My cockatiel sarted to hiss me

[william.k.o]

Hi, for like the last 2 months i've been trying to get my cockatiel out of his cage, i've done the same thing almost everyday of those 2 months, i've been sitting beside his cage and and target train him, and trained to step up, but some days ago i put my hand in his cage and he hissed at me with no reason, i know he doesn't like to be touched but he stopped hissing the first week i got him.

Anyone has an advice?

Thanks,
william.

[Wolf]

Hi William, it has been a while since we last heard from you and Joey. So what has been happening with the two of you? Are you spending much time with Joey and what do you do together? I don't yet have any idea as to why Joey is acting this way , but it is clear that he is unhappy with you about something. Let's see if we can figure it out together.

[Pajarita]

If he is hissing at you, he is telling you he is upset with something you are doing so, if it happens when you put your hand in his cage, stop doing it. Just open the door and let him come out on his own (he does have a playstand next to his cage, a perch or something were he chills on when he is out of his cage, right?)

[william.k.o]

Hi William, it has been a while since we last heard from you and Joey. So what has been happening with the two of you? Are you spending much time with Joey and what do you do together? I don't yet have any idea as to why Joey is acting this way , but it is clear that he is unhappy with you about something. Let's see if we can figure it out together.

Hi Wolf, i'm trying to gain his trust, it's been difficult since i don't know if it's related on how they treated him before i got him, i always sit besides his cage and talk to him, i'm target training him and making him step up but he won't stay there. Oh and his also afraid o plastic baskets i don't know why.

If he is hissing at you, he is telling you he is upset with something you are doing so, if it happens when you put your hand in his cage, stop doing it. Just open the door and let him come out on his own (he does have a playstand next to his cage, a perch or something were he chills on when he is out of his cage, right?)

Well thats the problem, he won't get out of his cage, i don't know why, he seems to be afraid of the outside of his cage, once i tried to take him without noticing, but when he noticed he flew everywhere and almost hurt himself, since then i tried not to take him out by forcing him.

[Wolf]

William, you said that you are making Joey step up, Could you tell me what you are doing to make him step up? Do you have a perch on the outside of his cage or one nearby? When you took him out of the cage what time of day was it? I mean like was it in the morning or in the evening? Was there any one nearby doing anything? Is Joey's cage still in the dining area? Does Joey step up on your hand at all or is he still afraid of you?

[Pajarita]

Sometimes, it takes months for a bird to come out of his cage but, if that's how long it takes them to realize it's safe to do it, then that's how long you have to wait. I don't mean to offend you as I am sure your are doing your very best for him but you must be doing something that is making him mad because that is what a hiss is for a tiel - basically, it's like a dog growling at you. If I were you, I would stop the target training (you might be doing too much, too long, too often, too soon, etc). Target training is not the alpha and the omega of bird taming and it should only take place when the bird feels comfortable with and has a certain degree of trust in its human because, when you do it too soon, it backfires. Just concentrate in making him feel comfortable. Put a perch right outside his cage door, open it and wait for as long as it takes.

[william.k.o]

William, you said that you are making Joey step up, Could you tell me what you are doing to make him step up? Do you have a perch on the outside of his cage or one nearby? When you took him out of the cage what time of day was it? I mean like was it in the morning or in the evening? Was there any one nearby doing anything? Is Joey's cage still in the dining area? Does Joey step up on your hand at all or is he still afraid of you?

I'm targeting him to my finger just that, and no i don't have a perch nearby his cage, i'm making one but it's big and his cage is ground level, i don't really remember at what time it was since it was like two months ago, but i think it was like 6 pm or maybe 7 pm, yes my mon and my sister were with us, Joey's cage is still in the dining room, and he still doesn't step up unless i target him.

Sometimes, it takes months for a bird to come out of his cage but, if that's how long it takes them to realize it's safe to do it, then that's how long you have to wait. I don't mean to offend you as I am sure your are doing your very best for him but you must be doing something that is making him mad because that is what a hiss is for a tiel - basically, it's like a dog growling at you. If I were you, I would stop the target training (you might be doing too much, too long, too often, too soon, etc). Target training is not the alpha and the omega of bird taming and it should only take place when the bird feels comfortable with and has a certain degree of trust in its human because, when you do it too soon, it backfires. Just concentrate in making him feel comfortable. Put a perch right outside his cage door, open it and wait for as long as it takes.

I'm doing it just once a day (although sometimes i forget to do it) and it lasts like 15 min. But then what should i do? Do i just sit besides him and wait? If i do that my dad thinks i'm not doing anything.
And as mentioned before i don't have a perch besides his cage but i'm making one, but it's big and his cage is ground level.

[Wolf]

William, I didn't realize that his cage was at ground level, is there something that you can do to raise it up so that it is at least shoulder high? cockatiels are arboreal by nature, this simply means that they live in trees and will not be comfortable much less happy if they are forced to live on the ground where their natural predators could get to them. What does he have for toys now? If I remember correctly he didn't have many toys last time we wrote.
No, you don't just sit there and wait, you talk to him. If he will take treats from your hand then hold the treat so that Joey needs to step on your hand to get the treat. It is beginning to sound like you dropped off of talking to him and completing the taming process and so Joey still doesn't trust you yet. If this is true then you need to get back to doing this as you will never get anywhere with him until you can earn his trust. It is the foundation for everything that could be.
If the dining area is set up so that Joey can't escape then you do need to allow him at least 2 hours of free time out of his cage. The best time for this is about an hour before dusk and dinner time for him so that you can make sure that he sees you put his food in his cage. If you do it then, the chances are that he will return to the cage on his own. Yes, the first few times he is going to be overly excited and fly into things until he learns where they are and can gain some proficiency at flying in an enclosed space. Yes, it is a scary thing to watch him go through, but he really needs this to remain healthy and it will help him to work through his frustration problems.
You tell me what you have to lose by doing these things. Joey is not happy with you and you can't do anything with him the way you have been doing things.

[william.k.o]

I will try to get something to raise his cage, and i talk to him but not much (i don't know what to talk).
And i don't know if i should do it in the dining room cause it's connected to the kitchen and there are no doors to the kitchen there's just a wall that doesn't enclose the dining room. And how am i going to put him in his cage if he won't let me touch him and how am i going to take him out?
Oh and should i still train him or do i stop until i get his trust?

[Wolf]

No you should not let him go into the kitchen, it is too dangerous for him there. Is there another place where his cage could be where you could let him come out, like your room, maybe? If not a permanent place how about one that you could take him in his cage for a couple of hours?

What do you talk to your friends about? Joey won't care what you talk about, he will happily listen to you talk about anything. Do you have to write reports for school? Read to him from your school books, he won't mind. Do you play video games? Talk to him about your favorite game, he may never plat it but, he won't care to listen to you talk about it. just try to tell him that he is a good boy for listening to you or for helping you with your school work. It is all the same to him.
Make a little perch for him to be on when he comes out of his cage, it doesn't need to be more than 8 to 10 inches high with a wide enough base to set on a table or on a chair even, just as long as it is stable and won't tip over.
You can try to target him to the perch from his cage. If you let him out near to his dinner time, just make sure that he sees you put his dinner in the cage and give him the space and time to go back in on his own. If he doesn't go in by himself, wait until after dark and then try to step up and put him in.