# Help my unfriendly pigeon



## eddiebrown (Jun 23, 2011)

How do you train a pigeon to be nice and not hostile or afraid of its owner?
please give me detail. Thanks!


----------



## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

you dont.
Every bird has its own personality, but if you treat it with love & affection, and feed it & give it treats, it may just come round.
Always move slowly around it, build up a trust but be careful not to break it.
Everything is on the pigeops terms, not yours.
Most birds do not like to be handled so if it rejects that, dont try, unless you really need to examine it or give it meds etc.
As soon as you try to force something it doesnt like, you will set back the trust tenfold.


----------



## eddiebrown (Jun 23, 2011)

So is holding it every day a good idea, been trying to get him slowly used to me.Also can you think of some good pigeon treats.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

No, it isn't a good idea. If the bird is afraid of you and you_ force_ it to be held, then you are just scaring it further. The bird isn't _trained_ to be friendly and come to you. It isn't a dog. It learns to trust you if you give it cause to. After learning to trust you, it will come to you. You can't force a bird to do anything. As was mentioned, it is on_ their_ terms, not yours. Patience should win him over. If you can't wait for him to trust you, and want to come to you, then it isn't going to happen period.

As far as treats are concerned, they like safflower seed or chopped *unsalted *peanuts. But until they realize that these things are food, they will not take them. Mix a bit in their food so that they will eventually taste them and find out how good they are. Eventually they should come to you for the treat. Just be patient.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

yea.. pigeons are not cuddle bugs.. unless it is a lone house pigeon that thinks your it's mate .. they are pray animals so they have an instinct to be wary.. sort of like a bear or lion trying to befriend you and you not understanding what it is all about..lol..


----------



## eddiebrown (Jun 23, 2011)

Does any one know of pigeon or dove breeders around my area they dont need to be breeders but they can be either.


----------



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

Our Maggie is the only pigeon in a house full of parrots and two dogs and while she tolerates the parrots, mostly, they're afraid of her and she has to depend on us for companionship. Give your pigeon a while to get used to you, but keep talking to him/her all the time. Offer to stroke him, but don't force it, as others have said. When you get his food out to fill up his dish, let him see what you're doing and look into the container so he'll understand his food comes from you. That was the first thing that got Maggie to thaw out. She's not big on treats, though she'll peck at something once to be polite and then turns her beak up at it. LOL We just had to be patient and wait for her to come around. I think it helped that she saw us handling the parrots and petting them and realized that maybe petting wasn't so bad. Now she wants us to pet her all the time and she follows me around like a puppy.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Be careful if you are letting the pigeon and parrots get together, as the parrots can hurt the pigeon. I know someone whose parrot took off the pigeons beak. Only takes a second.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> Be careful if you are letting the pigeon and parrots get together, as the parrots can hurt the pigeon. I know someone whose parrot took off the pigeons beak. Only takes a second.


she has been told...but says she has it under control in past threads..


----------



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

And I keep telling you, they're afraid of her. They don't get anywhere near her. If she wants the food they have, they fly away and let her have it. She has chased all four of them -- two tiels and two Quakers -- away from perches and food and they take off and let her have it. Last Sunday she and my Quaker Clyde bathed side by side in separate dishes about two inches apart and even when she splashed him, because she splashes everything, he didn't even squawk. She sits on the arm of the chair next to me and he sits on my hand. She pulled one tiel's tail the other day because she wanted my complete attention and he flew away.


----------



## eddiebrown (Jun 23, 2011)

Is this thread about pigeons and parrots or my pigeon and traing it? Sorry i dont mean to be rude but you should make a new thread your spaming mine up.


----------



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

I was actually trying to help you -- Maggie was quite aloof and standoffish for several weeks after joining the family and I thought I could offer a few suggestions. But every time I mention my parrots those two start snarling at me about having parrots and a pigeon in the same household and off we go.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Siobhan said:


> And I keep telling you, they're afraid of her. They don't get anywhere near her. If she wants the food they have, they fly away and let her have it. She has chased all four of them -- two tiels and two Quakers -- away from perches and food and they take off and let her have it. Last Sunday she and my Quaker Clyde bathed side by side in separate dishes about two inches apart and even when she splashed him, because she splashes everything, he didn't even squawk. She sits on the arm of the chair next to me and he sits on my hand. She pulled one tiel's tail the other day because she wanted my complete attention and he flew away.


