# Taming Not Working



## smtownlady (Feb 19, 2017)

Hello! 

I have been working at taming my budgies for a couple months, and I am very disappointed to say that there has been no change or progress at all. I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I am doing all of the suggestions from my local pet store. Plus a couple friends of mine gave me some tips. Maybe It's just harder because there is 4 of them and not just 1?

Anyway here are the things I am doing:
I walk up to their cage and I talk to them calmly. They are alert at every move I make so I talk calmly so they calm down and aren't so startled or unsure of what's going on. Then I slowly open the cage door. (When I say slow, I mean as slow as possible.) And I move my hand with my pointer finger out (as if it were a perch) very slowly and try to get one of them to hop on. Of course they don't right away, but they still aren't willing to at all. 

Am I doing anything wrong? I've watched videos on youtube, and they all show progress with taming their Budgies but I can't even get passed them not being afraid of my hand.  


:feedback:


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## HappiBudgie (Jan 17, 2017)

Have you looked at the stickies? The taming and bonding one is extremely useful: Taming and Bonding - Talk Budgies Forums
Of course, it's harder to train 4 budgies. But you just need to be patient, as it will take some time.
Best wishes!


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Well, if it makes you feel better, you're not making any progress because your pet store has misinformed you on how to tame budgies  

The stickies linked above should help to straighten out your methods!

Basically, the talking to them calmly is a great first step, and you should do this for a long time until they aren't anxious anymore when you're near their cage. It seems you're already through this stage, so you can get to the next one: 

You can open the cage door, and put your hand in, but DO NOT try and make them hop on! That only terrifies them more and tries to coerce them into something they aren't ready for yet. 

Put your hand as far away as possible from them and talk to them reassuringly. Do this a few times a day for as long as it takes to realise your hand isn't a threat. They will be active and ignore your hand, or will be curious about it. Both are good! 

Once they're comfortable with it in that place, move it to a new place, slightly closer than they are. Same steps repeated here. 

Eventually, once you can put your hand near enough to them, you can offer them millet or seeds from your hand and see if they'll eat it. Once they're comfortable with that, you can offer them millet held in your hand while you extend your pointer finger, and then see if they will hop on. Don't force them, though--hold it out just enough so they have to stretch for the millet, and eventually they'll realise that it's a great place to stand!

This is just the beginning of building trust  Yes, it is harder to tame four budgies at once, but once one of them is willing to step up for seed or millet, the others will follow suit. 

Best wishes! :wave:


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## smtownlady (Feb 19, 2017)

Thank you! Will read up and excited to start the new and *correct* taming methods.


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## nickko (Feb 13, 2017)

Excellent advice from Starling , id like to tell somethings too ..

dont be dissapointed or presure them if it takes 1 or more weeks to move from one step to the next one ..

I wouldnt recommend not to have your finger pointing to them , or like a perch , have your fingers stuck together just like you have your hand when you offer something ..

Dont skip steps ( you might even need to go back steps ) .. every little sudden movement that will scary them might also send you back ..

It would be helpfull if you put a routine on this when you do it .. for example everyday at 11 for 30 minutes and at 16 for another 30 minutes .. 
Finally each time before str8 moving your hand into their cage spent some on looking close enough to them and just talking to them , telling the same things over and over will help ..

That worked for me to tame a totally untamed pair of budgies and took me about 1 month ..

Have patience , best wishes ..

HelloWorld


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The best advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

Best wishes*


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## smtownlady (Feb 19, 2017)

*Update!*

It has been about a month so I decided to update you all.

The taming process was going so well! I was past the point where my Budgies weren't afraid when I approached their cage anymore, so then I began the slow process of introducing my hand. 
I started by laying my hand on the outside of their cage a few times a day for 5 to 7 minutes. And I moved it higher every 3 days. And then I got to the point where I wanted to see if I could start putting my hand in their cage. So I slowly opened the door, and would reach in and lay my hand right inside the door of the cage. At first they were a little nervous so I backed off for a couple more days and went back to just the outside. And then I tried inside again, and they watched me but didn't do the nervous back and forth walking on their perches! YAY!!!

But last week I became super bummed. Because I was so close to getting to where I could introduce my hand to them with some millet. And I made a mistake and I bumped one of their food bowls and it fell to the bottom of their cage and made a loud noise and scared them all pretty good! And now a week has gone by and it is as if I hadn't even taken any steps at all. So I have had to start over again. They get really quiet and nervous when I walk up to their cage. Honestly I am feeling discouraged. And I feel so so so bad for scaring them to the point where I lost the trust that I had gained from them.

Will they learn to trust me again? I really hope so.


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## Therm (Aug 2, 2015)

These things do happen. 

Its discouraging but you have made such great progress. Take things back to the beginning and start again. I know that sound so frustrating, but it will work. They might trust you quicker this time but the best thing is to start back where you were again. 

Don't give up. You can do this!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Therm is correct.

Your budgies will learn to trust you again.
Often we take one step forward and then two steps back when it comes to gaining our little ones' trust - you certainly aren't the only one that has experienced a mishap of that nature.:hug:

Take things slowly at the budgies' pace and in time you will definitely make progress.

Best wishes!*


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## iHeartPieds (Jan 9, 2017)

Don't give up  One of my budgies had some bad experiences with people when she was younger and it took a long time for me to get her to trust me but now she's a total sweetheart. So it's definitely possible for your budgies to trust you again. Remember every budgie is different and some progress faster than others. Try to enjoy every small step forward that you make and before you know it, you will have those budgies eating out of your hand, literally!


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

I agree completely :hug: 

It can be disheartening and frustrating, but as long as you preserver, you can get to where you were and beyond. 

I did the same thing when I was working with my girl; I tried to rearrange her toy while she was in the cage and while trying to do it slowly and carefully, the wooden tower with bells smashed to the cage floor and she was terrified for days. 

With slow and careful retracing of steps you've already done, they surely will learn even more quickly this time that you can be trusted :thumbup:

Best of luck! :fingerx:


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