# How to trust train a cockatiel that has never been trained?



## liana92 (Jan 31, 2014)

I have no idea how old he is, but he has been with us for a year and never has been trained. 
I dont even know where to begin, my goal is not for him to love me but to not be scared of me, the rest of the family and his surroundings.

I guess I should start with giving him treats.. is peas okay? he seems to like them.
Any tips would help. 
Oh, and I have no experience with birds so start from the very beginning!  thanks!


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## vitaminmandi (Jan 22, 2014)

There is a wonderful sticky about training skittish birds here: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=33824

When I trained my tiel, I used millet. I started by handing her treats through the cage bars, then from inside the cage, and she learned to trust hands within a week. Every bird is different though. Go through that thread and you should find a wealth of helpful information


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## liana92 (Jan 31, 2014)

OK thanks, Il check it out! Ive never seen millet at the store but I also have never been looking for it so I could have just passed by it without thinking twice.


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

Spray millet comes in long sticks. It is usually sold in long thin bags, usually found on hangers. You can hold the branch out and let the bird take one or more bites. Birds love it.


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