braveheartdogs

I have thought of that. I am not ready to say it's "official" or permanent, because that makes it permanent and official, but, I think he's home. He is happy here, we seem to be connect, we are learning to trust each other and he needs a home.

I think my situation is actually pretty good for him. I am a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant, so I am home quite a bit but teach a lot of classes in the evenings. I do privates during the days sometimes too, but am doing more classes than privates at the moment. I think it's a good situation, but I just worry if I can give him enough. But, I tend to worry and over analyze:)

I am very close:) I still worry, but I can't imagine letting him go because he seems really happy. Also, even though he can't be out all the time here, I don't think that there are really that many homes where he could be out more and get the same amount of attention, enrichment, etc. Aw, thanks. I kind of feel like he does too:) I'm very close.

So, Ivan, the 4 year old TAG that I am "fostering to adopt" has been here two weeks today. It's going great actually. He talks A LOT! A LOT! Is very outgoing, loves to be held and hang out with me, is eating great, playing with toys, etc. I am really loving him. I still have not made the official decision to adopt permanently only because I still worry about the amount of time necessary to make him happy, but even being out a couple of hours a day he seems very happy and fulfilled. Honestly, I can't imagine letting him go. He is such a sweetheart. Here are some pictures of him from this week.

I also just adopted a grey. Mine is 4 years old and just got here on Sunday. I think it is really critical with new birds that you completely allow them to set the pace. Pushing or pressuring can really cause set backs. Go back to square one and allow him to set the pace. Audition different treats so that you can find out what he really likes and use those to build a positive association. One thing that i think is really good for Ivan has been comfort feedings. I offer him baby food mixed with oatmeal warm out of a spoon. Many people believe that this helps to build a bond, I think it is really good for Ivan. He always wants to snuggle and get scritches after.

Thanks everyone. Yes, it's going very well:) He is very sweet and cute. I offered him a comfort feeding today and he really enjoyed it. He loves to sit on me and he turns his head all the way upside down with his eyes shut for me to rub his ears and head. I am really liking him very much.

My new TAG that I just adopted yesterday does the same thing!

I hear people talk about "honeymoon periods" all the time, however, I have never, ever experienced one with any bird I have ever adopted. I do a lot of training immediately which generally reinforces all the behaviors that I really like, so those behaviors continue to happen and go up in frequency. Yes, he will relax, but I am not too worried about him changing too much. I haven't taken any new pictures yet, but I will soon.

So, today is my first day with my new TAG, who I am calling Ivan. I am seeing how it fits, I think it fits him, but we'll see if it sticks. He is a fabulous bird. I am really enjoying him so far. He says A LOT of things including hi, hi baby, hi tim, hi honey, hi bird, birdie, water, go potty. He is doing great on stepping up for me. He has had cage aggression in his previous home so I open the door and allow him to come out and then he steps up. I reinforce every step up. He lunged once when I tried to hand him a seed from outside the cage, so I am working on offering treats from outside the cage when I walk by and it's already improving. His body language seems really straightforward. The softness in his eyes and eyelids when he is relaxed is obvious. When he is tense, I can clearly see a hardness and actual ridge in the muscle. He moves a lot so I can also see that being still (not exactly a freeze) can mean he isn't sure. He likes scritches and in fact will push his head into my arm when he wants to be scritched. He gave me a quick nip on the arm which he may have done because I had stopped scritching or hadn't started, so we will need to work on that. So far though, he is great and I love him:)

Aw, thank you:)

The visit went really well. I felt so much more comfortable with him than I thought I would. He is not much bigger than my WFA was. He was outgoing and sweet. I went to see if there was a connection, there was, so I brought him home:) I am "fostering to adopt" him which means that I can just keep him or let her know if it's not a match and foster him or bring him back to her. Here he is. Now I am just working on a name.

Thanks. I am very excited. He is so much smaller than I expected. I feel comfortable with him. She showed me her two CAGs and they were so much bigger than him! No, not a baby, he is 4 years old. Okay, thanks! Yes, I was pretty smitten with him:) Such a sweet and nice little guy.

Thanks! Yes, he is doing really well. The fruit is being used as a reinforcer at this point to help him be more comfortable in the cage and the new room. I was happy to see he also started to eat some pellets and a nutriberry. Where should I have posted this? Is there a more appropriate place? i thought since he just got here it should be in the welcome area. Sorry.

My friend Michelle and I went to meet him at the rescue person's house. She brought him in and he lifted his foot for me to step up right away. He went from me to her to my friend Michelle. He seems very outgoing and friendly. I brought him some sunflower seeds and he ate a couple. We hung out for quite a while talking and playing with him. I felt very comfortable with him. He is not big, not much bigger than Merlin (my recently deceased WFA). She gave me a cage for him and I am "fostering to adopt" him which means I can just foster him or let her know at any time I want to keep him permanently. He is an adorable bird. He rode home in a crate. We came home and ate lunch, got the cage all set up and in the house and then took him out. Michelle and I held him for a while and he hung out on her leg while we watched TV for a while. I took him to the cage and he was a little weirded out. I set him on a rope perch that is on the door so it can kind of go out and then fed him some apple pieces. Then, I got a kabob and put some grapes, greens, plum and apple on it and then hung it in the cage, and then I closed the door with him on the door perch. Almost immediately he started eating the fruit. He climbed over and started playing with one of the toys. He got some water, he cleaned his beak. He is doing really well. Right now I am just letting him hang out and settle in. I really did feel a connection with him. I feel comfortable with him. His name is Timmie, but I am changing it. Names on the table right now are Salem, Lancelot, Pavlov and Lennon. I am sure more will come up before I decide:) Here he is:

