teaching dominance

[Periwinkle]

I had Peri's wings clipped today and the lady that did it told me to cover Peri with a wash rag and pick her up. She said this will teach Peri that I am the dominant one. Is this true? I don't want her to be scared of me! She is very tempermental and when I did cover her with the rag she did let me hold her but she almost seemed scared instead of like submissive or whatever. Are there any other ways to teach her?

[JuliesGonnaDance]

I wouldn't grab your budgie with a towel unless it is needed, like to check for a medical reason or to clip wings etc.
Just spend lots of time with her, teach her to step up and build a bond with her. I don't think you'll have much of a dominance issue. :)

[Periwinkle]

She can step up but it takes forever to get her to do it and it is only after she has realized that she can't hurt you from the angle she is at. Then she finally steps on my finger and goes at a different angle. Once I get her out of the cage she is basically ok unless you come between her and her mirror.

[JuliesGonnaDance]

What worked good when I was finger training Jadon, is just got him to step up, then praised him and returned him to his perch. Then the next time I would make him step up one more time than the last, or walk around the room with him on my finger. It took a while, but now he is at the point where he loves hanging out with me, preening my face :P, and giving me kisses. :)
It just takes patience and won't happen overnight.

[softie]

Budgies are small, fragiel birds, so grabbing them with a towel and handling them that way, may cause injuries.

As JulesGonnaDance has said, you should be training her and bonding with her as friends rather than "master"

There are ways that budgies can show that they will dominate over you and that's what you want to prevent. Such acts as biting you is a way of showing their dominance. You must show back yours by not being afraid and not pulling away your finger.

Another way is that they will try to climb on top of your head. You want to prevent that as well :)

[thegownchick]

Please don't grab your darling with a towel. You want Peri to love you, not fear you. Ever heard the old saying, you get more flies with sugar than you do with vinegar? Patience, patience, baby steps has to be your motto. It might take two weeks to master one tiny thing, and that's fine. With a dog, give it a piece of bacon and you're instantly their best friend. It doesn't work that way with budgies, or birds in general. Love, love love my dear. Peri will learn that you are his best friend ever but you have to take things slowly, in his time. I have a great book by Gil Solomon who advises a great way to train budgies. Do a Google search for him. I've trained two budgies by his methods and it works every time.

[Periwinkle]

Well, I tried to get Peri out of the cage without using the towel and after probably 10 minutes she came out. My problem is the biting. I have been wearing a glove when holding her because she hurts me when she bites. I tell her no in a stern voice and she gives me this look like she knows I am not serious. I don't know when to take the glove off and just try it with just my finger. I try not to be afraid but I know she is going to go straight for my skin.