i'm having trouble

[jon333]

i'm having a hard time getting my lovie out of his cage i tried everything i donno what to to hes so scared of my hand i had him for over a week now i spend alot of time with him i donno why hes still so scared of me. >:

[Janie]

My birds are not terrified of me and never were but it does take time when you get a bird that is wild. Please read through previous "behavior and taming" threads. There is a wealth of advice and information there that could be very helpful to you and the taming process. IMHO, it is very important that you are able to handle your bird in case of an emergency. You have to be able to get your bird out of it's cage and to a vet in an emergency. I'm not suggesting that you handle it right now but at some point, it is important for your bird to trust you enough that you can handle it if need be. I can't imagine having birds that I could not get out or back in a cage. You can't force that but you do need to work on it consistently and they will tame to some degree. You'll find many suggestions on how to start that process in the previous behavior and taming threads.

[mewant1]

hi jon. just be patient with your new lovie. he is still getting used to you and his new environment. he's not sure what to think of you yet even though you love on him and care for him. try keeping a routine with him so he knows what to expect...ie; greeting him in the morning the exact same way, bringing him treats,ect. and even if he won't let you bring him out of the cage you can still interact with him while he's in the cage. my 2 lovies are rescues and one of my quakers is too. although my lovies were kept in horrible conditions and my quaker wasn't mistreated I find he is the more difficult one to handle. he bites/attacks :( after much researching online I have found the things that work best are patience to help both you an your bird to relax and build a trusting relationship and a routine so the bird will come to know what to expect. The biting has pretty much been eliminated but I am still the only one he allows to hold him. He knows my routine so he meets me in the doorway of his cage and usually does a little dance by lifting each foot up....see he knows whats gonna happen. then after I pick him up he starts doing his kisses...again because he knows that what I'm gonna do. he's to point now that he comes to find me on his own. his cage is left open and I put it next to my bed since he seemed to be calmer around me from the beginning. now I wake up to him sitting on the edge of the dresser looking at me :D It's been about 1 1/2 months since we got him. just take each day at a time and try not to focus on the negatives...he'll get there it's just going to take some time. I've had the lovies for about 2 weeks now. the girl is easier to get out than the boy but once I get her the boy flies onto your shoulder. I've clipped their wings but he still has some good flight left :rolleyes: They've begun venturing out on their own too. they just need some time to get used to you and your place. little by little he'll start getting brave and pretty soon he'll be all over your house and you might even wonder why you were ever worried about him coming out....but by then you'll be too busy chasing him all over, cleaning up his messes, and keeping him outta trouble :lol

[jon333]

so taking him out of his cage would be a bad idea

[Tango's_Mom]

Forcing him out of the cage would be a bad idea, yes. However, when you are spending time with him, leave the door open (this is best done in a smallish, bird proofed room. Let him come out on his own. A week is a very, very short period of time in the grand scheme of things. If I remember right, your bird came from a petstore, in all likelyhood he has had minimal human interaction, and his only experience with hands has probably been them reaching into the cage to grab him. It is not at all uncommon for petstore birds to be afraid of hands and people, when I got Tango, it was at least 3 weeks before he would come out of his cage at all, let alone come to me, and 6 MONTHS before he accepted my hands, now he is comfortable stepping onto a finger, being picked up and held, being petted, and even goes in for the odd beak rub now and again. As I type, he's alternating between preening my hair, playing with the strings on my sweatshirt hood, or practising his new favorite sport, sweatshirt diving, maybe he's getting ready for the lovie olympics.... :p

[Janie]

Jon,

Jenna's reply speaks volume's about how to do it and how long it might take. It won't be easy but Tango is proof that it can be done with time and patience.

[mewant1]

I just also wanted to add that just how it is important to wait for him to step up you afterwards you also need to give him that same time to step off. my lovies jump right off but my quaker takes more time steping off my finger than stepping up on it. you want/need to make them feel comfortable with all aspects of your touching. and yes if your bird was from a pet store it prolly did not receive much if any attention....I've come to learn that most of the animals available thru a "pet store" are not much more than a rescued animal. Their "breeders" spent little to no time with them and most were given minimal food...not that they were not fed but rather they were not fed more than just seed. If the bird is young you should have a fairly easy time in training it but then again each animal is different...just like people. But trust me the time you spend gaining the trust of that little baby will be SO worth it in the end. Once you have their love and trust there's nothing else like it! As soon as he's used to you he'll follow you anywhere and everywhere. Just sit with him...he needs to see your presence, talk to him...he needs to get used to your voice, have his cage open when you're there....then he might peek out at you, and maybe try some treats just outside his cage. He'll feel comfortable soon enough :D

