# Hello! untrained question?



## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

Hi everyone I'm new to the forums and will hopefully get a cockatiel, I don't have one yet. I was wondering- You have to have you cockatiel out for a while each day, but for the time that its untrained how do I get it back in its cage? I hear when you grab them they mark you as a predator?


----------



## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Welcome to the forum! It would help us get to know you better if you'd go to the Introductions forum and tell us a little bit about yourself.  I'm also going to move this thread to the Training/Bonding forum, so more people will see it and be able to help you.


----------



## tightrope10 (Apr 1, 2012)

Alright, thanks!


----------



## cloudykitty (Feb 21, 2012)

if they are untrained it is okay to let them stay in the cage until they are willing to step up onto your finger.. as long as you are paying attention to them it won't hurt them to be in the cage for a little while.. but i am not an expert. just based on my own experience i know there are more experiences members here they will help.


----------



## Oni (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm lucky that my female despite being untamed is taking well to stepping up on your finger although sometimes she feels more comfortable if you scoop her up first onto your palm (from below - never above!) and then turn your hand so that she adjusts herself to sitting on a finger. She just doesn't always seem to feel safe on just one out stretched finger. (she is semi-clipped but can fly, it turns out it's just because she's a baby she didn't know how!)

My male on the other hand wont let us touch him but other than that he is very friendly, watching us, singing to us, flying to perch on something near us. Luckily we have no other pets and are home most of the time so we just leave the cage open and he goes back in when he's hungry or thirsty (or sometimes even just a bit bored and wants to go on his swing lol). Then we just shut the cage behind him.

We are planning to do proper training with both of them. I've found some good information online about clicker training...but first we need to source a clicker and find some kind of treat they will take as a reward


----------



## SuzieQueue (Mar 12, 2012)

maybe not the best method but i was told when my untrained tiel got out and i had trouble catching him to carefully place a sheet over him and offer my finger for step up to 'save' him from the sheet, i did this three times and now he will always step up on my finger when i want him to ... although he was used to my hands in the cage first and would step up in the cage and his wing was clipped, you can also start with a perch that you are holding, as they will often step up to that rather than fingers and just slowly move your hands forward on the perch each time til he is comfortable with your hands .. I am by no means an expert and the training sticky here might be better reference for you


----------



## Oni (Feb 20, 2012)

Just a note: The days we have needed to go out or something and he really just wont be encouraged into the cage we are guilty of making the room as dark as possible (so his vision is very limited and a lot less chance of flying) and then putting a towel over him in order to pick him up and pop him back in the cage. We've done it maybe 3 times in 2months. I wouldn't really recommend it as I assume it must be counter productive to the bonding if he recognises who's holding the towel...but it is an option if you ever get really stuck.

To be honest he squalks when he's in the towel but once he's inside the cage and you put the light back on and immediately talk to him softly and assure him you're there he is fine again


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22073 This taming advice should also be able to help you when you get your tiel.


----------



## CockatielFace (Mar 25, 2012)

My tiel SilverStream won't come out of her cage unless I grab her she bites but as soon as she out of the cage she's happy and wants snuggles.To put her back in I ether get her on my arm or on a pillow and hold it up to her cage then she hops back in.


----------

