Talon

Welcome to uur family! Great intro, thank you for that. If you post your questions in the other rooms, you will get quicker responses. Feel free to ask anything, we have lots of greyt members and you will enjoy being here. I look forward to hearing more from you. It is great that you are doing your research before getting your bird, that shows you will be a great parront!

Never heard of it.....would love to see a pics of it tho....

Hmm, don't know much about mites, maybe Dave, Ray or Jay will be here soon to help. DEFINATELY encourage the wood chewing, they really have a need to do that and it may help with his recent behaviour changes. Keep us posted, we care and understand how frustrating this can be, but hopefully soon you will figure it out with help from others.

Oh my! That is the BESt news ever!!! He steps up?????? WOW! This has been a long time coming. I don't know anyone with more patience than you, and big has it paid off. You even got that wonderful ZON smell, isn't it great!

Ray that is soo funny! And Jay, thanks, but NO THANKS! I have enough wood splinters to clean up daily in my house..

10 min is a long time for practicing step up. I have never had to spend time training my birds to step up, it happens naturally through out the day when we interact and move to different places in the house. They all will step up when asked.

I know most owners talk about the Terrible Two's, but both my amazon, Nilah & Rikki my cag went thru the terrible threes. That is the time when they fly to every piece of wood in my house and destroy it! Rikki did it for a while when she was three, now it seems to be Nilah's turn....she has chewed every bit she can get so fast before I can chase after her!! Any other Terrible Threes here, instead of terrible two"S?

When ever I take Nilah out of her cage or talk one on one to her, she makes a clucking sound, you can tell she is full of excitement, as I can see it in her eyes and body language. Does anyone else here have an amazon that clucks when she is excited or is it just mine...????

I am very sorry for your loss. Always sad when you lose a member of your family.

I ask, because most greys that get extensive daily training have been known to be pluckers. I personally feel that a training regimen is stressful to a grey. I have seen many a plucker, and when asked, many of them are worked with alot on training...just my experience and opinion, I am sure others will argue this fact, but it should be looked into more. Although there is no SCIENTIFIC evidence to prove my theory, there SHOULD be...as I have seen it too much.

Good advice Dan! I have many forbidden places, however, all 3 of my parrots chew the wood, door frames, window sills, etc..... I dont allow it, but it still happens....I have many things I purchase at the Dollar Store in hopes of using them to put in places that are no-no's. I recently purchased a giant fly swatter, a spinning flower garden ornament, and a loud long noise maker. I place them where ever they want to go and I don't want them, and they fly off and stay off. Mostly, I use a large, long handled duster that they hate! That works best. I also have some hand held items that they won't go near, you could try holding them when your bird is out and your dog is next to you, you may find this solution works best.

My tag LOVES candy, my cag, loves cheese nips, my amazon, LOVES EVERYTHING!!!!!

I personally don't like or agree with his methods of training. As Judy said, don't waste your $$

Question,do you do a lot of training with him?

Have you tried putting you dog on a small leash when your let her out ofmher cage and guarding your dog? All the time reassuring your grey that all is ok and your dog is a friendly family member? Also, maybe your grey is jealous of the dog?

I agree with Jay that you have to teach family rules To ALL you pets and kids. I have a bichon puppy that is nippy in a playful way, that Nilah my amazon likes to play with. But I watch him, and train him not to nip. You don't pull your dogs teeth out so that he doesn't nip at your kids, guests, other pets do you? NO, you teach and train him NOT to nip! The same goes for a cat, do you declaw them because they scratch your or your kids and pets, NO! That is like cutting off their fingers, do the research, declawing is exactly the same. I feel very strongly myself, that clipping a birds wings is the same as cutting off a humans legs. They were meant to fly, not sit and perch wherever we decide they should be. TRAIN and WATCH your pets. They may or may not learn, but watching their behaviour and being attuned to them and their actions and personalities will keep the situation under control. You have to be diligent when they are out together as I am when we are all hanging out watching tv together. I NEVER EVER trust them alone. You will learn to read them and their behaviour. That's what you get posting here, LOTS of opinions, it is up to YOU to decide what is the best course of action, but clipping shouldn't be the only one.....you have a teachable moment to begin training the behaviour of your bird.

Judy gives greyt advice. His cage should no out in the room with the family right from the start, it will an easier transition for him. Bless you for giving him his new forever home. I bet you will see a big change in his personality over time as he becomes a member of your family. Give it time tho and be patient. De Ending on the ages of your children. I would allow them to have him step up as well as you in the presence of your husband.. That way he won't develop a fear of you and your kids, he will know that you are safe and a part of the family. Keep usosted!

Very bad idea! And a very dangerous one. Bird Sitting is fine, but they must have seperated cages. Their cage is like their own palace, and birds don't usually like to share it unless they were brought up together in te same cage, and then only a few get along with no problems.

I LOVE it! Thanks for the info, don't realize when it happens, just notice it.

My greys way outpoop my amazon!!! And with 2 greys, I spend my spare time wiping poops off the floor, chairs, etc. at night before I go to bed, I have to go thru all the spots I know they poop or hang out in and clean it all up. Every night!!!! That's what having free flighted birds does. But wouldn't have it another way!

Dan said it best! I couldn't agree more, and I speak from experience. My amazon who is the youngest member of my flock, she is 2 yrs old, attacks both my bichons, and both my cat and my daughters cat. She is free flighted and will always remain so. She will run over to them, and bite them or walk on them, they are scared of her because of this so I have to watch her when she is out, but that is nothing new, cause an amazon is no different than having a 2 year old child, you have to keep an eye on her all the time. She is out of her cage for a good part of the day, but always where I can see her, and if she flies off and I can't hear her, I call for her or look to see what trouble she is into. I also keep watch over my dogs and cats as their Instinct will kick in one day and they will do what nature intended....attack back. She also loves to walk around the floorwhile her and one of my dogs try to play together, of course I have to put a stop to it as much fun as they are having...... Vigilance is the key here, NOT wing clipping. I feel that is like cutting off ones legs, just MY OPINION!

What kind hearts you have! Yes, pictures please!

Beautiful! Love the pics!

Oooohhhh!!!! I LOVE that smell! Haven't noticed exactly when it happens, but would like to hear why, and when...... I stick my nose in her when she does that and inhale.......

Phew! The lady said she already gave him a new home.......I keep telling myself, NO MORE BIRDS until our parakeets are over the Rainbow Bridge... I AMA bit worried about Nilah and a tiel. She can be a bites desire over me, and a bully when Rikki allows it. I am afraid she would chase it away all the time....