# How long does this take?



## Rumz (Mar 14, 2016)

Hi all!

Been about a week and 2 days since I first brought Ani home, he's gotten more vocal towards me but still shies away from my hand when I try to establish contact. 

So how long does it take for tiels to warm up to their owners? I know as a majority rule they all like to be with their owners in some way or another, but how long does it usually take?

Thanks!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

There is no set time. Every bird is different and some never truly become hands on birds. Its going to take lots of patience on your part.


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## birdpool (Mar 15, 2016)

with wade it took a few days of my boyfriend constantly talking to him (my boyfriend was incredibly excited and insistent, and it turned out to be a good thing!) by the first week we could hold him without him freaking, but he had to come out of the cage on his own terms. He has a little "out perch" that he sits on to either come out or let us know he wants to come out and it works really well! as long as we get to it before he starts squawking, he is a very well mannered young boy. After a month, he flies to us and asks us for pets and cuddles up under my boyfriend's nose (that's his fav place to be)

piper and kiwi are a bit of a different story, but they're already really tame and people-friendly. they both hopped onto my hand today with little fuss to be let out, but they were a bit more upset about being asked to go back into the cage so I could bring my BF to work.

definitely make yourself seem like a great thing! treats treats and more treats, unless your Ani is like our Kiwi and doesn't really care for treats. Definitely persistence and constant work, but it pays off in the end because there's nothing quite as amazing (to me) as a tiny bird that loves you :3

we bribed wade into loving us by feeding him sunflower seeds through the cage. he is also fond of millet and what we like to call bird cheetos which are these little puffed rice stick treats for birds.


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## Rumz (Mar 14, 2016)

He's a good bird  I guess I just needed to be reassured that persistence is the key


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## 3LoveSkyeTiel (Feb 23, 2016)

With mine through the years it took, 1 day for the egar lover bird, to, 1 month for a more shy one I got.

It depends on the bird, but the constant love and not pushing the touching will draw it to you. If you insist it step up, like NOW than it won't really want to. But if you make it want you by just showing it treats and constantly talking and giving it affection, it will warm up to you one day soon and have not much problem with your hands. It may just need time to accept it wants you and that means it must interact with you hands. 

Once it on its own will step up on you, than the barrier is down and it will be much easier from there. Keep up in the meantime love, constancy, patients, and always be slow moving with a calm soothing voice. Love to her the updates! I look forward to them!

Love from me and Chicken,
~Skye


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## Noekeon (Feb 17, 2016)

Don't forget that some birds will just look at you as a play stand pretty much lol. That means they'll come whenever they feel like it and be play full but if you want to go and take 'em it'll be a no-no. I've seen some posts in here as well of people having birds for years and those birds just don't like the step up thing instead they just willingly fly on a shoulder or something. Mine comes on her own to climb my hand to go and sit on my shoulder if she walks on the table but if I do even the slightest move to go and get her she's gone in a sec hahah stubborn and freehearted little bird. 

Best regards, Noekeon & Kana!


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## arnabsri (Jul 22, 2015)

Hi Rumz,
Cutie sat on my hand on the very 1 st Day when i went to visit her for 1 st time. 
But she allowed me to pet her after 1 month. Prior to that i used to touch her head for 1-2 sec from outside her cage..so that she realises that i wont harm her..
then i increased the timing slowly to 1 min..then to 5 min..

Then after some days i tried the same from inside the cage..very slowly and gently else rapid movements may scare your birdie..

Now cutie comes to my handsits on it and rubs her her on her own  she looks so cute when she does that


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## TheJediBird (Sep 11, 2015)

One thing to remember also is that not every cockatiel will like being petted. With Obi, I can stroke the very top of his head every now and then, but he doesn't like being touched anywhere else. Every bird is different. I also don't know how Obi was treated before I got him. I've only had him for about six months and he was already 2 when I got him. He'd also had two owners before me.


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## Janalee (Jul 25, 2012)

*how long*

I agree; it depends on the individual bird and on how you work with him. I know when I first got Bennie, I was afraid he didn't like me. He didn't bite me, but as soon as I got him out on my finger, he'd turn around and want to go back to his cage. But I kept trying, moving slowly and talking gently and offering millet (it can do wonders!). And he did warm up. But remember what a traumatic event this is for a bird. In Bennie's case, he was taken from a cage full of roomies, stuck in a box and taken away by some strange woman. He probably thought he was going to be lunch! (The normal ending for a small bird "captured" by a large "animal!") Give him time and patience and he'll come arould. Enjoy bonding with him!


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

I, too, started by rubbing the top of Joey's head through the bars of his cage. One day, after a few weeks, he turned his head to give me his cheek, then the back of his neck. It still took a few months of slowly trying before he allowed me to scritch him when he was out. Once he decided he liked it, he started asking for it more and more. 

He still won't step up onto an hand or finger for any kind of bribery or treat, but he will get there if and when he decides. He has stepped up once, and it was only because he decided to land in my bag, on my wallet. He had enough sense to know he needed a rescue and accepted the offer of my hand.


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## Rumz (Mar 14, 2016)

I understand that they may not enjoy petting necessarily, but he has to at least tolerant of stepping up at some point. I'm not saying I won't love him if he doesn't learn to like petting or stepping up, I'll love him regardless, but I just want a loving bird that interacts with me..and I wish to train him at some point as well.

Thanks for the replies guys!


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## Noekeon (Feb 17, 2016)

Interaction and training are not parts of the step up process I think. It's what you'll find that triggers them to step up in the first place. I recently realized that Kana doesn't step up whenever she's around her cage for some reason she only knows. If I at least cover the cage so she can't see it she's a step up baby like having a a totally different bird all of a sudden. 

I'm always going against the currents so I'll say that general taming or bonding guidelines are okay but at the end it's down to what fits your bird if you get my point. 

Best regards, Noekeon & Kana!


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## Rumz (Mar 14, 2016)

That's true. No two people, let alone birds, are ever the same.

He's begun to let me touch him behind the head, but it still doesn't look and feel like he enjoys it very much. But he'll at least let me do it. I've been doing that and drowning him in millet. Hopefully he'll get better soon!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It's right that every bird is different and I've never used the same training technique for two birds. I had one bird that loved me the first day I got her, she wouldn't get off of me for anything. Then I had another who was so standoffish, my hubby didn't know what to do with him. For him, sitting near him with the other birds helped. It also helped that I didn't push him and I let him come to me in his own time. Go at the bird's pace, because in the end it's totally worth it.


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## Rumz (Mar 14, 2016)

Thanks for the reply Roxy. That's what I've been doing for now..just going snail-like slow. Working with him, then at the first sign of him rejecting me I leave him be and go do what I like to do. Then I repeat that 2-3 times a day.

Sometimes he likes to run around like he wants to get let out..and I'd love to do that, but he won't let me take him anywhere once he's out. He'll step up, then fly right off. So should I let him out or..?


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## Noekeon (Feb 17, 2016)

I always have Kana free with her door cage open when I'm around so she's free to roam anywhere even is she doesn't come straight to me but she does eventually. Mine is the same she steps up and flys off but I persist on getting her again so at some point she just doesn't fly off again and sits with me. 

Best regards, Noekeon & Kana!


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