# Help Needed - Can't tame Cockatiel



## 750XL (May 28, 2011)

Hello all,

I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding my new(ish) cockatiel. 

I was looking for a cockatiel for months but couldn't find any breeders locally, or anything for sale so ended up buying an untame cockatiel (now named Dave) from a local petshop. 

I have a bit of experience with birds, budgies, cockatiels and parrots but Dave is different to all the rest. He was relatively young when I bought him, although I'm not sure how young exactly. Naturally, he was scared and timid when he came to his new home. I left him alone for a few days, gently speaking to him etc hoping that over time he'd become tame, but I've had no progress.

If I go anywhere near his cage he will start to hiss at me and back into the corner. If I open the door and slowly place my hand in, he'll jump to the floor and hiss at me. 

I've tried everything I possibly can to tame him but it's starting to become a bit annoying now. I used to have a very tame cockatiel and loved him to bits, and was hoping for the same with Dave but he seems totally untameable.

Any help would be massively appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Sam


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## Joe Bachi (May 23, 2011)

Well you're certainly more experienced than me, so I'm sure you know that patience is the key.
I usually try the following when attempting to tame my birds (Budgies)
First week: talk to him gently, with a soft voice and a calm tone, this way he'll start getting used to you and your voice
Second week: Put your hand on the cage calmly so that your bird can see it and get used to it.
Third week: open the cage door and slowly enter your hand with one of your fingers extended so that it resembles a perch. Stay completely still and don't take your hand out until the bird calms down
Fourth week and after: Try to slowly get near your bird, every time going a bit closer, and when you become capable of reaching his perch without him freaking out, SLOWLY try to lift his leg off the perch.
Eventually, your bird will allow you to lift both his legs and even move him around in the cage.
From there on, things get a lot easier
NOTE: Always praise your bird even for the slightest progress such as not hissing at you when you open the cage door, and always end training without getting mad at your bird.
I hope this helps; I'm sure there are a million other ways for training and taming a bird, but this is the one that works best for me 
Regards
Joe


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## NuttyNu (Aug 20, 2009)

I use Millet. I ensourage them to eat millet form my hand so that this i their reward, slowly I will then put the millet in the palm of my hand so they get even braver. Then, i will get them out (By holding them not them perching on me) and hold them to my chest and feed some more millet, then put them back and give millet again. Then i find it is time to learn the "step-up" command.
It will take lots of time, Mine has now only just after about 1month stopped hissing at me in the room.


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## emehart19 (Jun 1, 2011)

I agree with Joe that taking it slow is the best method. When I first got into birds, I was told to towel out of the cage and force interaction, but thanks to BirdTalk magazine, I thankfully learned the slower, more patient method.

I do have a male cockatiel that refuses physical interaction. Even at his best, he would simply perch on me and never allow me to pet or touch him with the other hand. He absolutely hates it. I gave it two years of trying and now he is my chatty little buddy, but we don't touch. He has a huge cage and a pal (who gives the cuddles I always wanted), and we both seem very happy with this situation.


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