Trust Building

Bartleby is doing pretty well with stepping onto my finger and sitting on there of chilling out of his cage. We have a little trust there. I would like to build a stronger bond with both of my fids. What are some great trust building exercises to help strengthen our bond even more?

Time is the best trust builder, that and patience.

The best way to encourage good behaviour is with food treats but you cannot rush things, your birds should indicate when to take things to the next level rather than you yourself.

Any form of training works great to build trust. If he allows you, head scratches work well too. However as MPW pointed out, the best one is simply time. Have you got a play gym or perch Bartleby can sit on? I would put that on your desk where you work and just let him sit there. Buddy would sit on hers for HOURS while I worked away. Just being near you in a relaxing atmosphere, seems to really help build up that trust.

Aussie Ben said:

Any form of training works great to build trust. If he allows you, head scratches work well too. However as MPW pointed out, the best one is simply time. Have you got a play gym or perch Bartleby can sit on? I would put that on your desk where you work and just let him sit there. Buddy would sit on hers for HOURS while I worked away. Just being near you in a relaxing atmosphere, seems to really help build up that trust.

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Alright, thanks guys!! Just take my time. And actually Ben, I do have a perch but it's S'mores and she'll get mad if Bartleby's on there. Plus he's too big for it! I was actually in Home Depot today, I was going to buy some pipes to build a play gym for Bartleby but my ma said no I'll buy them next time!

MPW and Aussie Ben are right, time is something very important for the bonding process. Now that he's out of his cage (his comfort zone), he needs to get used to being out and around you before any serious bond can form.

I too would have to agree with MPW that offering foods is a fantastic way to bond. My bond with my fearful cockatiel, Pineapple, is ever-growing because of all the time he spend out with me and all the treats I've offered to him. Treats can take you a long way with bonding.

Daily training sessions with simple tricks can be helpful as well. Simple things to teach him would be, whistling a tune, dancing, or waving hello. This stimulates his mind and gives him a fun and exciting opportunity to be with you.

apatrimo94 said:

Aussie Ben said:

Any form of training works great to build trust. If he allows you, head scratches work well too. However as MPW pointed out, the best one is simply time. Have you got a play gym or perch Bartleby can sit on? I would put that on your desk where you work and just let him sit there. Buddy would sit on hers for HOURS while I worked away. Just being near you in a relaxing atmosphere, seems to really help build up that trust.

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Alright, thanks guys!! Just take my time. And actually Ben, I do have a perch but it's S'mores and she'll get mad if Bartleby's on there. Plus he's too big for it! I was actually in Home Depot today, I was going to buy some pipes to build a play gym for Bartleby but my ma said no I'll buy them next time!

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You tell S'mores she needs to share! LOL

If you have some nearby, natural sticks work great and they cost nothing. Just make sure the wood is from a safe source and clean it before offering. I'm making one as we speak out of eucalyptus branches, I'll take some photos later. All you need is a base of some sort, some sisal lashing and a screw to hold the main branch to the base.

Ehhh, most likely she won't share unless it's with me! LOL

It's hard for me to find natural wood around my house, some of my trees are poisonoues. My next door neighbor has a maple tree which I know is safe, but she doesn't like people hanging around her house. So breaking branches off her tree wouldn't be to good! LOL. Besides the piping the store was selling, I can build a house with them and spend $20.

apatrimo94 said:

I can build a house with them and spend $20.

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What are you waiting for lol.

In that case PVC piping is the best option if you can't find natural branches. What are you going to use for grip? cuz its kinda slippery. Sisal would work and I hear of something called 'vet wrap' or 'vet tape' that supposedly works well. Some people sand the surface of the pipe to rough it up.

i agree that time is the biggest trust builder key..with the help of this you can make your trust relationship even more stronger..
try to make this relationship more stronger by giving enough time