You've been lucky so far, but that is just an accident waiting to happen.


----------



## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

eddiebrown said:


> Is this thread about pigeons and parrots or my pigeon and traing it? Sorry i dont mean to be rude but you should make a new thread your spaming mine up.


Siobahn wasnt spamming yours up, she was telling you how to gain trust with your bird.
Also, others make coments on other things which crop up in topics as a general observation of good or bad issues. 
If they didnt, one may look at things mentioned as an idea to try which could actually be detremental to the birds safety. 



Siobhan said:


> I was actually trying to help you -- Maggie was quite aloof and standoffish for several weeks after joining the family and I thought I could offer a few suggestions. But every time I mention my parrots those two start snarling at me about having parrots and a pigeon in the same household and off we go.


No ones "snarling" at you, just reminding you to always be aware.
It may seem at the mo that your parrots are frightened of Maggie & put up with it, and as long as they do then Maggie will continue to rule the roost, but If even one of them decides enough is enough, then Maggie will be the one to suffer. You on the other hand continue to advocate that there is no problem, which is not particularly good advice for others to think of following.


Back to the original topic, 
As I said earlier, all birds have their own peronalities. You have to observe them & watch how they react.
The bird has to trust you, you have to gain its trust by not doing anything it does not like. If you know it doesnt like you doing something towards it, DONT DO IT.
As Siobahn says, talk to it (do it at its own level or below, never from above)
show it the food, pretend peck at the food with your finger, If it doesnt like being handled dont handle it.
Never offer it food or a treat then grab it if it comes near.
Once it starts to trusts you, any mistake on your part will frighten it.
You cant MAKE a pigeon do anything, well thats not true, you can actually make it more hostile towards you. 
Oh, and Never encroach on its nesting/roosting area while it is there as this is where it is most defensive.


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

eddiebrown said:


> Is this thread about pigeons and parrots or my pigeon and traing it? Sorry i dont mean to be rude but you should make a new thread *your spaming mine up*.





> spam
> 
> n.
> Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail.
> ...


_(Free Online Dictionary)_


----------



## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

John_D said:


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by eddiebrown View Post
> Is this thread about pigeons and parrots or my pigeon and traing it? Sorry i dont mean to be rude but you should make a new thread your spaming mine up.
> Quote:
> ...


lol. XD

As already stated, you can't make the bird love you. 

You really need to just hang out by the cage for a while, talking to it until it starts to settle down around you. Find out what it likes to eat and see if you can get it to eat from your hand. Do nothing at all that is scary (like grabbing).

Do you already have a bird? I thought you were just looking at how to make a loft for them before getting them??


----------



## pigeon is fun (Sep 6, 2010)

what is spaming? some kind of pigeon term?


----------



## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Mine used to slap the hell out of me and bite me with a great deal of zeal. It took four months and now she is sweet as pie. Be sure never to be mean to her. Always be kind to her. Approach slowly and gently. Talk with a high pitch, playful voice. Don't act scared; she can sense fear. Let her bite you, her beak can't break skin. Eventually she will come around.


----------



## eddiebrown (Jun 23, 2011)

No I already have a really nice dovecote but i was just wondering about an aviary but the problems over my pigeon has a nice aviary.Now im wondering about a partner for him but thats on another thread. Thanks for all of the help my pigeon is more friendly every day!


----------



## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> yea.. pigeons are not cuddle bugs.. unless it is a lone house pigeon that thinks your it's mate .. they are pray animals so they have an instinct to be wary.. sort of like a bear or lion trying to befriend you and you not understanding what it is all about..lol..


 i love it how u say unless it is a lone house pigeon that thinks it's your mate..
lol
so unless ur pigeon inlove with u.. u will have no luck
i raised gazzilion of babies and usually i find them in two's 
one would be tame and love me and another would be standoffish.. its just tehir personality


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

goga82, I think she meant a grown pigeon. Lots of babies are cuddly and friendly. As they grow older, they become more independent, and once they mate up with another bird, they are not normally so cuddly. They have the companionship of another pigeon, and don't want to snuggle with people. Some will remain friendly and you can handle them, but they are no way as snuggly or affectionate to people any longer. A lone house pigeon will often remain more friendly. Most other birds are the same also. Alone they will come to you more for companionship, but if they have that from another bird, then they don't require that from you.


