Cockatiel training issues.

[MissyGoat]

Hi all. Im hoping to get some help with training my 1 year old female cockatiel. She loves head pats and always wants to be with me. Shes either on my head or sitting beside me at my desk, yet she hates when you try get her to step up on your finger. Ive tried training her with millet. She eats it from my fingers but runs or flies away when i bring my empty hand close. After that she just looses interest all together in the millet.
She flies really well so that means its really difficult to get her back in her cage at night. We sometimes spend about 10 minutes trying to catch her.
I hate having to grab her because i know it doesnt help with her love for hands. Its just so confusing when she loves head pats.
Its also worth mentioning that shes very skittish and gets scared of any foreign object.
Has anyone got any tips i could try?
Thanks!

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi
I have a lovebird indie who will not step up onto my finger no matter how hard I’ve tired I’ve gave up trying I’ve taught her to fly to my arm for millet sunflower seed or nuriberries if I tap my arm n call her
also she will step up to a perch so I can transfer her back to her cage
if I hold millet in my finger a bit further away from her she will fly to my finger I just don’t push my finger into any of birds learnt it’s easier to train them if it’s there choice to come
I have a perch on my doors to cages taught them to fly there for a treat and close door while they are on perch easier to get them in


As for being scared of new objects do you mean toys ? You could try hanging object in room so she can see it then move it to outside of cage until shes

 

[MissyGoat]

Hi
I have a lovebird indie who will not step up onto my finger no matter how hard I’ve tired I’ve gave up trying I’ve taught her to fly to my arm for millet sunflower seed or nuriberries if I tap my arm n call her
also she will step up to a perch so I can transfer her back to her cage
if I hold millet in my finger a bit further away from her she will fly to my finger I just don’t push my finger into any of birds learnt it’s easier to train them if it’s there choice to come
I have a perch on my doors to cages taught them to fly there for a treat and close door while they are on perch easier to get them in


As for being scared of new objects do you mean toys ? You could try hanging object in room so she can see it then move it to outside of cage until shes

So she wont even jump on my arm. If my hands aren't hidden she will keep an eye on them. She only lands on our heads and rarely our shoulders.
As for foreign objects, i mean literally anything. A toy, a perch, clothes on the floor, etc. Ive had a harness hanging beside her cage for her to get used to since i got her and shes still scared of it.
Shes not food motivated and she doesnt like us approaching her unless its for head pats. She follows us around when she wants as well.

 

[sunnysmom]

Have you tried target training with her? There are some good videos out there on target training. Also, my first tiel would only step up on the back of my hand with my hand out flat. We started with getting him to step up on a pillow and moved to hand. Also, try a set bedtime routine. And start working on getting your tiel to bed before she gets tired. So, for example, if my bird goes to bed at 8:30, I start getting him to go in around 7:30. You can also give a bedtime/cage only treat. Like a piece of millet to reward them for going in. My tiels will go in their cage by themselves for bedtime. Also, I sit with them for awhile once they're in their cage. So they don't think "cage" means I am instantly going away.

 

[Tyrion]

 

[owlsthetic]

I agree with setting up a bedtime routine for your tiel. I usually dim the lights about half an hour before my birds' bedtime and I remove all access to water and food outside the cage. It encourages to go back into their cages themselves if they do get hungry or thirsty and it also makes the treat bribe to go back into their cages more appealing for them. I usually use higher level treats like a safflower or pumpkin seed as a bedtime only treat so it's more valuable to them

 

[MissyGoat]

Ill definatly try the bedtime routine. Im going to try work out what her favourite vege is and try use it to train her aswell. Thankyou for the help!