipping wings but would that help at all with training, at least while he's out of the cage? 

Also, does anyone have any other advice for training? I'm new to cockatiels and it seems to be a lot more difficult than it was to train my parakeets. 

Thanks in advance!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Welcome to the forum!

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=33824 Just some links to a couple of our training guides. This one is for aggressive birds.

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073 this one is for more skittish birds. 

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=28661 this helps with both.

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=33319 some info on clipping. Clipping will help with training but if he's not a very good flyer yet clipping could be detrimental. 

Hope this helps!


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## sagealbright (Sep 12, 2015)

Thanks, I'll definitely look into those!

He's a pretty good flyer. He goes in circles around the room. He just has trouble landing. He seems to think he can just land on a flat wall. Lol.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Maybe he needs glasses!!! lol


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## sagealbright (Sep 12, 2015)

roxy culver said:


> Maybe he needs glasses!!! lol



He might! Hahah.


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

I can relate to this. I'm trying to tame a 15 year old and it's not that easy. Patience is working out best for me. That and not pushing any boundaries.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I know it may seem long to you- but a month really isn't that long. Time and patience. Each bird adapts at his own pace. I would try to let your tiel come out on his own. You can put a perch near his cage door and hang some millet or a favorite toy. See if he'll come out and sit on it by himself. You need to work on building his trust.


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## sagealbright (Sep 12, 2015)

I wanted to post an update. Things are better with Lorenzo when he is outside the cage. He will step up on my finger now and as long as I don't move he will stay perched there. 

However, he seems to be very territorial of his cage. He has now started hissing and lunging at me when I am near the cage. He lets me change his food and water but when I cover him at night, uncover him, or get close to the cage bars he just hisses over and over while he tries to bite me. Has anyone had experience with this? I'm not sure what to do to change the behavior. 

He also refuses to come out of his cage. I have to wrap a towel around him and take him out. Once he's out in the room he's fine and doesn't fly back. It's just getting him out of there.


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

I also have hissing bird in the mornings and evenings. I'm guessing he is just grumpy because he is tired. Could that be it?


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## sagealbright (Sep 12, 2015)

crow said:


> I also have hissing bird in the mornings and evenings. I'm guessing he is just grumpy because he is tired. Could that be it?


It could be but he just seems to get very unhappy whenever I am near the cage. At night I think it gets worse because he sits on a perch in the front of the cage to sleep and his cage is right next to my bed so I'm really close to the cage.


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

His cage is his safe place and he wants you to stay OUT lol


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

I agree with Phoenix, and you also said it yourself. You are probably to near his territory.


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