How to regain trust after spooking bird

[Violaxo]

so,

I’ve had one of my budgies for a couple of weeks now. We made very amazing progress in one week hand training. She would sit on my finger and listen to me talk by the 8th day of having her

Around day 9, she was showing signs she was sick. And I had to bring her back and forth to the vet. Which meant forcibly (but gently) putting her in a carrier and to the car, etc.

now when I go into her cage to get her to sit on my hand, she runs away and even try’s to nibble me a bit,.. I can tell she wants nothing to do with me.

Is there any hope for me and her? Or did I lose her trust for good? How can I get her to trust me again without her thinking I’m always gonna shove her in a box if I go near her

 

[Kodigirl210]

There is always hope! You just have to associate hands with good things instead of bad. Instead of reaching in the cage to pull her out, could you let her come out on her own? When you walk by her cage, drop a treat in with those hands so she knows something good comes from them. When you go to change her water or food, give her a treat first. When are working with her outside the cage, entice her with a treat. Drop it a few inches away from a still hand and praise her ridiculously when she takes. Next time move the treat closer and closer until she takes it from your hand. It’s just a matter of reintroducing what the hands do. Also think about target training with her. That doesn’t require hands but yet she can learn that good things come in many different way. Once she has a positive association, the hand thing will go away. It’s not like you were purposefully mean or something so the damage is by no means permanent. It’s like any kid that when they make a wrong connection, we have to re-educate them on their terms that they understand

 

[sunnysmom]

Yes, let her come out on her own. You can put a perch just outside her cage door and hang a favorite treat or toy there. Hand feed her some treats through her cage bars. You want her to learn that hands are nice and not scary.