# Toby seems to have regressed...he doesn't seem to like me anymore! ='( Please help!



## becca21 (Jul 4, 2012)

A week ago, Toby loved me petting him and getting scritches. He never tried biting or anything agressive. Now, any time I take him out of his cage and try to pet him, he will walk along my arm, trying to get as far away from my hand as possible. He has even tried biting me agressively. I don't understand this. Nothing has changed. I have given him NO negative reinforcement (yelling, flicking him, etc.).

And yet, he still wants to come out of his cage and be with me. When I put my hand in the cage to get him, he will eagerly rush over to step on my finger. No biting, nothing. Also, he will gladly eat from me when offered treats. He also will eat from my palm when I fill it with his food. He will even eat a sunflower seed that is held between my thumb and forefinger. And yet....he doesn't seem to like me. I am so disheartened  I am at a loss. 

What happened to the sweet little cockatiel I took all those pictures with? I have checked him for signs of injury, and see none. He has had no night-frights, and I have checked his wings and body thoroughly to see if any thing is out of place. He acts completely normal until I try to pet him or give him scritches. I would just think he needs more time to build trust with me if it weren't for the fact that a week ago he loved scritches. What's going on here? How long does it usually take to form a loving, strong bond with a new tiel? I've had him three weeks now (almost four), and as I'm sure most of you already know, he was hand-fed. Please help me understand what's going on, and why he is acting this way. I want him to completely love and trust me, and he doesn't seem to...and I don't know why


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

is he starting a molt? molts tend to cause some birds to get cranky, and i know some birds do start molting around 3 months. dally did. its early but very well possible


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## becca21 (Jul 4, 2012)

I don't think so....I haven't seen any feathers on the lining of the cage =/ Maybe it is just starting? If he is beginning to molt, I would actually be thrilled, because since I got him I couldn't wait for his wings to grow back from his clipping, and help him learn to fly. But no, I have not seen any feathers lately...I will keep an eye out though.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

he might be starting to.

also, i'd like to note that maybe he just would like some space and alone time for a bit, i know some birds get cranky if over stimulation. just give him some quiet time if he wants it.

also, flicking a bird will only make matters worse especially for biting. they will only bite harder in self defense...

dont give any reaction at all to the negative attitude. not a no, not a face, nothing. but when he does something you like, give him a treat. this is called positive reinforcement. parrots do best with positive reinforcement as they dont understand negative reinforcement. when they bite or scream or do something we consider bad, there's always a reason for what they are doing, and if its getting a reaction out of you they will continue to do it, even for negative reactions. so ignore his biting and when he is nice give him a treat.


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## becca21 (Jul 4, 2012)

Dally you must have misunderstood my post. I said that I _did not_ give any negative reinforcement. Quote: "I have given him no negative reinforcement (yelling, flicking him, etc.)." I have several books on training, and I know that positive reinforcement is best


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## becca21 (Jul 4, 2012)

I would never flick my bird...


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

maybe it was a typo i read then.


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## becca21 (Jul 4, 2012)

Well I just got back from my room and Toby was preening like a mad-man. Could this be a sign of molting?


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

It might be ..

In the last week zippy has started to preen more intensely and he is getting a bit cranky 

I wouldn't worry too much he might just be a little grumpy I am sure he is not regressing after all as much as we would want our birds to be perfect 24/7 they aren't lol


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## AMom2011 (Apr 25, 2012)

maybe he just doesn't LIKE scritches? I have 2 tiels, Freddie LOVES scritches, and sits there forever on my hand, while I scritch scritch scritch... Eva on the other hand not so much. She is way 'too busy' to just sit and be scritched!! lol she'd rather run around on the couch, circling back to me, and back on the couch, checking out 'stuff' then back to me, making sure my ears are still there, then back on the couch.... busy busy busy busy

meanwhile Freddie sits on my hand, and gets scritched

both are hand tame, and come from the same breeder, they just have different personalities.


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

Last night I let Otway out for an extra fly but did he like it? No! He objected to everything, flapping about screeching & being an absolute horror.
Didn't want treats, didn't want his favourite toys or a tummy rub - nothing. Just wanted to flap, screech & peck.
Then I remembered that he should be starting a moult soon & that it was normally his bedtime. He isn't used to flying about the house with all the lights on as opposed to during daylight so decided that it was probably best just to pop him back in his cage with the cloth on. He shot back into the cage with a definite 'Harrumph, THAT'S more like it, what the **** were you thinking, woman?' & immediately went to sleepy corner in a total munk.
This morning he's preening like crazy, feathers raining down so I'd agree with the other posters; moulting & overstimulation can lead to a grumpy bird!


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## AMom2011 (Apr 25, 2012)

lol that made me giggle.. I can just SEE your bird going 'HRRUMPH' lol


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

My tiel seems to be affected by the weather too. It's been rainy and miserable here and he definitley has been a bit of a grump.


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## WendyBeoBuddy (Dec 12, 2011)

I to agree with everything everyone is saying, overstimulation, moulting, weather, and a lack of upkept schedule can all make a bird a big fat grump
Right now it has stormed like MAD for the past few days after having NOTHING but sun for a month and a half strait. The fact that all of the birds are moulting, the weather, and the fact that it being summer means i have to stay up later and clean more and such, has not kept the schedule up for the tiels and they have been grumps lately.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

AMom2011 said:


> maybe he just doesn't LIKE scritches? I have 2 tiels, Freddie LOVES scritches, and sits there forever on my hand, while I scritch scritch scritch... Eva on the other hand not so much. She is way 'too busy' to just sit and be scritched!! lol she'd rather run around on the couch, circling back to me, and back on the couch, checking out 'stuff' then back to me, making sure my ears are still there, then back on the couch.... busy busy busy busy
> 
> meanwhile Freddie sits on my hand, and gets scritched
> 
> both are hand tame, and come from the same breeder, they just have different personalities.


Ditto. Well.. I had a boy who was totally sweet one week and let me give him lots of scritches, and the next week- He would try to bite me if I tried to touch him or give him scritches. He never got over this... So, to this day, he will merrily step up, but I can't pet him or anything. The most I can do is kiss his tummy, and he pecks my nose when I do it.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Also remember that if they are boys, boys go through a grumpy teenage stage (although Sunny isn't a baby anymore lol so maybe he's got a grumpy old man stage?? lol) and this can make them nippy and not want to accept scritches or do anything that you want them to do. Girls can go through this too but its not as common.


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

I think I learned from here when my Misty was little that moulting cockatiels don't like scritches. Misty didn't want scritches until he was about 7 months old. Now that's all he wants, or so it seems, LOL.


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