I love my Safe Bird Store. Kathie, the owner is AWESOME!! Last week I emailed her to see if she had the large Bird Kabob Ole's that my Meyers loves (they weren't on the website) and within like 10 minute she emailed and said, "I will get them for you, is Friday okay?". Her orders come fast and everything is wrapped individually when it comes. I always order my Goldenfeast there and toys and stuff. I have ordered from a lot of the online bird places, most of the vendors are on another parrot forum I am on and I like several of them, but I really like my Safe Bird Store because she ships so fast, replies so fast and always seems to have what I order:)

I am new to the forum and I don't even have a grey yet, but I do have several other birds, most of them were adopted as adults. You don't need to try and dominate him, it is more about letting a relationship between you develop based on mutual trust and respect. Allow him to take his time and choose to interact with you. I believe really strongly that good relationships, with non human and human animals is about mutual respect, trust, understanding and communication. It sounds like he is doing well and feeling trusting, so just go with him. Whenever I get a new bird I reinforce every behavior I like that they do with a treat. Every behavior I like gets reinforced and so those behaviors continue to happen. If he steps up, give him a treat. If he comes to you, give him a treat. Of course, eventually you can and will use other reinforcers (like scritches, attention, etc) but right now since you don't know each other well those may be more reinforcing to you than to him:) Just some food for thought! He is beautiful by the way!

I agree:) I really like to get them as adults as I just feel like it gives me a better picture of who they are. Also, I wasn't looking for another bird, this particular bird needs a home, so....we'll see how it goes. I am scared but excited to meet him today! Is that Gilbert in your avatar? So cute!

Thanks for this list. The picture of the little White Fronteds makes me miss my Merlin so much:)

I think that the environment and care a parrot is given can really effect their behavior and how they interact with their people. Cricket is lucky to have you:) A couple of years ago I would never ever have imagined having an Amazon. In passing, I mentioned to a rescuer I know that if they ever came across a White Capped Pionus, I might be interested. She said, I don't have a Pionus but I have spectacled amazon and he has a white head. I told her no way, I could never live with an Amazon, I had heard so many horror stories. She said he was a little Zon, and older, and handicapped and invited me to meet him, so I did. I fell in love with Merlin and adopted him within days of bringing him home to "foster". He was an amazing guy, I just adored him. He was older and had a lot of health problems from neglect and poor diet, but I had him for almost 2 years and sadly lost him just over a month ago. I am so glad I gave him a chance like you did your Cricket. They are so amazing and I think that their body language is so easy to read.

Thank you everyone for the welcomes:) I am going to meet the TAG tomorrow. I am excited, but also a little scared! I just have to see how we hit it off. I am a little worried because I am not sure I have enough space for a cage that large. My Meyers is in my WFA old cage which is 32" wide and it seems really large. I think I could fit another one that big in here, but not much larger than that. I don't want him to be in a cage that is too small.

Dave, Wow, thank you. Your post really put my mind at ease. I have 10 dogs, but I do not have them in the bird room/office, except when I occasionally bring my Pomeranian to sit on my lap while I am on the computer. My Amazon was not comfortable at all with dogs in here, so no dogs were in here ever while I had Merlin. Now that he is gone, like I said, Sonic, my Pom comes in to hang out but never when the birds are out. I am glad that you think a grey wouldn't be too much for me. I love to offer my birds enrichment in and out of their cages and I think I could provide a grey with that. Sometimes I do go away for training seminars or dog shows, etc, but my husband takes care of my birds while I am away so as long as I got the bird used to routine changes that would be okay and he would cope just like my other guys do. I guess I feel like it's such a jump because Merlin my Amazon was handicapped and older. He did get very used to toys and started playing with them and would sit on top of his cage or on play stands, but he wasn't very busy. My Meyers is VERY busy and curious:) I do feel better after reading your post. I guess I am a little concerned that this bird apparently has some issues when the previous owner would get him out of the cage and bite, but so did my Meyers and the behavior is gone. I feel comfortable with behavior mod and like I said I do a lot of training including clicker training. On another bird forum I did an online clicker class for people to learn at home. But, still, so much bigger than I have had! Oh, what size cage do you recommend?

I can't say enough good things about Cockatiels:) Love, love, love them! In general they are outgoing and there are so many out there looking for new homes.

Thank you so much! Your birds are beautiful. Yes, I really prefer to rehome adult birds. I do have a few that I got as babies (one of my cockatiels, my bourke, my green cheek and a couple of the budgies) but generally I love getting adult birds that need a home. Honestly, part of what I am unsure of is that this TAG is so young! He is only 4 years old.

Hi there, I am considering adopting a 4 year old, male, Timneh African Grey. I have several other birds, although only a few of them are hands on birds. I recently lost my 35+ year old White Fronted Amazon who I adopted almost two years ago. He had a lot of health problems probably caused by years of neglect which included too small of a cage, no exercise, showers and an all seed diet. Anyway, the rescue that I adopted him from contacted me about this Timneh who I am planning to go meet this Sunday. I am just trying to figure out if I can meet the needs of an African Grey. To give some background, I am a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant and I own my own business. I teach a lot of dog training classes and do private consults so, I am usually home quite a bit during the days, teaching mostly evenings. I am a total behavior geek and avid clicker trainer and would enjoy working with him and training him. My birds live in my office/bird room where I spent a lot of time working, writing, etc. This would be the largest parrot I have had and I think the most demanding, so I giving this a lot of serious thought. I would love to hear about some of people's experiences living with a TAG. Thank you in advance!