----------



## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> goga82, I think she meant a grown pigeon. Lots of babies are cuddly and friendly. As they grow older, they become more independent, and once they mate up with another bird, they are not normally so cuddly. They have the companionship of another pigeon, and don't want to snuggle with people. Some will remain friendly and you can handle them, but they are no way as snuggly or affectionate to people any longer. A lone house pigeon will often remain more friendly. Most other birds are the same also. Alone they will come to you more for companionship, but if they have that from another bird, then they don't require that from you.




umm ok.. i still have grown pigeons with a mate that are crazy about cuddling with me.. i do have a special touch i pretend to preen them and they pass out.. grown that i raised..
grown that i find cant be tame no matter what


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well grown ferals are really hard. They grow up seeing us as predators. Pretty hard to turn that around. I have grown babies as well that did cuddle until they took a mate. They are still friendly, but they are also grown up now. Most grow out of that cuddly baby stage. That's normal and healthy.


----------



## FrillbackLover (Mar 18, 2011)

I know what its like. When i got my first pair they were not friendly. They wouldnt b on the outdoors section of their loft to eat when i was half way across the yard. But every day i got closer and closer. Then i could sit right there 1 foot away while they ate. When i let them fly( there frillbacks so when i say fly its mostly just walkin around or just going up to the roof, there not like the flying breeds that fly nonstop for hours) i would throw some seed for them to pick at. Then i threw it closer and closer until they ate at my feet. Then i put seed on a little table while i sat there next to it. And then i would put seed there while my arm rested ont the table. Then i just put the seed closer and closer. Then the seed went in my hand and three days later i the one was eating out of my hand. Now age and character also depend on how friendly they r. If u socialize with them when their youngr they will grow to b friendly. My first pair were 2 and 3 years old and were never before socialize. That whole process i just wrote took like 5/6 months. But if u work with them younger it goes faster. If u work with them when theyre a squeaker, well they tame instantly. Later i bought a pigeon when she was around 5 months old. When i first got her she was willing to eat out of my hand. But character is an important factor too. My first pair, the female was the one who first ate out of my hand. The male took another like 3 weeks until that happened. He was always more timid and i think never really like me much. But the female, and the other female i later bought, became my friends.

U just have to work with ur pigeons, now i can get them to land on my arm any time i want. Some squeaker im working with happily snuggle against me and hav no fear of me. Im even workin with my pigeons to go through hoops, but that project was postponed because breeding season started. But that was going great. If u watch closly every bird has their own speacial personaliy. I know all my bird's by heart. All the big breeders seem to forget about enjoying and having friendships with their birds, but seem to just now think about breeding the perfect pigeon. But if ur watching and sit around with ur birds, u will see that all r great in their own little or big way. Im a new breeder, and i want to grow big one day, but i wont stop knowing all my pigeons by heart


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That was a nice post. And isn't it wonderful when you really get to know your birds? So much enjoyment you can get from having a good relationship with them. They're just fun!


----------



## eddiebrown (Jun 23, 2011)

eddiebrown said:


> Does any one know of pigeon or dove breeders around my area they dont need to be breeders but they can be either.


What happend to this?


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

eddiebrown said:


> What happend to this?


Ya know....sometimes you can just read and learn from what others have to say to each other........everything doesn't have to be directed strictly to you. I do that in the 'Racing Forum'. Alot of the members there are in their _own_ little world, But I can still learn something from some of them.


