# Bonding and Training



## LemonandRain (Jan 24, 2018)

Hello 

I have two budgies, male and female. I'm not sure how old they are. I got them about four months ago.

The problem is that they can't seem to get comfortable with me. They allow me to hand feed them millet and they let me put my hand and pick them up. I can bring them outside and everything, but they seem to fear me. I feed them millet and things. I talk to them and spend time with them, but they always seem terrified. Sometimes, they randomly fear my hand, even though they didn't fear it, like a minute ago. (I would feed them millet and they would eat it, but randomly, one [usually the female] would begin to freak out and it would cause the other to freak out as well)

They also can't seem to get used to my home. Sometimes, they just stand there doing nothing. I stay far from them (but I keep my eye on them), but they always try and fly back to their cage. I feel as if I'm going too fast.

Questions: 
-Should I separate them even though they've bonded with one another? 
-How can I get them used to my home? 
-How can I get them to become more comfortable with me? 
-When I let them out, should I put the cage in another room?

Please help! ❤ Thank you!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ayyvess (Jan 24, 2018)

One thing I have learned, is, with multiple budgies they bond to each other. I'm no pro, but they definitely prefer each other, IF they get along. I'm not sure how to get them used to your home. 

I have never removed their cage from the room. It is their safe place, don't rush, and take your time. Not every budgie will want you to handle them. I have 3, one will always come over to me. The other two will not, they prefer what they prefer. Have patience, and show them love. That's all the incite I can give you.

I guess I should add, my budgies are roughly 2 years old. A lot of it for me is knowing their personalities. It seems you've done things with them well. You have to just remember they are animals. They do like or even love you, but they do not behave like dogs. If they seem healthy, and happy, you are doing a better job than a lot of animal owners.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

As stated, your budgies' cage is their safe place.
It is very normal for them to want to return to it when they are frightened.

Take the time to read the stickies in the Taming and Bonding Section of the forum. 
If you'd like to have more interactions with your birds, working with them doing clicker training may be a good option for you. 

http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-budgie-training-bonding/315065-basics-clicker-training.html

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very 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.

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Let's Talk Budgies
How-To Guides
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List of Stickies
Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense
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50 Common Budgie Dangers to Watch Out For

A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
When We Don't Want Eggs

Recommended Minimum Cage Sizes
Essentials for a Great Cage
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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You've been given great advice. It may take some time for them to be confident doing certain things, and that's okay. As long as you take everything at their pace, they will slowly gain trust in you and their environment. 

Meanwhile, you've come to the very best place to learn even more about budgies. Be sure to read through all the articles and "stickies" (threads "stuck" to the top of each subforum for easy reference) to ensure you have all the right information to care for your little ones. 

If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help  

We'd love to meet them when you get a chance! hoto: 

Cheers! :wave:


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## gluecklich (Jan 25, 2018)

I agree, the stickies are indeed great resources!

However, I (as I would also think Lemonandrain) would like to hear about some personal experience/advice from other forum members (perhaps some anecdotes) with regard to the questions Lemonandrain has raised.
Thanks!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*


gluecklich said:



I agree, the stickies are indeed great resources!

However, I (as I would also think Lemonandrain) would like to hear about some personal experience/advice from other forum members (perhaps some anecdotes) with regard to the questions Lemonandrain has raised.
Thanks!

Click to expand...

If you are looking for specifics on how other members have trained their budgies, then I would suggest you go through the various training journal threads. These threads will provide a more in-depth look at how specific members interact with their birds.

Any taming/bonding is going to take a great deal of time and patience on the part of the owner and each budgie is unique. 
Using positive reinforcement training yields the best results. *


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## gluecklich (Jan 25, 2018)

Ok, thanks! But going haphazardly through all threads will take hours/days and might not even lead to answering LemonandRain's questions...Isn't that what forum's are for, i.e. asking other members for their personal input?


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

gluecklich said:


> Ok, thanks! But going haphazardly through all threads will take hours/days and might not even lead to answering LemonandRain's questions...Isn't that what forum's are for, i.e. asking other members for their personal input?


Although many forums operate more like "social networks", where the interactions are more about personal experiences, this forum mainly focuses on learning and knowledge. The information on these forums is an "educational resource". As a new member of Talk Budgies, the first thing everyone should do is start looking through the stickies and articles, as all the information there has been tried, true, and backed by both avian vets and experienced avian scientists. It's true, it may take a while, especially if a member is new to budgies and isn't aware of the "best practices" for caring for budgies.

However, reading a few relevant threads or articles per day will eventually add up, and a member may even find answers to questions they haven't even asked yet!

The thing is, it's more efficient and also more consistent if members are able to read the information they need.

Of course, that doesn't mean people can't ask questions. Questions are always welcome! But it's always more productive if questions can be answered after the member has read through the relevant articles, which cuts down on redundancy and ensures that everyone is coming from the same base of accurate information.

I hope that answers your questions


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*


gluecklich said:



Ok, thanks! But going haphazardly through all threads will take hours/days and might not even lead to answering LemonandRain's questions...Isn't that what forum's are for, i.e. asking other members for their personal input?

Click to expand...

StarlingWings has addressed your comment and I will elaborate further.

This forums provides "stickies" (i.e. threads that always appear at the top of particular forums) and budgie articles.

