# Bonding with boyfriend and not me



## Zwiekira (Jul 16, 2008)

I am feeling a little jealous because my boyfriend has been training my bird and spending a lot of time with my bird and my bird has started to bond with him more than me. His response to my boyfriend is more welcoming and his response to me is less warm. Is it possible that a new bird can be equally bonded to two people? I have read that only one person should be training the bird in the beginning, but we also didn't want the bird mating to one person...


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

'tiels may well become more attached to one person than the other but unlike larger parrots they are unlikly to become one person birds. It's clearly just because he is spending more time with he bird doing the training. They have become buddies. Don't let that stop you from interacting with your bird. It won't confuse him. In fact it is said 'tiels learn to talk easier from a woman than a man. It's the high pitched baby talk we do instinctively. They find it more interesting. I'm sure you will just fill a different niche for your bird. He can be bonded to both of you. I have one male that will talk to me every time I enter the room. I call my boyfriend in to hear it and all he will do is kissy noises. Arnold thinks I am imagining things.


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## Blaze9 (Aug 6, 2008)

Lucky, my bird wont even let me touch him, let alone train him... >.<.. I know how you feel right now =(...


~Blaze


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

My Gracie came to me after living with a single male for 2 years...lets just say that she greatly prefers my dad and brother (and any other person or place) to me. But i persistently work with her and she is gradually warming up to me...a little.  You're in a better situation though, because you can increase the time you're interacting with your tiel before it's completely bonded to your boyfriend over you.


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## Zwiekira (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks, guys. I have been doing a little clicker training him but not too much to overload him; I train him to touch a stick with his beak and when he does, I click with the clicker and give him a bite of millet spray. My boyfriend has watched these training sessions in action. Well, last night my boyfriend told me he was just clicking and giving our tiel the millet spray for no reason. So my tiel is probably like, "Hmmm, she makes me work for millet, and he just _gives_ it to me for free...so I think I like him better!" It's the proverbial "If mom says no, ask dad" situation! Pretty funny, right? Hahaha!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

It's OK that you boyfriend has been just clicking and giving the millet. It's actually an important step in the training. They call it loading the clicker. that's how they learn to associate the clicker with rewards. Only then do you start to try to get behavours. Your doing it just right.


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## elijahfan (Jul 28, 2008)

that might be why mine is not getting it lol, 

i am sure in time your tiel will bond to you too


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would spend more time with your tiel, be the only one to feed her in the morning. That way she will come to understand that your the one with all the good food.


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