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| Question about Pets:How do i get my bird to like me? |
Yes, birds do have a tendency to pick one person as their favorite and ignore, or be hostile to, everyone else. And it definatly is frustrating! But there are things you can do to get your cockatiel to like you more. With a little patience and love, your bird will come around.
Does the 'tiel have a favorite treat? Talk to your dad. Maybe you could be the official giver of red cabbage (my tiel's favorite), or cereal, or sunflower seeds, whatever. If the bird learns to associate you with something positive, like her favorite food, she will look forward to seeing you.
Another idea is more agressive, but in my experiance works faster. Catch the 'tiel with a towel, so she cannot see where she is going. Take her into a small, unfamiliar room. Bathrooms and garages work great, as long as they are clean and closed off from any birdie hazards, like open windows, or open toilets! Sit on the floor and try to be calm. Then let your cockatiel out. Suddenly, you will become the most familiar thing in the room to the bird. She will automatically stay close to you, because cockatiels are very nervous around new things and in new areas. Try giving her treats and talking softly to her, and let her sit on your lap or knee. I should also mention that this approach only works when the bird's wings are clipped. I always reccomend that you keep your bird's wings clipped during any type of training anyway. It keeps them in one place (mostly) and also keeps them humble. All of my birds, no matter how sweet, would get cocky and grouchy toward me when their wing feathers grow out!
Your dad also needs to participate in the retraining of the cockatiel. Since he is her favorite person, she will pay attention to the things he does more than she will to anyone else. If she hisses at your or your family, your dad should put the bird in her cage immediatly, or set her down and turn his back on her for a few seconds. Yelling at the bird will not help, she won't understand it. But she will understand being ignored, which is one of the worst things you can do to a flock animal. Once you are able to hold your cockatiel, your dad should stay nearby and praise the bird while she is sitting with you.
One word of caution, also. You should never ever put an aggressive bird on your shoulder or anywhere near your face. This may seem obvious, but until you are able to trust your bird completely, keep her on your lap or hand. Also, when you hold your bird at the same level as your eyes (like on your shoulder, or worse, on top of your head) she will think she is bigger than you, and therefore in charge! Silly, I know. But still, keep your bird lower than your face.
I'm sure your cockatiel will come around in time. She is obviously capable of affection toward humans, she just has to learn to share her love. Good luck!
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