# My dove seems really scared of me



## Melanchowly (Apr 1, 2017)

After much consideration I decided to get a dove. I did a lot of research and it seemed a good fit for me. 

I picked him up Friday the 11th and had him in my lap for a while before I put him in his cage for the first time. Seemed interested in me for a while at first. 
But after he went into the cage it has been pretty hard to get him out. 

I try to coax him out by rubbing his belly to get him to climb onto my hand. Most of the time he just flutters over my hand in what seems like a panic. Before I bought him I should clarify the breeder clipped his wings. I didn't realize that at the time. So maybe this is adding to his stress? 

When I do get him out he mostly just runs all over. Sometimes he will sit on my hand or stand near me, but mostly he just walks and stares at a distance. 

I'm so worried I'm terrifying him or hurting when I try to pet him and he runs around the floor or cage. 

Any tips for a new owner on how to get my dove to be comfortable around me? 

He is also about five months old from what the breeder told me. 

Thanks!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Is this an actual dove or a pigeon?
Birds don't like being picked up. They want to come to you when they are ready. They need to learn to trust you first. By cutting the wings, yes he is more scared and upset. That is his only defense and has now been taken away. It is what people do to try to force them to get used to you because they can't fly away. That isn't earning their trust. Would make it worse. That is the lazy way. The better way is to be around him a lot and gently talk to him, and move slow. Let him get used to having you around him, let him learn that he can trust you not to hurt him. You don't get that by forcing them. After he is used to you being around, and calm when you are near him, you can offer him some treats. Find one he likes, and he will come to you for the treat eventually. I would rather go slow and work at it and have my bird want to come to me when he sees me, because he wants to and isn't afraid of me. It takes longer, but means more and he is then moving at his own pace, not yours.


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## JessHope (Apr 6, 2017)

I've never owned a bird...but am picking my baby up tomorrow!

However....I have had a lot of other animals, plus a lot of rescues. It definitely takes a lot of patience and time to get an animal used to you! Trying to hand feed or give treats has been insanely helpful with my Hedgehog. I'd give that a try! I sit in the room he's in and read out loud to him a lot...when he finally comes out he gets lots of treats and gently pets.

Patience and time! Spend a lot of time around him talking to him and being near his cage so he can get used to you.

Good luck!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I like the reading to him. That's a good idea.


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## Melanchowly (Apr 1, 2017)

I have a ringnecked dove. 

I have started leaving the cage door open and I am in constant eyesight of him at all times. We look at each other all day and he even left the cage on his own for the first time yesterday. I'll try sitting next to his cage for several hours, watching and talking to see if that helps. And I'll try reading to him too like Jess suggested. 



But, I'm starting to worry about this breeder I got him from. He got on my fingers earlier and I noticed a long, thin, yellowish bug in his feathers. I'm assuming it's lice. 
The breeder sprayed him a week ago when I bought him saying he will be safe from mites and lice with the spray she used for a few months. 

I don't take him outside and I clean his cage daily so I haven't a clue how he got lice and I'm worried that's what's causing him to be so skittish. Tomorrow I'm picking up spray to kill the bugs but I am really bothered by seeing it on him. 

He lives on the second floor of my house near a (always closed) window. I put a liner at the bottom of his cage and clean it daily so he wont be walking on his poop ( and I don't like the bars free on the cage floor since one of his toes looks like it doesn't work. the breeder was kinda shoving him around when I bought him so I think it hurt his foot). So, if there are any ways you think he could have gotten the lice from, please let me know since I don't want him to get sick cause I'm not taking care of something. 

Thank you.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He had them when you got them. She probably didn't spray him well enough. Nothing you did or didn't do. You will get rid of the bugs with a spray or powder. I never use those bar floors. Not good for their feet. I would cover it with wood or cardboard to make it more solid, before covering with a liner. Can you post a pic of his set up?


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Best not to force yourself on him. Let him get use to his new home/cage. Daily feedings and talking softly will eventually bring him around and earn trust. Ringneck doves tame pretty quickly. Time and patience. He needs to get use to your hand. Pretty soon you'll be able to reach in his cage and play with him with your hand.


