slasher12

thanks so much for all your response! Santos now waves like a champ! It's so easy now. He does it every time. It's really fun I can't wait to teach him something else.

thanks for all the advice I will definately use it. No more treats for doing nothing. I think he's used to that from how he was raised at the store I got him from. They give all the birds tons of treats for no reason. Anyway thanks again.

Has anyone had a very hard time training their CAG? My bird, Santos, refuses to learn to wave which seems to be one of the easier tricks. I've tried to teach him every day for a month now, and he just doesn't get it. I demonstrate the action with one hand myself, and say the word "wave". I even pat his right foot so he lifts it, and he has not once understood what I'm getting at. It's not that I want him to know a bunch of tricks but I think it helps them know who's boss and also provides structure with regular training. He just stares at me waiting for a treat, and then comes up to me wanting more when we are done. It seems nothing is learned. Is this really a problem? Should I stop spending time doing these sessions with him every day? BTW he's only 6 1/2 months old. Maybe I should wait? Please give me your advice.

Greetings! I am new here and am planning to bring my 3 month old CAG home in a few weeks once I feel absolutely safe (just got all new bird-safe appliances and cookware for the house, and rules are in order!). I have read so much on this and other forums about potential hazards that even a lot of "experts" are not aware of. It's so good to know that people are out there sharing experiences and spreading knowledge on these and all birds/animals so that we can keep them safe and happy. I personally have experience owning reptiles, mainly snakes, and have helped raise cockatiels and...well, ducks. I am so excited to bring my male CAG who I have named Santos home in a few weeks. I have been visiting him almost everyday for the past month, as I figured this would be a better transition from a room full of birds into my room. He has become very affectionate towards me, and has learnd to step-up and step-down and gets better every day. He also greets me everyday by approaching me and putting his head down for a pet. Only a few times has he stayed towards the back of his cage when I attempt to take him out, in which case I have left him alone and just talked to him. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has a specific strategy they have used to introduce Greys to their new homes. Is it smart to let them inspect their cages for a few days, taking them out seldomly? I was thinking this would give him more time to review their surroundings, and give a better idea of what they might be afraid of before trying to handle them too much. Also, does anyone have snakes (caged of course) around their birds? If so, are they interested in watching them or do they get scared? Any response would be appreciated and thank you all! -Steve

Thank you for the response. Yeah at least my older model does not have that self cleaner on it. Those seem to have a lot of potential danger. I will continue reading other posts as I have for months now. I've wanted this bird for so long and have learned so much in the past few months since being serious about owning. Still can always be more info. Thanks again.

Hello all, I am new here and am planning to bring my 3 month CAG home in a couple weeks. I have been visiting him daily for three weeks and he is getting very warm with me. Anyway, I recently discovered all the safetey information with teflon products, and have replaced all our household pots/pans with regular stainless steel. I have also replaced the space heater in my room (where he will be) with the oil feuled ones which do not contain teflon. I am, however, still concerned with our oven and stove tops. It is a very old Mark Royal unit, and it has clearly been through a lot. The stove top has chips all over it (presumably containing teflon) and the oven seems unpredictable. It gets hotter than it's supposed to sometimes, not 500 degrees, but with it being so old I am still concerned it may have some old build-up making the fumes worse. I am curious if any of you have older ovens or stoves that you use in your house, and what advice or information you may on the topic. I have postponed bringing him home until I feel safe about this.