danmcq

Congratulations in overcoming the sad loss and going on with your life and sharing it with a new grey!

I love senegals, Merlin has landed in a wonderful home with a loving family. Congrats!!!

Oh Man Jeff, what a way to experience your first true bite. As you suspected and others commented on, it was nothing personal. She was freaked out and in survival mode. Your hand or anything else near her at the time was just another threat or possible thing to latch on to and pull herself out of the entanglement. It was noting personal whatsoever, it was pure survival. They will chew their own legs off if needed to get free or die hanging there. Therefore, no remorse on her part and no sense of having done anything wrong. She probably figures to herself "You don't hinder me while I am busy trying to free myself, so get over it Jeff". Anyway, welcome to your first Real Bite and the bite me club!

Oh Lord, I don't want to even think about them reading our tactics. They would use them against us. These buggers are just too smart and very sneaky in hiding or not telegraphing their next move. I always enjoy these updates on Gilbert. He is doing spectacularly!!!

Hang in there and keep positive thoughts when around Anya, they know your true feelings. She is a fighter and you just never know until the battle is over one way or the other. My thoughts and prayers for you both.

Wow, what an inspiring rescue story!! Going in to this and knowing the odds were high of death and spending the money to try and save him regardless. You are great examples to all here on the forum. I have no doubt that Waldo is thankful to you two as well.

It truly sounds as if the only solution is to take your grey with you on vacations. Is your grey close to anyone outside of your household that when you do go on vacation he may enjoy there company and perhaps be less stressed over your absence?

What an endearing story Nancy. Thanks for sharing it.

I always enjoy these videos.They are so entertaining and outright funny at times. Thanks for sharing this.

Whats wrong with Toweling? My grey plays with towels and does not fear them whatsoever. He has gotten toweled from 16 weeks and onward. It is used for nail trimming primarily when needed. Vets visits require a towel as well if they need to draw blood, handle them etc. It does not harm the bird and is the safest way for both the person and the bird to get necessary things done without harm to either. Toweling has been an excepted standard way of performing safe and gentle as possible restraint for eons.

Thanks for sharing this Candi. It is wonderful that you have found flight not only to be a positive for your grey, but also your entire household and even class rooms. What a great beginning and adventure you have all set off on.

Cute sounds from noodle!. Isn't it interesting what sounds they decide to pick up and use, others they just ignore (Thank God)? I think it is interesting how they use certain sounds to communicate their excitement, disappointment or even something they see they want etc. Laser beams for being excited is a perfect example! Many people do not pick up on the fact that many things are communicated through these various noises and whistles that are built up over time. Many times the assign these sounds and whistles themselves without any guidance from us what so ever. But, if you really pay attention to the times they apply them (not when they are just chattering of course) you will find they mean something. Dayo will use the loud sound of what is like a hammer tink on steel for example when he does not like your offering of something or ignoring him.... meaning total disapproval by him. It's almost as annoying as those Game Show Raspberry sounds. He uses the police siren sound for indicating he is tired of waiting for you to come back into the room and after making the sound says 911.

I think you are doing a good job. As others have advised, keep using more opportunities to expose her to places and people. Many greys do exhibit a gender preference and will want to interact at a closer level with the preferred gender. Gracie is a little older now and is no longer the infant parrot and has started learning she does not need to step-up for everyone that offers a treat. Just by the description of her lifting a foot for a moment and thinking about it, then accepting the treat from both sexes shows she is accepting of different people, not fluffy and becoming defensive, but just saying, Hey I decide if I want to step up for whomever I wish and if they offer a treat I'll take it. This is perfectly normal in my opinion.

Please do not clip the wings. As you have said, it is crucial that the neural synapses for flight get built. This takes time as you seem to know and understand. Solutions to your problems: 1. Do not bring the dogs in the room when your CAG is out. Also, as you said, if she starts to attack, place her in the the cage with a firm NO BITE, then leave her in there for a while. IF you let her out and she goes again for the dogs, place her right back in the cage again. She is highly intelligent and will soon decide for herself that the pleasure gained from terrorizing your dogs is not worth the jail time. 2. Places you do not want her to fly to and chew on - Place a stuffed animal with eyes that she is afraid where you do not want her to venture. Basically anything she is afraid of that you are aware of will work. Many of us do this because there are obviously items we do not want chewed up. Unfortunately parrots by nature love to chew things and especially wood. Thus all the wood block toys out there available for them. Keep posting anytime you need help with the issues. That's what we are here for. There are many ways to have a flighted bird and still maintain sanity and pieces of furniture you do not want destroyed intact. It's just a matter of changing the environment a little so you can keep your items nice and your bird can keep it's god given ability to fly intact. Then it's a win - win.

LOL, thats hilarious!!! I wish my grey would just bite the air and yell No Bite - No Bite, rather than nailing me. Alas, it will probably never happen....

LOL and congratulations you bird freak! I hope to hear more as he spends time with you and also seeing some photo when you get a chance.

LOL Steve!!! What did you say your brothers email or phone number was???

Plucking or molting? Do you have a photo of your grey you can provide? The reason I ask, is the first molt is the largest molt a grey will go through. With your grey being 11 months, feathers will be molting now that it is near summer. I suspect your grey has already molted a pot load of down feathers already... like snow when you pull the tray out to clean it.

We have had this questions many times on this forum. Of course you don't know that. The general consensus of most members here is it is a waste of money and believe me, that's what Chet Womack and family are all about is $$$ since their beginning. Which is my personal opinion of them as well. I won't say their dvd's are 100% percent useless, but there are far better places to learn from like this forum. There also well known Barbara Heidenreich with many years of experience with parrots training and behavior website http://www.goodbirdinc.com/

They are selective, you right and yes they can say anything and pick and chose what they wish to say. They also truncate sentences sometimes and then jump to a completely different topic... almost as if they changed their mind on what they want or wish to reminisce about.

No doubt at all Brutus knows what he is saying!!! He just wishes you would comply with his commands, oh wait you thought they were just requests? I love hearing about Brutus!

Very smart that Hanna is! It's great when they and we interact in conversation and they learn they their message was understood and actions were taken that resulted in her geting what she wanted. More interactions will without doubt be coming shortly now that she knows she is using human language correctly and it has positive results.

Your absolutely right. Barbara is a highly respected behaviorist and has many tools available to the public such as dvd's, publications and a quarterly subscription to her articles. The dvd is not a repetitive recording device you playback. It is simply explaining how to do it. The best advice for your bird talking, is to always associate your words with items, actions and descriptions consistently. The bird will pick up what they wish and will use appropriately as well. You can not force a bird to talk, some may never talk, some will be jabber jaws and some will just state the facts when it is necessary for them to lower themselves to our primitive form of communication so the dumb monkey will give then a piece of apple.

Dreyers frozen Pomegranite Popsicle. Also, banana nut bread, peanut butter cookies (Chunky Peanut Butter natural with palm oil), Coconut flesh amongst many other numerous items he loves to eat.

Dave our resident grey breeder and guru has given you excellent advice. Welcome to our forum!!!