My cockatiel is scared of my hand and dogs. How do I help him?

Question

How do I get my cockatiel to be okay with me touching him. My cockatiel is okay with me being by his cage he eats now in front of me but he gets scared when I put my hand in his cage he just tries to fly away. How do I get him to be okay with me touching him? What should I do? How can I get my cockatiel to be okay with my dogs he hisses at them and they mean him no harm they just lay near him and he freaks out. I also am concerned about his tail it was like that when I got him. Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male | unneutered | 1lb

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

That's a lot of questions! The best answer for it all is practice, and patience. Getting your bird used to handling, new pets, people, etc can take a lot of time. A good way to start is by offering a favorite treat any time you, or your dogs, are near the cage. This can help your bird associate you and your dogs with good things, rather than scary things. Once he's more comfortable, you can then move on to offering a treat from your hand placed inside the cage. Once he's good with that, moving on to petting and giving a treat, then gently handling and giving a treat is best. If he becomes too stressed at any point, returning to the previous step for a while and working together until he is comfortable again can help. Again, this takes time, and won't happen overnight. Keep working on offering treats, and hopefully the two of you can start to enjoy each others' company more. As for his tail- I can't really see anything wrong with it, but if he's still a very young bird, he may not have all of his adult feathers in yet, giving it a 'sparse" look. If he's an adult, or you see him plucking the feathers or see any signs of irritation or illness, having a vet take a look is always best.

My cockatiel is scared of my hand and dogs. How do I help him?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

Is it normal for a pregnant guinea pig to zoom after cage cleaning?

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

What's the best way to feed my hamster when I'm going on a trip?

Can chickens eat bell peppers daily and what about veggie salads?

My newly adopted pet won't eat hay. What can I do to encourage it?

My pet is breathing hard, not eating, and lethargic. What's wrong?

Share