Attention seeking...

[mummybird]

Our Dusty makes theres realy cute noises all the time specially when he/she is trying to get someones attention for a head scratch or something... it kind of sounds like a eagle...but with a baby bird voice... (ok so i cant describe it well) but anyway... if u dont give dusty the attention..say dusty is sitting on my desk or something and im igoring the calls of attention.... he/she proceeds to throw EVERYTHING off the desk onto the floor... rip all the paper notes (my reminders) off the tower and chew them up and throw them on the floor... and if all else fails dusty jumps down onto the keyboard and guards the keys so i cant type and if i try to touch a key he/she will bite my hand ! it's cute but anoying at the same time... i never realised how much attention cockatiels love !!! dusty has even got my soon to be 3yr old under his spell.... if i put duty into the cage dusty climbs up the front bars flaps the wings like mad and starts to do the call and my son comes running
into the room and tells me off (in his cute angry voice) and lets his bird out free again... which then comes running right back to me again... dusty know how to get his own way and make sure u feel bad about not giving him/her enough attention . he/she becomes a big sook and does like a crying noise to make u feel bad and give a scratch. is this normal or is dusty just one attention loving cockatiel... it's like having another 3 year old... but even my son doesnt crave that much attention.

[lovemytiels]

Hi Mummybird, sounds like you have your hands full with dusty. Is dusty a young bird as the nosie he/she could be making is called begging for food even though it is eating seed they can still beg for food. As to attention seeking yep you are right there. Baby birds can be very demanding or even older tiels can be very demanding. If it becomes too much you have to teach it that this it not acceptable behavior & show it you are the boss otherwise it will think it is the dominant leader especially if it is a male. Hope this helps. Cheers Anna

[mummybird]

how do you teach a cockatiel being cute and demanding isnt acceptable not spend so much time with it
and yes dusty is only 9 and a bit weeks now... so still a bubba.

[Smiley]

The trick is, not to give in to when they what attention...Have a time plan...If you can understand that...They need to be to learn when it is time to play...Set a time when you can do this...And also birds need to to have respect as well..They mite be eating or doing other things at the time that you want to play.....Some times it is best to leaver alone...Thats is why that get bitten....