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My Cockatiel and Me

Remy

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
2/12/20
Messages
18
Real Name
Jaz Tutt
Hello!

Im Jaz, and recently gotten a baby cockatiel, and need a bit of advise on how to tame and form a bond with he/she!

Their name is Remy.
So far she willingly steps up, comes towards the side of the cage in nearest to, grooms him/herself on my arm ect.

Im just keep thinking Remy doesn't like me? He/She nibbles on my fingers usually playfully but can go a bit hard, when I go for kisses she really hesitates before doing it ect.

Im working of target training with Remy and their going really well! He/She will go for the stick but holds on to it, which from what I heard, they shouldnt do, so I kindof forcfully remove it from their beak,, but I feel bad doing that, any advice?

I really want a close bond, do you think im on the right track? <3
 

Ripshod

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Im just keep thinking Remy doesn't like me? He/She nibbles on my fingers usually playfully but can go a bit hard, when I go for kisses
Nibbling the fingers and lifting the nails is a sure sign of the opposite, she does like you and quite a lot. The nips to the lip are her reaction to feeling threatened, maybe you want to eat her, or she's begging for a feeding. Lay off the kisses, not all parrots are comfortable with that. She may instigate it but I believe it's always best to avoid any contact with the mouth, lots of bad bacteria they have no natural defence against.
Welcome to the Avenue.
 

Davi

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Welcome to the Avian Avenue! Glad to hear things are going well with Remy :) It does seem like Remy is comfortable with you, so just keep making slow but steady progress in bonding.:heart:
 

sunnysmom

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Welcome to the forum!
 

Cynthia & Percy

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Remy

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
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Messages
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Real Name
Jaz Tutt
Nibbling the fingers and lifting the nails is a sure sign of the opposite, she does like you and quite a lot. The nips to the lip are her reaction to feeling threatened, maybe you want to eat her, or she's begging for a feeding. Lay off the kisses, not all parrots are comfortable with that. She may instigate it but I believe it's always best to avoid any contact with the mouth, lots of bad bacteria they have no natural defence against.
Welcome to the Avenue.
Thankyou Ripshod, I will stop attempting kisses :)
Is there anything I can do with Remy for he/her to like me more? Any activities, all I do is put my hand to the cage/or in for her to step up.

Thankyou for all the welcomes! :pinklol3:
 

Tazlima

Jogging around the block
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Is there anything I can do with Remy for he/her to like me more? Any activities, all I do is put my hand to the cage/or in for her to step up.
Target training (and trick training beyond that), is a wonderful way to bond with your bird. It not only helps them associate you with treats and fun activities, but opens an invaluable line of communication that could someday save her life.

My quaker, Gus, got outside about a month ago. Now he's a really skilled flier indoors, but he has no experience outdoors, and it was really windy. (Think of swimming in a pool vs. swimming in the ocean, with the waves and currents... it's a whole different experience). He meant to land right outside the back door, but got whisked away and ended up about a half-block away on a telephone wire, super freaked out.

I located him through his contact calls, waited until the wind eased up, then called him. He hesitated for a moment, getting a feel for the air currents, then he flew down to me, and we went home.

Now imagine if he hadn't been trained for recall (coming when called). I would either have had to wait for him to decide to come down, or tried to climb up to him. He was all alone, and out in the open. Waiting would put him at risk of being targeted and chased by crows or mockingbirds, or worse, snatched up by the first hawk to happen by. Climbing up would have spooked him (he hates ladders) and probably made him fly further away to who knows where, and even if he didn't bolt, it would have put me at risk of electrocution.

A solid recall turned a potential tragedy into a nonevent.
 
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Remy

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
2/12/20
Messages
18
Real Name
Jaz Tutt
Target training (and trick training beyond that), is a wonderful way to bond with your bird. It not only helps them associate you with treats and fun activities, but opens an invaluable line of communication that could someday save her life.
Thankyou Tazlima!
I have started target training but Remy isn't really food motivated!So I just tell Remy "Good Bird!" Or something simmilar. Though when she gets to the stick she starts chewing on it and I cant take it away,, I end up ripping it out of her beak, which I feel terrible doing, any suggestions?
 

Tazlima

Jogging around the block
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Thankyou Tazlima!
I have started target training but Remy isn't really food motivated!So I just tell Remy "Good Bird!" Or something simmilar. Though when she gets to the stick she starts chewing on it and I cant take it away,, I end up ripping it out of her beak, which I feel terrible doing, any suggestions?
Sounds like she's chewing/toy motivated. Everyone has their currency. :)

You can't chew what you can't grab, so if you want to make sure she only touches the stick, hold it out of her reach and start the trick by moving it veeeery sloooowly toward her so that she has to reach out to touch it. Bring it just close enough for her to tap it with the tip of her beak, then move it away and reward her (since she's not that into food, you might want to reward with a toy or a piece of easily shredded paper to play with... whatever her favorite thing is, that's your reward). The important thing is that the reward appeals to her more than the stick does. Right now, she sees the stick itself as the reward... which overall isn't a bad problem to have. She's not afraid of the stick, and she's not afraid of you. That's a terrific start.
 

Remy

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
2/12/20
Messages
18
Real Name
Jaz Tutt
Sounds like she's chewing/toy motivated. Everyone has their currency. :)

You can't chew what you can't grab, so if you want to make sure she only touches the stick, hold it out of her reach and start the trick by moving it veeeery sloooowly toward her so that she has to reach out to touch it. Bring it just close enough for her to tap it with the tip of her beak, then move it away and reward her (since she's not that into food, you might want to reward with a toy or a piece of easily shredded paper to play with... whatever her favorite thing is, that's your reward). The important thing is that the reward appeals to her more than the stick does. Right now, she sees the stick itself as the reward... which overall isn't a bad problem to have. She's not afraid of the stick, and she's not afraid of you. That's a terrific start.
Thankyou! She likes to chew on paper so maybe thats my answer! <3
 
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