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## Melanchowly (Apr 1, 2017)

Sorry the cage is a little bare. I just got him a week ago and wanted him to get used to his cage first. I'll be getting him new perches and maybe a toy too. (The bowl is in there cause I was trying to get him to bathe with the borax solution. surprise surprise, everything was closed on Easter and sadly walmart only had borax. So tomorrow I'll have to got to the local pet store and tractor supply to see if they have any lice spray) 

I line the bottom of the cage with a cut yoga mat and then put a puppy training pad on the top for easy clean up. The breeder actually got mad at me when I told her this is how I wanted to set up the cage. She said he will just stand in his poop and get sick. But I change it daily so I don't see how this is a problem.
(oh and he drinks out of the water bottle in the left corner. I didn't believe it at first but she said he would do it and he seems to be drinking it.) 

I felt bad having to hold him steady to spray him with a little bit of the borax solution I put in a spray bottle. After two hours of him not bathing I had to gently hold him and spray him with some of the diluted solution. I'm leaving the water in for a bit to see if he will bathe on his own.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Okay, not finding fault, but he should have a water dish like any other bird to drink from. Drinking from a bottle like that isn't natural for them. He had to be taught to do that. It saves breeders from changing the water out all the time, and keeps it clean, but a pet bird should be able to drink in a more natural way. They suck up the water from a container. That is what is natural for them. You are also right about not putting him on bars for a floor. It saves the breeder from cleaning cages as much, but is bad for their feet. Certainly not comfortable for them to walk or stand on. 

It looks like the cage is on the floor. If so, then it shouldn't be at floor level. Needs to be on a table or something to lift it up higher. They don't feel secure on the floor, so that alone would put him off and make him feel less secure. It's instinctual for them to go up high to be safe from predators. Birds should never be kept on the floor. It's a nice cage though, and very cute little bird. He will get used to you eventually if you take it slow, and offer him treats.

Doves don't bath as much as pigeons, which I am used to, so misting may be what you will have to do for him.


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## Melanchowly (Apr 1, 2017)

I put the cage on the floor since he has trouble getting around due to the breeder clipping his wings. (I never asked her to do that, she just said since it was my first bird she wanted to make holding him easier. To be honest I think it made him more afraid of me) Will he be okay up higher if I leave the door open during the day? I'm just worried about falling and hurting himself. 

And thank you. He was the goofy one of the seven she showed me and it really was love at first sight. I can only hope his flight feathers grow back soon. I have a very big house so he has plenty to explore with me.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The cage should only be open when you are there to supervise. A bird can get into trouble when left alone loose. People have closed doors on them, stepped on them. They eat things that will hurt them. No reason for him to be out loose when you aren't there. 
The cage still needs to be up on a table whether he can fly or not. Eventually he will be able to. Letting him have run of the house all the time will not help in taming him either. And he doesn't feel secure on the floor. If he jumps off the table the he should have enough feathers left to be able to somewhat glide to the floor.


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## Melanchowly (Apr 1, 2017)

He doesn't have run of the house and he almost never leaves the cage. I leave the door open only when I can see him, and if he leaves the cage I immediately go and watch him up close until he goes back. I don't leave my pets unsupervised ever. I work and go to college from home at the moment so I'm basically watching him from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep at night. 

I was going to put his cage back on the table when he had his feathers back but I can put it back on there now. I suppose I could just leave the cage door closed all the time. But I noticed he was more friendly when I let him choose to leave the cage.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He should be up higher. He will feel more relaxed.Your choice about leaving the door open or not, long as he is supervised it's fine.


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## kayosa (Apr 17, 2017)

The reason that the cage should be up higher is because birds are preyed upon from the sky by hawks. To them, anything that is above them is bad, which means if they have to look Up at you from the ground then you are very scary. Make yourself low and small and it will cause your dove to be less scared of you. 

For taming purposes, having the cage up high will make it easier. You can always move the cage down when you want him to be able to walk around. I suggest a table to put the cage on, that way you can open the door and have the dove walk on the table where he can look down. Birds naturally like being up high, it means they don't have to worry about ground predators like cats and foxes.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

kayosa said:


> The reason that the cage should be up higher is because birds are preyed upon from the sky by hawks. To them, anything that is above them is bad, which means if they have to look Up at you from the ground then you are very scary. Make yourself low and small and it will cause your dove to be less scared of you.
> 
> For taming purposes, having the cage up high will make it easier. You can always move the cage down when you want him to be able to walk around. I suggest a table to put the cage on, that way you can open the door and have the dove walk on the table where he can look down. Birds naturally like being up high, it means they don't have to worry about ground predators like cats and foxes.


Very good explanation. Thank you.


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