Janfromboone

I just brought a new do into the house as well. Tobie is used to my other two dogs. The other dogs just ignore Tobie for the most part or even avoid close contact. I started the puppy(5 mo old mutt)with Tobie in his cage and the dog just looking at him. One day the new dog (Brandy) jumped on the cage for a closer look. Tobie yelled "stop that". When the puppy stopped paying attention to Tobie in or on top of the cage, I put Brandy on a leash and put Tobie on the back of the couch in the den where he likes to play. The puppy made two playful lunges and I corrected him strongly with the leash and verbal command "No". We did this several times before I felt the puppy was ignoring Tobie enough to put Tobie on the floor - the puppy on the leash. Finally I noticed the puppy really got the picture and was trying not to get close to the bird and the puppy was allowed off the leash and Tobie on the floor. I trained all of my dogs this way. The dogs now act like Tobie's got bad breath and will turn away if he comes near. Tucker will come to my lap sometimes when Tobie is on my shoulder and Tobie sticks his head down with his "see my big beak" look and say something powerful like "out back".

So many of the greys call the dogs by name. Tobie has just started doing that. I wish I could understand all the things he sais. I'm sure they are profound. Most of his chatter is unrecognisable.

I had thought about doing it myself, but I don't know enough about what I'm doing. On the other hand, we as bird owners and the experience that the forum administrators and long term bird owners have would help to establish the pertinent questions and issues that might have an effect on feather plucking. A student wouldn't necessarily know what issues relate to plucking. They would however know how to manage the research statistics and determine if the numbers are statistically significant. Maybe it should be a joint venture.

What great stories!! I love the one about the electric toothbrush. I can just see that all happening. I'm amazed baxtersmoms bird made up with a new visitor so quickly. Never seen Tobie do that. I've posted this in the photography room, but here it is again, because it shows Tobie doing at what I told about in two of my replys on this post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxApCru5doU

I have to agree with domyoburk that if we don't have answers yet to the plucking issue in spite of the previously crafted surveys and other such instruments then we haven't crafted the right type of instrument with all the right questions. Just because it's been done before is no reason to stop looking for answers and finding similarities in lifestyle of the plucked vs the unplucked. I think we have already with this small sampling hinted at the importance of flight. What if someone gathered addresses from all the forums, birdtalks subscription list and some how ended up with thousands of bird owners who would respond to a list of questions such as food type, flighted and unflighted, amount of alone time, type of toys, (the list is almost endless) and came up with some common denomonators. There has got to be some list that if you do all these things even the most nervous bird won't pluck. By the way, How many of these flighted and non-plucking birds are also using Red Palm Oil and/or palm nuts as part of the diet? Did your vet suggest this, domyoburk. What did she suggest? Tobie is better with the baths and other measures I've taken, but I'm up for more suggestions. I moved the bird feeder on the porch so Tobie could see it from the cage when I work and I'm much better at leaving the radio playing. Also Dave007's suggestions about daily baths and use of Aloe Vera spray are helping.

Great idea. Tobie would love distroying that gizmo. Do we need to worry about the dies in the paper though? Just a thought. I love the idea.

Thank's for watching the video and appreciating Tobie. He is a sweetie.

I wanted to get a video of Tobie because he has recently started calling the dogs. I wanted to share it with you. Hope it makes you smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxApCru5doU

I always upload videos to youtube and then put the link on here with my reply. I just uploaded a new video today. Here's the link. That's how easy it is once you're on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO5rjUsPWpI

Thanks for the link to your blog. I added it to my favorites so that I can keep up with your new insights as your grey begins to talk and amaze you even more than she does now.

I'm worried that once you get settled in with the baby and used to the routine you may regret having given up your grey. It's hard to know how the baby might change things beforehand. I don't have children, so I guess I'm not one to second guess your decision.

I bought Tobie some christmas toys - don't think they have perches - and I was so pleased with the quality that I thought I'd share the info. I got the link from einstein's site at einsteinparrot.com. Here's the link to the toy site. http://nalanitoys.com/

Wow!! I looked at the site and it sure does look legit. You're right about no address though. I could have made the same mistake.

Dr Irene Pepperberg (did I get her name right) did a teleconference the other night ( I heard about it on this forum) She sais 90% are leftys. So I checked Tobie out and sure enough he steps up and hold his food in his left foot.

I'm sure Nikko is still a happy camper. I'll boost your Karma. I didn't even notice the karma thing before.

:laugh: Oh, that is just so funny!!!

Usually only if they are in the next room. Last summer we would walk around the lake and Tobie would be on my shoulder. There were usually lots of others we would pass who would say ohh you have a bird on your shoulder. If they stopped Tobie would whistle this little soft greeting. Sometimes I could say "give them a kiss" or "give them a rasberry" and he would.

As I said, everyday a new delight with this bird. Tobie likes to play on the back of our sectional couch at night when we watch TV. I play a game with him, making balls out of tissue paper or paper towels and throw them at him or line them up on the top of a length of couch. He picks them up and flips them down to the couch or sometimes they flip behind the couch. When they flip behind the couch I say "OOPs!". Tonight he would flip one behind the couch and say "OOPs"! My husband thought that was sooo funny and laughed and so did I so now they all land behind the couch and he makes a big show of saying "OOPs!"

Merry Christmas to all of you wacky, wonderful bird lovers.

Sounds to me like the flighted birds really don't pluck as much. It's the first arguement I've heard for keeping Tobie flighted that over powers the fear I have of him flying away. Birds flying away - getting out the door somehow or escaping when being taken out even with a harness seems common. My neighbor (who I met after Tobie came to me) has fully flighted (fully feathered, I might add) 10yo CAG who escaped once and they were lucky enough to recover the bird. It scares me, but if Tobie will just leave his feathers alone, I'm going to let him fly.

What great stories. Didn't know they gave a hoot if we got sick. Tobie in the past week has learned to put his foot to his mouth and then jerk it away as he makes a big kissy sound. I do this to him all the time when he asks for a kiss - blowing him a kiss.

Seems to be an epidemic. Look around and you'll see my anquished posts.

Makes me want a baby.

Definitely different. Wonder if someday they will selectively breed a totaly red grey.

I thought it was a hard sell - It annoyed me. I'd like to know what Tui's owner was talking about. I won't say but some will know what I'm talking about.