----------



## taurean (Apr 3, 2011)

So where is that delicate balance? In my aviary I am trying to avoid holding the pigeons as I know they do not like to be caught (except the baby which is the only one born in my aviary, which seems to like to be held now). Now when I start to fly them I will have to catch them, probably with a net, to put them in a training cage to teach them to use the trap. I also cannot leave the aviary door open, so will be loosing the birds from the training cage. Will they not trust me ever because I have to net them every time I fly them, or will they associate catching them only with "it's time to fly"?


----------



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

My pigeon loves to be held and cuddled. However, she didn't used to like it, so maybe it's just a matter of conditioning yours. Mine flies to me and lands on my hand or head or arm and likes to snuggle up with me on the couch. It took a while of gently urging her to accept it, but now she likes nothing better than petting and snuggling.


----------



## taurean (Apr 3, 2011)

Yeah. There will be no snuggling, cuddling, or flying on my couch. I'm happy with a mutually respectful relationship. I'd like to be able to handle my birds for training and have them also not be skiddish of me in the aviary. I would be happy to be able to feed them from my hand, I don't need to cuddle with them.


----------



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

Silly me. I thought a "pet" was an animal one had a relationship with.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Siobhan said:


> Silly me. I thought a "pet" was an animal one had a relationship with.


Siobhan--Ya know, you probably have just one bird. It's a lot different with just one. Pigeons are flock birds. They are generally happier with more pigeons around them, and being part of a group. If you only have one, then you become its flock, so to speak, as there is no one else. But if they are part of a flock, they don't generally become quite as snuggly and close to the owner. The reason for that is that they have friends of their own kind. That doesn't mean that they are not pets. Of course they are, but with a different relationship. Generally, a healthier relationship, as they do not look to the person to be their mate or sole partner.

taureen--Now as for getting them to be more comfortable with you, spend a lot of time with them, so they get used to having you around, and get them used to taking treats from your hand. Eventually, they will probably come to you. My birds do, and sometimes I do have to catch them for some reason or other, but they soon forget it, and are coming to me again. Building trust takes a while, but once earned, you will be their friend. Even if you have to catch them to basket them. I am pretty good at catching mine without chasing them all over and scaring them. You never want to scare them. Have you tried offering them treats?


----------



## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Siobhan--Ya know, you probably have just one bird. It's a lot different with just one. Pigeons are flock birds. They are generally happier with more pigeons around them, and being part of a group. If you only have one, then you become its flock, so to speak, as there is no one else. But if they are part of a flock, they don't generally become quite as snuggly and close to the owner. The reason for that is that they have friends of their own kind. That doesn't mean that they are not pets. Of course they are, but with a different relationship. Generally, a healthier relationship, as they do not look to the person to be their mate or sole partner.


Exactly! I've learned many things from the animals that I'm close to, yes, but I've also learned valuable things from the creatures who are the most wild (mostly the diamond doves and my fishies.) There is much value in having pets who can be observed such that you learn to understand the intricacies of their lives.  This is why many people have big aviaries full of finches etc. It isn't always about the human-animal relationship (though those can be fantastic as well--I adore the animals who I am close to.) Anyways, sometimes, it's worth it just to see the animal-animal relationships.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Libis said:


> Exactly! I've learned many things from the animals that I'm close to, yes, but I've also learned valuable things from the creatures who are the most wild (mostly the diamond doves and my fishies.) There is much value in having pets who can be observed such that you learn to understand the intricacies of their lives.  This is why many people have big aviaries full of finches etc. It isn't always about the human-animal relationship (though those can be fantastic as well--I adore the animals who I am close to.) Anyways, sometimes, it's worth it just to see the animal-animal relationships.


I agree with you. A pet doesn't have to be a creature that you can hold and snuggle with. A pet is another creature to whom you are the caretaker. And with birds and some other creatures, the tone or closeness of the relationship is set by the animal. Actually that would go for any animal. You cannot force friendship on any animal. You must win them over with trust and kindness. And you must also allow for them to be what they are. Accept them as they are. If they bless you with friendship, that is a plus. Just letting them be what they are, and allowing you to be part of it, regardless of the amount of distance they set in the agreement, they are a joy to experience. If they choose to move closer to you and become your friend, you are blessed. 
There are many kinds of caretaker/animal relationships. The closeness, or actual physical contact is not what makes them a pet.


----------

