# Out of cage interactions?



## mareeder (Jul 31, 2013)

Pip has an opened top cage that we leave open most of the day, so he can climb up and down at will during the times that we are home. Probably three times a day, he gets to come onto my shoulder (which is ALL he really wants to do, EVER). He is very happy hanging around my shoulder, flirting with "the birdie in the mirror" as we pass them in and out of rooms.

But Pip has some pretty bad habits that he cannot seem to shake. After the joy of riding around on my shoulder begins to wear off, he starts to preening me ... which should be sweet, but ... Problem is, he is wicked "preener." He tries to pinch off freckles, blemishes, plucks my stubble, and yanks out tiny hairs on my neck and shoulder. And let me tell you. It doesn't feel good. At all. And I can't get him to knock it off. 

So my question is, maybe the shoulder is not the place for him?

So, what else can I do with Pip while he is out of his cage?

Pip is not terribly interested in walking around on the floor, he gets spooked. We ended up giving away a play gym, as he had zero interest in it, no matter what we tried. He's a terrible flyer, and isn't terribly "curious" about anything besides being my own personal groomer.

What do you guys do with your tiles when they are having their "out of cage" time?


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## New2tiels (Feb 11, 2013)

Haha I did laugh at this  
You should feel proud because he's just acting towards you as he would another bird 
You're his flock and he's just showing you some appreciation.
You should feel lucky


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## mareeder (Jul 31, 2013)

Well, sure, I guess. Theoretically, I understand what he is trying to do, and theoretically I am touched, but I am actually not a bird, and it hurts ... badly. Really. And often makes me yelp in surprise and pain, which is not good for either of us.

He used to preen me gently with nibbles and licks, but ... sadly, that phase is gone.

What else do you guys do with your Tiels besides shoulder time?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JanP (Aug 27, 2013)

Try wearing something round your neck/shoulders....
so he cant reach your neck...Its a bad habit and very hard
to break...sorry mine is the same I just take him off my
shoulder...yes it hurts...


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## catalinadee (Jan 1, 2011)

A lot of people use birdy necklaces, and they can help as long as he chooses to play with them. However, the best thing to do would be to keep him on your hand, or you knee if you're sitting down with him. Only let him on your shoulder if he's going to be gentle. Harvey would sit on top of your head, bend down and try and yank your eyelashes out


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

*Hi and a Question*

Hi.
I don't have an answer to the painful preening question. However, I am wondering if I could piggy-back a question of my own.
I am having trouble getting my cockatiel hand tame and willing to accept head scratches. I keep meaning to do clicker training (you liked the video about that), but have not been able to make the time.
I see it took you a while to get Pip hand tamed and accepting head scratches. So, I'm just curious if you have any tips : ). Emma has been with me a month and is about five months old.
Emma will step up to my forearm if there is millet involved and if I wait. She will occasionally fly to my shoulder. Otherwise, we hang out together and I try to give her things to play with from my hand--Qtips, coils of paper, stuff like that.
I guess it doesn't pay to have expectations. I get that. One of the reasons I decided to get a cockatiel as in the hope I could have more of a relationship with her than with my budgies. I'm trying hard to not be disappointed.


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## Tacotielca (Dec 3, 2013)

dianne said:


> Hi.
> I don't have an answer to the painful preening question. However, I am wondering if I could piggy-back a question of my own.
> I am having trouble getting my cockatiel hand tame and willing to accept head scratches. I keep meaning to do clicker training (you liked the video about that), but have not been able to make the time.
> I see it took you a while to get Pip hand tamed and accepting head scratches. So, I'm just curious if you have any tips : ). Emma has been with me a month and is about five months old.
> ...


I wear a pandora bracelet which has a lot of beads and some that have dangling charms. Out taco loves my bracelet and is eager to hop on my arm so she can nibble on the charms. It was a fluke that I found this as a way to bond, but it works.


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## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

Tacotielca said:


> I wear a pandora bracelet which has a lot of beads and some that have dangling charms. Out taco loves my bracelet and is eager to hop on my arm so she can nibble on the charms. It was a fluke that I found this as a way to bond, but it works.


Yup. If I am wearing bracelets or rings, the tiels loooooove to sit on my arm and nibble on them. I think this prevents them from nibbling on, well, me.


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## tielsdownunder (Sep 27, 2013)

I've gotten Gizmo really into a little ball with a bell in it. Often he is out if the cage I can roll it around on the table and he likes chasing it and bringing it to me, or just dropping it off the table and making me fetch. 

With anything new I usually play with it and poke it with my nose in front of him so he knows it's fine.


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## goose'smom (Jan 1, 2014)

My cockatiel used to do the exact same thing. I was really concerned that I would never be able to be affectionate with him because it hurt! Plus everything I read said you can only train a bird using positive reinforcement, however how is that supposed to work with something like this. Then I saw a picture in a cockatiel magazine of one cockatiel kind of getting after another one by squawking and hissing a bit. I remembered that was the only way I could train my stubborn german shepherd, by mimicking how litter mates create boundaries in nature. So I started letting out a little squawk and hiss any time Henry was too rough. He immediately stopped doing what he was doing. Now everything is really gentle, as when he is gentle I respond lovingly. Its amazing how quickly he understood


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

"So I started letting out a little squawk and hiss any time Henry was too rough. He immediately stopped doing what he was doing."

So interesting! Thank you.


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