# Is My Dove Bonding with Me? Or does She just Plain Hate Me?



## NewDoveInTown (May 20, 2013)

WARNING: Long explanation ahead for I can't seem to stop myself from writing

I'm a newbie here and to owning a dove so I hope you don't mind my newbie-like questions. 

Okay, you see, I have a female Ringneck dove that I named Sweety Bird who I got at the age of about one year and she's already had two owners. Like most Ringneck doves, she's the most mellowest bird I've ever encountered. I've had her with me for about eight months for I got her in September. Though of course for those eight months I think she's just tolerated me. 

She's the only dove I own and she's my first so I'm completely new to dove behavior. I've researched what my Sweety needs and not once has she been neglected/hurt/ill with me. (Though when she started her first molt, I almost died when she bad bald spots and pinfeathers)

Okay, back to the actual question! You see, just yesterday I've finally noticed her changing-ish behavior. A few days ago, my dove, perched on my hand, leaned down, spread out her tail feathers some, and made her cooing noise. Then she would twitch her wings. This had never happened with me before! She never has cooed while perching on my hand!

Then just today she was perched on my hand again when she leaned down again and cooed while twitching her wings. I responded with my own coo (I've been practicing xD) and she responded back. We went back and forth cooing four times. Is her twitching her wings a bad sign like she's agitated?!

Then she did the strangest thing today! While I was softly stroking her back, she turned her head and sort of began pecking me. I took my hand away from her back and next to her side and she still sort of pecked me. She has done this three times today! Was she trying to preen me or was she saying 'Get away from me'? She's never done this before. 

Then this night I had her out and I was sitting on the ground writing emails innocently when she got out of my sight and preened/pecked my foot! I tilted my computer screen down to see what happened (luckily I have terrible reflexes and I didn't move my leg through all of this so I didn't frighten her) and she quickly walked away as if nothing happened.

And now whenever I call her name or attempt to coo, she comes closer to me. But she still shies away from me if I reach out to pet her. And then she makes that bicker sound when I pick her up to take her back to her cage. (Her wings have been clipped practically all her life). Then whenever I come into sight of her cage, she starts grazing her cage bars with her beak, making a cling-sound. She never does this unless she can see me not paying attention to her and letting her out.

Then of course she coos when she hears my voice in the morning. But when I come closer to her, she makes that laughter/bicker sound.

I'm so confused. Is she finally bonding with me or is she growing to hate me?


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Haha! That is so cute! I'm not too familiar with doves as I have a pigeon.

I'm sure she LOVES you... maybe DeeDee's Mom, Nancy and other dove experts can explain her behaviour. 

Thank you for spending so much time with her. She's lucky to have such a caring and loving owner!


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

Your dove loves you and thinks you're it's mate. DeeDee acts the same way, except only more so.

I've been told that stroking on the back is sexual, and it can stimulate egg-laying in females, which really isn't too good, because then you have to worry about all the attendant problems of letting her sit on the eggs for a couple of weeks, then tossing them. If you don't let her sit on them, she'll just lay continually and will deplete her calcium supply. Since DeeDee is a male, that's not a problem. He's just a VERY happy male dove, because he is petted and stroked a LOT. LOL. My biggest problem is that he has decided I'm his mate, and tries to mate with my head (kind of squicky). I suppose he keeps waiting for me to lay eggs for him, but that ain't gonna happen. <grin>

Enjoy your dove!


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## NewDoveInTown (May 20, 2013)

*Thank you!!!*

Thank you both for your responds! They really helped and made me smile. :3


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