Lisa Shea Forums Parakeets Budgie Training For the love of Parakeet!

I adopted my Sonnet from someone 2 years ago (I don't know how old she is!)...she had never had any training and had been left alone a lot! SHE IS STILL AFRAID OF EVERYTHING!!! She doesn't leave her cage (even if the door is open) unless I make her to clean it, the minute I put it in it's place she is back in it! She will only eat seeds (including millet) and will starve herself if I put anything "weird" in her food bowl and will shove other stuff out of her cage.
I work from home so I am with her everyday...I started with the regular training ideas...pretty much work with her everyday!!!!
She landed on my hand for the first time a few days ago, but I admit, it was because when I fed her (out of my hand)at her normal time and she was starving and I had taken everything out of her cage...I don't want to be mean...but it worked...
Most of the time I feel like we have a pretty good relationship...I teach music and she loves that...I love when I talk to her and she laughs at me...I cook for my 4 children and she wants to be in her cage in the kitchen so she can make noises when I hit the pots and pans...then she laughs...
But she gets worked up in her cage if she gets scared, if she ever broke a wing I would never be able to get her without grabbing her...she won't let me touch her to help with her beak or nails...won't take a bath...won't land on my finger...after 2 YEARS!!!!
I really love having her in my life and want to take better care of her...
Help?.....

I love the name Sonnet!

Sorry I'm a bit confused --- have you tried regular, slow step-up training, with millet? You said you've "started with the regular training ideas...pretty much work with her everyday!!!!" which is great, and the fact that she ate out of your hand is encouraging.

Would it be possible to take her (in her cage) to a small, quiet room twice a day to practice step-up training? I'm thinking that it might help her focus if it's a separate, one-on-one activity for you both.

From what I've read on this forum, some budgies are social butterflies and trust very quickly; others are introverts and take a long, long time to step up, come out of the cage, etc.

It does sound like she is interacting with you and your family (laughing and tweeting), but maybe her cage is her important "security blanket?"

What I am confused about is reading where other's have said "training can take days, weeks....." What about YEARS...
I have wondered about getting her a friend, but she pretends to "bite" me when she is scared, and I don't want her to be mean...
If she is really just happy living in her cage that is fine. I don't want to try to make her something she is not...but I would love to cuddle with her and have a closer relationship with her!

sometimes their personality just isn't that way. barny, a bird i had years ogo was "the birdie friend" she would let me scratch her cheek, loving it, pet her back, ride in my shirts... but none of the others i have had since have ever let me near their face, but we love each other!!!