Two Year Old Parakeet Needs Training

User Question
hi i have a budgie thats about 3 years old and she won't even get on my hand she just bites. we have owned her for 2 years and try every day to get her to go on our hands but she will just bite you. do you have a way to solve this problem?

Lisa's Answer
Of course I have a solution - stop sticking your hands at her so she feels threatened!! I have step by step hand training instructions on my site and they definitely do NOT begin with you sticking your hand near her :) You have trained her to be afraid of you and her only self defense is to bite, that's all she can do.

So take a step back here. You need to do this properly if it's going to work. Make sure the parakeet is in a place where she's around people all day, with soft music playing. That she has ample seed, water, veggies to nibble on and a bathtub to splash in when she wants to. She has to be happy if she is going to learn to trust.

Then follow my hand training instructions here -

http://www.lisashea.com/petinfo/articles/bird_hand.html

Which do NOT say to get your hand anywhere near her. They say to slowly move a PERCH near her because she knows perches are not scary and are for sitting on. This will take you several months to undo the previous fear you've gotten into her, but it CAN be done and it is well worth it. Just be patient and slow and take it step by step.

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