urgent advise!

[serkz!]

hi there people.
i have recently added 2 lovely doves to the family after 2 of my brothers passed away.
its been a couple of months now and they look really healthy, infact they seem to be getting a little chubby! there about 5 months old. i let em fly and they come back in to their loft when they are hungry, so i have taught them on that level.

now what my concern is that they are still very wary of me... for when i try to pick them up... and today i witnessed them both pecking at me quite abit! ( i have had them wing slap me before)i mean ive always been gentle with them
on that note i took em inside and tried to hold and stroke them on the head so they'd feel a little more comfotable, perhaps when they are more around me. i have watched a couple youtube vids to train your doves, by letting them fly from one hand to the other... i have tried this and they started shivering and breathing heavily! i stopped and they eventually got back to normal...
could this all be because they are still babies and need growing up...?
perhaps im doing something wrong?
so my question would be, why are my babies so wary over me?
and what can i do to help them feel comfortable with me...
any tips advise? would be appreciated.

[ETphonehome]

Pigeons do not survive in the wild when tamed in any sense they need the fear to humans as a survival tactic.

Do not expect pigeons that are put free to fly every day to behave like a dog and show gratitude for your good deeds it does not work that way that is not part of the wild live they have to face every day outside.

Some people starve doves/pigeons to Force them to make funny tricks like perching on their shoulders, I am sorry to tell you than that is just abusive and not fun for themselves.

Try better to build a relationship with them respecting their wild side, it takes much more time and effort but at the end is a natural way of trusting each other.

[serkz!]

firslty i appreciate your response, secondly i dont think you have fully understood my concern!
i indicated that although i treat them with respect and care they still are very wary...
i did not in any way say that i expect anything of them just because i treat them well?
secondly i did not starve them or apply any abusive gesture in order for them to do 'tricks'
it was a training/relationship building exercise!!
you have not mentioned the important parts of my concern but perhaps given your own opinion about something irrelevant to my concern.
i wanted to know how to build better trust and prevent wariness or intimidation.
on that note i do understand that i have to accept the wild side of them...
regards.

[pigeon-lover0]

Originally Posted by serkz!

firslty i appreciate your response, secondly i dont think you have fully understood my concern!
i indicated that although i treat them with respect and care they still are very wary...
i did not in any way say that i expect anything of them just because i treat them well?
secondly i did not starve them or apply any abusive gesture in order for them to do 'tricks'
it was a training/relationship building exercise!!
you have not mentioned the important parts of my concern but perhaps given your own opinion about something irrelevant to my concern.
i wanted to know how to build better trust and prevent wariness or intimidation.
on that note i do understand that i have to accept the wild side of them...
regards.

From what I understand you have had them for a while, yes?

The wing slapping and pecking is not a sign of hate/fear. A scared pigeon will cower to a corner and try to hide. They are showing you that they are no longer afraid of you. Do not pick them up, they will lose your trust if you do that. Pigeons and doves when picked up will cause them to fly away or fight. Let them come to you. During feeding time don't put food out. Go in with food on your hand and stay still. They might eat out of it. When you get tired (not too long 10-15min) put food out like you usually do.

[serkz!]

Originally Posted by pigeon-lover0

From what I understand you have had them for a while, yes?

The wing slapping and pecking is not a sign of hate/fear. A scared pigeon will cower to a corner and try to hide. They are showing you that they are no longer afraid of you. Do not pick them up, they will lose your trust if you do that. Pigeons and doves when picked up will cause them to fly away or fight. Let them come to you. During feeding time don't put food out. Go in with food on your hand and stay still. They might eat out of it. When you get tired (not too long 10-15min) put food out like you usually do.

i have had them 2 months now, and they are 5 months old at the moment.
and i understand everything you wrote. but sometimes you just wanna pick em up and kiss em for being so cute! thank you for your advise, ill do this from now on...

[pigeon-lover0]

No problem. It's what we do.

[Jaye]

Yes, they actually sound healthy and you should not be offended by their pecking or aversion to humans. As ET said (and I do not think he was particularly suggesting you in any way treat your birds poorly)...a Pigeon/Dove allowed free-flight will automatically not be a very cuddly companion bird...because you have allowed them access to the big, Feral world to a degree.

So, generally, the snuggly kind of doves are ones which are kept indoors, as 'pets' or companion birds.

BTW...I am sorry about your brothers. I do hope that these Doves bring you some joy. You have done well by them so far.

[serkz!]

Originally Posted by Jaye

Yes, they actually sound healthy and you should not be offended by their pecking or aversion to humans. As ET said (and I do not think he was particularly suggesting you in any way treat your birds poorly)...a Pigeon/Dove allowed free-flight will automatically not be a very cuddly companion bird...because you have allowed them access to the big, Feral world to a degree.

So, generally, the snuggly kind of doves are ones which are kept indoors, as 'pets' or companion birds.

BTW...I am sorry about your brothers. I do hope that these Doves bring you some joy. You have done well by them so far.

hi there, thanx alot for your response! i think im slowly understanding the nature of these birds... like et said they are nothing like dogs ( ive had many dogs in the past) and they shouldn't be treated like em either!
but as its my first time having these birds i am abit inexperienced. thank you to every one who commented. it really helped me understand alot about doves/pigeons!
would there be any other precautions and advise for me in the near future...??
regards