Help My new cockatiel hates me

He is about 8 months old and was hand raised. At first he was OK with being held - 1 or 2 times when he first came home with me and then he "flew" off my hand (wings are clipped) and rammed into the window. Since then he hisses and bit me really hard when I try to get him out. I know I need to work with him but I'm really freaked about getting bit again. It hurt! I've tried using a towel to get him and now he hates me even more. Any suggestions?

Since your cockatiel is going to be a member of your family, you should know how to tame and train it. You will be rewarded with a well-behaved companion who will give you many years of pleasure. The taming and training period can be divided into three categories: getting acquainted, training techniques, and talking or whistling.

Getting Acquainted Put yourself in your cockatiel's place: You have been taken away from your family and placed in a strange cage in a new room with different sights and sounds and no place to hide. There are huge, unfeathered creatures with no beaks making strange noises in front of your cage. How would you feel? Frightened, of course!

As you can see, the first few days should be devoted to getting acquainted. It is very important that you move slowly and talk quietly to your new family member. In a few days, you will probably see that your cockatiel is less frightened 鈥?it won't jump from perch to perch, squawk, hiss, or fluff its feathers as much when you approach or stand near its cage. Try to learn your cockatiel's body language and "speech" 鈥?its signs of aggression as well as its signs of trust. Try to imitate its "trusting" sounds.