hey my name is daniel im 13 years old and i just got a 5 month old cockatiel from petco and im wonder how to train it can anyone give me advice on how to train it

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Hi Daniel, you've come to the right place! A lot of people here have many tips and ideas on how to train birds. I'll tell you what worked for me with my firt 'tiel. When I first got him, I allowed him to settle down in his cage for a few days to get used to his environment. I fed and watered him and sat next to his cage and would gently talk to him until he was used to me. Did they clip the bird's wings for you? If so, once he is used to you then you can try to take him out of the cage. If not, you can take him to an avian vet and they can show you how to clip wings properly. The first part of training is the "step up" command. This basicaly teaches the bird to like your hand and use it as a tool to come to you. Millet spray is a great treat and training tool that cockatiels love that will teach the bird to like your hand and want to come to it. The command is to put one or two finger to your 'tiels belly and he will step up onto it. This takes practice and patience but many birds master it quickly. There are probably sites on the internet with pictures that will help show you how to do this. Keep training sessions short and sweet and end on a good note. Offer to scratch your bird's head to see how he likes it. If you have any questions, just post.

thanks you shannon he is still young and still molting and his wings are fully grown yet im nor really sure when theyll fully grow but i wish i didnt have to clip his wings put i guuess i have to can u give me some more tips?

thank you

hey shannon thanks for being so nice

and could you post up a link to a picture of milletspray i saw some pictures on petsmart.com but im its not "spray" so please send me a link thanks and quess wat i put my "cheeko" in his cage and i took some oh is seed and was sticking it threw the cage and he ate it right out of my hand! for the first time! i was so happy but hes still afraid of "fingers" so if you can give me some more tips (with detail) it would be very much apreciated and if you have friends ask them to give me some tips too
and when he takes the food out of my hand he seems so attack me more then be playful is he playful or attacking? when he eats te food he shakeshis beak im not really sure so please reply


THANK YOU!

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ANY ONE THAT READS WHAT I HAVE WROTE PLEASE REPLY BACK THE HELP WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

THANK YOU!

I feel wing clipping is necessary. It's really a personal choice, but I've found that it can make life easier for you and your pet. If you do choose to clip your pet's wings for the first time, always have someone help you. Have one person restrain the bird and one person clip. The person who restrains should grab the bird with a towel. Restrain the head by placing the thumb and pointer finger on each side of the bird's head. In cockatiel's, this is where the ears are located. (For those who are reading this that are thinking about clipping their bird's wings, please note that this method of hold the bird's head is for cockatiels and parakeets and other small birds. Larger bird's are held at the lower mandible). Then place two fingers over the bird's feet. Remember not to press hard on the bird's abdomen. Bird's have no diaphragm, so this pressure could disable them from breathing. Once the bird is restrained, the person who will be clipping should stretch out the bird's wing and identify primary flight feather and tertiary flight feathers, as well as any blood feathers. In cockatiels, I recommend clipping all primary flight feathers, as well as clipping the ends of the tertiary feathers. This is because cockatiels can flap their wings so fast that they can get a lot of lift even without the primaries. You can decide how many and which feathers you wish to clip, but this method is what I recommend to my clients. Blood feathers are new feathers that are growing in. They still have a blood supply running to the shaft of the feather. You can usually see the blood supply in these feathers. Do not clip them. If you do, it is best to remove the feather completely with tweezers or pliers. This will stop the bleeding and prevent further problems.

To solve the problem as to whether your bird is attacking you or playing, you have a bit of an advantage since you have a cockatiel. The crest of a cockatiel will be at certain heights to display emotion or thought. They use their crest to display these emotions or thoughts with their flock (in time, you will be the flock). When a cockatiel is attacking, the crest will be slicked back, the bird will stick its neck out, keep its body low to the perch or ground, open its beak, and maybe even let out a hiss. This means, leave me alone or you are going to get it. I'm not exactly sure if millet spray comes as an actual spray. It might, but I've never seen it or used it. What you see on petsmart.com is probably what I use. My friend is a behaviorist, so he trains a lot of birds and to save money he grows his own. I get my spray from him. However, it's all the same. You can get some that are strawberry flavored...but, I don't think that it matters. Here is a pic of what it should look like. http://www.naturespaws.com/catalog/images/millet.jpg In step up commands, I use spray to #1 get the bird's attention #2 let the bird know that my hands are good and #3 reward the bird. With one hand, hold the millet spray between two fingers in front of the bird. Allow the bird to eat it out of you hand. With your other hand, press two fingers against the bird's chest. You can rub its belly, feet, whatever. The bird may allow you to do this while you feed him, or he may try to bite you. If he tries to bite, remove your hand and the millet. Try again later. If your bird allows you to do this, stroke him for a minute or two. Then stop. Allow him to finish the spray. Always end a good training session on a good note. You will need to do this several times a day. The only bad thing about millet spray is its fattening, so try to be a bit conservative with it. In another training session, allow your bird to eat millet and try to scratch his head. Now, cockatiels love this once they get used to hands. If your bird closes his eyes and is loving it right off the bat, then great. if he bites, remove your hand and spray. Try this for a while and see if you make progress in getting the bird to trust your hand. Once you get this, we can move to the actual step up process.