[Janie]

and yes if your bird was from a pet store it prolly did not receive much if any attention....I've come to learn that most of the animals available thru a "pet store" are not much more than a rescued animal. Their "breeders" spent little to no time with them and most were given minimal food...not that they were not fed but rather they were not fed more than just seed. If the bird is young you should have a fairly easy time in training it but then again each animal is different...just like people.

I agree, 100%! There is one very good privately owned bird/fish store here and the larger parrots are constantly handled to keep them tame but I've never seen a single lovie (young and still with black on their beaks) that did not freak out when anyone got near the cage. They are careful to keep the expensive birds tame but do not spend time with the "cheap" ones. :( When you have to spend your time handling the bird that will sell for $500 to $2,000 or the bird selling for under $100, no contest, the lovies will lose. Even if they got the young lovies in a fairly tame condition, left on their own for a couple of weeks in a cage with no interaction, and it's back to square one. As you said, it can be done and especially with a younger bird but it's going to take time and, yes, it is so worth the effort. :)

[michael]

Hi Jon, I have to say it took a week to get my lovebird used to his new cage/home. He backed away whenever approached and even attacked at first so I felt that was an invasion on my part so I gave him plenty of space and time. I expected quicker results myself but found out time was of the essence. And it payed off. Now I'm trying to train him to go back in his cage. I have to take him upstairs, chase him off my shoulder until he hops on a towel that has to be placed in a specific location otherwise he gets mad and then he'll let me scoop him up and take him downstairs to his cage/home. When I set him in there he stays but we have to do the same ritual otherwise forget it. The little fart. Sometimes, rarely, he'll go in by himself but I love him so much I don't mind at all, besides its good exercise. Some birds pick up quick on things, like a few minutes, and others can take months. I'm sure it won't take that long and some day you can look back and think, what great progress and what a wonderful time achiev'ing it even if you did get bit a few times. ..........Goofy and Michael........ Once he comes out to hang with you watch your LIPS, as it takes a little while for them to realize that HURTS!

[dani]

I'm having the same problem with my new lovie Haku, he'll totally ignore the open cage door! I'm gonna keep gently coaxing him though, and giving him treats and i hope that one day he'll decide to come out and explore. i'm taking all this advice too!!

[dovelady4]

My doves are very skittish. Everytime I sell one I MAKE SURE the people buying understand that they are skittish and will need time to get use to humans. Calming them down takes a long time, and I can only imagine it'll take longer with a smaller bird.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

I had a very similar experience with my lovies that Jenna did. It took weeks before Melody worked up the nerve to come out of her cage. Even then, if she thought I was coming near her, she'd bolt back inside her cage where she was safe. It was MONTHS before she would come to me.

You must build trust with your bird and that is going to take time. He's not going to come to you if he doesn't trust you. It is very hard to be patient. I know. But do not force your bird or you will ruin that trust.

[salderm1]

Hi Jon,
I got my lovie for Christmas and had some bad advice at first then found this site. It has helped SO much! Everyone here knows what they are talking about and give good advice. I just opened Link's cage and sat on the computer either whistling or talking to him every night and sure enough he got curious about me and hopped on my shoulder! He sits on my shoulder and my son's but it was only if we were sitting in the computer chair by his cage. I was laying on the couch the other day and he flew over and then hopped all the way over to my face t obe with me! He's got this obsession with my glasses and thinks they are his perch now. It is really weird when you are laying there and a bird is looking at you from upside down. He still doesn't like fingers but will take a treat from me now. We have a long way to go but we are getting there. Just be patient!

[salderm1]

Hi,

I got Link at Christmas and I had very bad advice, stick your hand in their cage to get them to get used to you. I found this website and, oh my gosh, have things been different!!! Listen to these people giving you advise! Basicaly what you should do is take him in a small room and let HIM explore YOU. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! I honestly did not think that my bird would EVER have anything to do with me but I followed the advice on this website andnow he is a little velcro birdie. Your Lovie will eventually come to you...Now I have the problem that he bites me!!! And here I wanted him to love me!!!! lol