Advice on taming my young budgie

[flyingtrue]

My young budgie, I
think is a male. He's certainly got character. I let him out
regularly. Started teaching him step up in a small room out of his
cage which he did learn. However he bites a lot. He bites when I put my hand in the cage and
bites sometimes when I ask him step up. If I let him out in big
living area with lots of perches and toys he is happy playing etc
sits a lot on shoulders/heads without us commanding. He'll bite
without provoked as well. When he was out we'll provide food and
treats for him. He will follow me everywhere, sit on me and not leave
me. He doesn't return to cage on his own. I have to turn lights off,
often use perch method if step up not work or encourage into cage
with favourite toy as the treat method not worked.



Any advice? Am I doing
things wrong? He chatty, playful and mischieveous – would love him
to fly more in living area and interact with us. Not sure about the
sitting on head/shoulder and attached to me 24/7.

[Hezz]

First of all don't provide food outside the cage if you have problems getting him to go home. What is the incentive for him to go back to the cage when everything he needs is available out of it? There isn't any. How old is the budgie? The biting is generally a part of the teen stage of a budgie's development; more often than not they grow out of it as they mature.

Also, you need to be the boss and decide when and where he comes out. If it is not convenient for you to have him out at certain times (ie when cooking) then you need to make sure you can get him back into the cage and be sure that he is safe. Budgies need routines and rules, just the same as we do. You need to set boundaries and be consistent, make sure he knows what is expected of him.