# naughty Robbie



## Anna-marie (Jul 30, 2013)

ok so you all know we looking after Robbie for my mum and he's a new bird who was ment to be H.R. and friendly. well we taking it really slow with him as he's rather nasty and chases you to bite. does draw blood when gets you. Anyway he's very good at getting out the cage when changing food water ext so how do we nicely get him back in with out stressing him even more. tried with millet which he loves, branch and such but he ether runs past what ever you have to try and bite or flies to other side of room.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Edit: Have you tried using a perch to get him to step up on? He may like that more. 

You may be accidentally scaring him by chasing him to get him back in the cage. I did the same thing when I first got Kiwi for the first few days. She could fly so I was really nervous that she would fly out of the room and I wouldn't be able to get her down (which had happened twice) so I tried to get her into the cage as fast as I could. It usually ended with her being very angry at me. So I tried a different approach and it worked!

I closed the door and let Kiwi explore around my room for a little while and then let her come back to me. I would always watch her to make sure she wasn't eating any wires or anything she wasn't supposed to. But it was a way so that she got to explore and I didn't scare her. But when she was done exploring, and I was sitting very still on the ground, she would eventually come over and sit on my leg or hand. It works especially well with millet. After I could put her in her cage.


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## Anna-marie (Jul 30, 2013)

i keep the doors and windows shut and let him have a good look around. if he's on top of his cage or anywhere flat and you stand near he will run at you to bite. I left him out a good 2 hours and took my time with him when time to go back in cage. iv'e tried with a perch he will step up but then run along that too lol.
Iv'e not let him out for few days as don't want to make him worse. I sit next to him talking to him he will follow if move to other side of his cage. he will take millet ect through the bars but if try in cage and just hold my hand still he ether hisses or runs at me. he's getting a little better and i can change his food and water without him going for me or getting one of kids to feed him through bars while i did it lol


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

It seems like he still isn't too used to it all yet. I know with my little brothers Kiwi would hiss and bite them when their hand would enter the cage for about a month. Kiwi was bonded to me after 2 weeks, but for my brothers it didn't go so well (she's fine with everyone now). The cage was part of Kiwi's territory and an unfamiliar person entering that territory was scary. It was especially scary to her since there is nowhere to escape to in it and she didn't know if they were going to harm her or not. Eventually the rest of my family gained her trust. It just takes a lot of time and repetition of things to establish trust. Some birds can take weeks to months for this to happen.

It is actually a sign of trust that you can actually get him out of the cage ok even if he has problems going back in! It is also a slight sign of trust that he doesn't fly away from you in fear the moment he gets out of the cage.

It seems that the techniques you guys are trying are working. We can see his improvement! You do need to continue doing this for a week or two more if you want him to improve further. I wouldn't stop letting him out to explore. Keeping a cockatiel caged up is a good way to break trust after letting him roam free. He may get depressed or angry at you if he's left caged for a few days.

When Kiwi doesn't want to go back into her cage it is compliment from her. It means that she has been having fun being out and wants to play with me some more. Here is one way I've found I can get a cockatiel to go back into the cage if they start climbing. Take your hand and have them step on it (if they start climbing up your arm have them step up on your other hand). and then bring them over to the cage, put them near a perch, and block them from going up your arm with your other hand. Then you may slowly/gently lead or push them onto their perch. I wouldn't be afraid of the beak, they usually don't bite hard. It usually will take a few minutes to get them back into the cage though when they want out lol. Kiwi actually takes 8 sometimes! :lol:


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## Anna-marie (Jul 30, 2013)

when Robbie bites he means it draws blood every time, got my son today we all feed him millet and sit talking to him, guess my son got his fingers alittle to close. its not put him off tho so thats good. When he is out of the cage we leave him be and just sit quite talking to one another. do try and get him to step up he will ether bite or fly away. when his body language changes i or who ever is working with him at time do back off and give him his space. I know about it taking some a while to go back in cage. Most of time Amy and Sheldon will take them selves back to bed so to speak when had enough, odd time will take at least 6 or 7 goes to get Sheldon in if he thinks not had enough free time lol.
I know its going to take a long time to work with Robbie and earn his trust. He's going back home to my mums soon as she is back from her jollys today. but i will be going down every day to see him and help my mum build trust up too.
Thank you for all your advice and anymore tips you have lol


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

For cockatiels that bite hard enough to draw blood, I would use some leather gloves. When drawing your hand back away from him after he bites, you are reinforcing his behavior to continue biting. He realizes that when he bites, you draw your hand back. It becomes a way for him to keep your hand away. It turns into sort of a game to them. With a glove you can't feel the bites and don't need to draw your hand back. It becomes less interesting to them when they can bite, chew, and nibble the glove without getting a reaction out of you. Once he realizes that biting the glove isn't going to make you draw your hand back anymore, he will eventually stop.

Make sure that no oil was used on them to polish them. I would try and wash them down with water and a rag just to be safe. And fairly sturdy leather gloves for big chewers! 

This link can be very helpful too for more tips.
http://www.cockatielcottage.net/bite2.html


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