how to get them not to run away

[KrissieMarie]

i have to young lovebirds, and i want to let them experiment the freedom of not being in the cage, but i am a little weary of this because they wont let me near them yet.
so if any one has ideas on how to gain my lovies trust i would apperciate it

[thebubbleking]

Sit next to them and read or work on your computer so they get used to you and you can treat them to millet or goodies when you sit next to the cage so they know when mom comes over they get goodies but most of all patience :D

[Mydoona]

iv'e have my lastest Lovie for three months now and she STILL is scared of me and runs away.......

[LauraO]

i have to young lovebirds, and i want to let them experiment the freedom of not being in the cage, but i am a little weary of this because they wont let me near them yet.
so if any one has ideas on how to gain my lovies trust i would apperciate it

I would just open up the door to their cage and let them start exploring. They may not come out the first day, but make sure you do this everyday and your lovies will get comfortable with the idea. It's great if you can build them a play area on top their cage. Some folks put playgyms on top. They also have small perches that clip to the top that are great for birds to hang out on.

I would also make sure you have a ladder heading up to their cage so if they fly off their cage and onto the floor they can make it up to their cages on their own. Of course, I would make sure there are no other animals around when you are doing this. If they fly off their cage and onto the ground, this can be a great way to teach them the step up command using the long ladder or perch. Just put the stick under them and say step up. If, and when they step up praise them so they know they did the right thing. They may take right to it or need some time. The key is not to chase them or get stressed out. If the area is birdy safe the lovies will likely get theirselves where they need to be with a little direction. If you find they have gotten somewhere you don't want them, or they need help just gently try the step up command with the stick until they get it. If they get stressed, relax and give them some room. The biggest mistake, and the one most of us have made, is running after the bird and stressing it out more.

Several of our birds are not hand tame, but will step up on a perch or stick. I would definately start with this if your lovies don't like your hands, and you don't want to just open their cage and see how it goes. The best way to do it is when it's a little darker, maybe at nightime. Some folks use a darkened bathroom with the mirrors covered but this isn't something I've tried. It helps if your lovies are clipped, which they look like they are. You can take their cage if it's small enough into the bathroom and over a couple of days open the door and let them wonder out on their own and try the step up command with them there. You can also start this where they are now as you want.

The key is love, patience and consistency. Your lovies need to be a part of your everyday life to be happy and healthy. I believe birdies should be out of their cages EVERYDAY and every one of our 20 lovies gets daily out of the cage time. You also need to make the committment to them if you want to build a great relationship with them. If you put in the time and effort, which can take a long while, you will be rewarded a thousand fold!

:D :D

[KrissieMarie]

well jade is doing well with the step up comand, i am working with him/her in the cage, they had thier first out of cage time on thursday.
and as for working with them everyday, i own my own business and i only work weekends, so i am home all week long working with them every other hour. they seem to be happy everytime i come in the room they chirp and look at me. so hope i am working in the right direction with them, they actually are very curious about my dog scally. so once they are comfortable enough i wish to introduce them to her outside of the cage, but that wont be for a long time, thank you all for your opinions on what i should do i will keep you posted on progress

[michael]

they actually are very curious about my dog scally. so once they are comfortable enough i wish to introduce them to her outside of the cage, but that wont be for a long time, thank you all for your opinions on what i should do i will keep you posted on progress

Hi Krissie. While your doing quite well in coming along with your birds there is one of your future plans that may need a second thought. Often enough we have read in the past about various species of pets becoming somewhat conjugated with one another. In my opinion (and likely the general consensus here) there should remain NO such contact between birds of any species with the four footed variety of predator type pets. This includes and is not limited to DOGS, (CATS especially), ferrets, rats, horses, pigs, and cattle ( even if they are allowed in the living room :roll:), and of course alligators or crocodiles, etc, etc.... Yeah, I know it sounds like an interesting and fun thing to do seeing if your lovebirds will coexist with Scally the dog. Unfortunately, most everyone here has had to bare witness to, whether directly or indirectly, the death of a beloved parrot. Please, read through some of the forums here regarding the dangers of introducing lovebirds to other species of pets. It would be a shame to hear of someone losing yet another lovebird.