These threads address most commonly asked questions and provide a wealth of information regarding budgie care.

For example, if you have questions regarding taming and bonding, the first step should be to review all the stickies and articles on that topic. 
The second step would be to then review other members' training journals to see how they approached training of their birds.

Because this forum is a resource guide, we save time and effort by eliminating redundancy as much as possible.
The person with questions should first review information on the relevant topic(s) so Staff and other members do not need to rewrite readily available information.

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very 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.

Site Guidelines
Posting on the Forums
Let's Talk Budgies
How-To Guides
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
Budgie Articles
List of Stickies
Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense
Avian First Aid
Why Quarantine?

50 Common Budgie Dangers to Watch Out For

A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
When We Don't Want Eggs
Guidance regarding Breeding Advice Threads

Recommended Minimum Cage Sizes
Essentials for a Great Cage
Resource Directory*


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*


LemonandRain said:



Hello 

I have two budgies, male and female. I'm not sure how old they are. I got them about four months ago.

The problem is that they can't seem to get comfortable with me. They allow me to hand feed them millet and they let me put my hand and pick them up. I can bring them outside and everything, but they seem to fear me. I feed them millet and things. I talk to them and spend time with them, but they always seem terrified. Sometimes, they randomly fear my hand, even though they didn't fear it, like a minute ago. (I would feed them millet and they would eat it, but randomly, one [usually the female] would begin to freak out and it would cause the other to freak out as well)

They also can't seem to get used to my home. Sometimes, they just stand there doing nothing. I stay far from them (but I keep my eye on them), but they always try and fly back to their cage. I feel as if I'm going too fast.

Questions: 
-Should I separate them even though they've bonded with one another? 
-How can I get them used to my home? 
-How can I get them to become more comfortable with me? 
-When I let them out, should I put the cage in another room?

Please help! ❤ Thank you!

Click to expand...

1. You may wish to separate the two budgies only during the time when you are working on taming and bonding simply so you can give each of them one-on-one attention.
However, I would not recommend housing the two birds separately as they are already used to one another's company.
2. Generally owners have one room where their budgies are given out-of-cage time.
Placing a playground outside the cage with a few favorite toys can help the budgies become more comfortable with being outside their cage.
3. This question is addressed in the stickies and budgie articles. It takes time and patience for budgies to become comfortable with a human. Taming and Bonding is all about TRUST. Budgies cannot be expected to act like anything but birds and it is important you accept them as they are.
4. When you let the birds out of the cage, I would not move the cage into another room. That may stress the birds more. They need to know they can return to their safe place when they are ready to do so.

Please read the Budgie Articles, Stickies and other members' training journals.
If after carefully reviewing all that information you have specific questions we will be happy to try to help.*


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

As most everyone has said, the taming/bonding stickies are the best resource here. From my perspective, it seems that you're more anxious to have them with you, kind of like a dog that always want to be with you, and most birds (and especially small ones like budgies) have to be very comfortable and trusting, to want to be with you, and that's up to them. You can help them by not trying to force yourself onto them. Leave them make the first move. I'd start with just sitting near with no hand stuff. Never try to pick them up with your hand (just on your finger). Train with positive reinforcement for them to come to you, not you to them. Don't take the cage away from them when they're out the cage, because that is where they feel most comfortable. Don't force them to leave the cage. They'll come out when they want to. Spent more time around them making only very slow movements around them, and back off any time they show fear. Since they have each other, they are less likely to bond very closely with you, but they should, with time, lose their fear of your hand and be more relaxed around you. Just remember take your time, slow down your moves, and let them make the first moves, budgies are all individuals. Good luck.


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## gluecklich (Jan 25, 2018)

philw said:


> As most everyone has said, the taming/bonding stickies are the best resource here. From my perspective, it seems that you're more anxious to have them with you, kind of like a dog that always want to be with you, and most birds (and especially small ones like budgies) have to be very comfortable and trusting, to want to be with you, and that's up to them. You can help them by not trying to force yourself onto them. Leave them make the first move. I'd start with just sitting near with no hand stuff. Never try to pick them up with your hand (just on your finger). Train with positive reinforcement for them to come to you, not you to them. Don't take the cage away from them when they're out the cage, because that is where they feel most comfortable. Don't force them to leave the cage. They'll come out when they want to. Spent more time around them making only very slow movements around them, and back off any time they show fear. Since they have each other, they are less likely to bond very closely with you, but they should, with time, lose their fear of your hand and be more relaxed around you. Just remember take your time, slow down your moves, and let them make the first moves, budgies are all individuals. Good luck.


I was just wondering. How would you suggest to do the monthly thorough cleaning of the cage if I cannot remove the cage for half an hour to the bathroom/kitchen to clean it thoroughly. Any tips?


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## JRS (Sep 3, 2016)

Hi Gluecklich

Philw is talking about daily interactions with new birds with regards to taming, not short monthly events.

If your birds are housed in suitably sized cages and you keep on top of daily cleaning (with bird safe products, slow movements and background noise) then the birds should be more settled by the time it needs a good soak & scrub. 

If you are genuinely unsure of how to routinely clean your bird’s cage, then please create your own thread, with photos of your cage(s) and information regarding your own birds, so that members can best assist you.


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## gluecklich (Jan 25, 2018)

Thanks for the advice, JRS!


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