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Sophie and Sunny snack all the time. They have food out 24/7. They are not like dogs... inhale it in one setting. nancy

All have excellent posts! As a medical person.... YOU will give your bird a disease, WAY before they give you one!~My dogs go to the vet quite often for vaccinations, Zoey for her seizures and thyroid issues. If my birds need to go to the vet...one person sits in the car, the other person waits in the vet office.My birds will NEVER sit in a vet office!!!!! They are too suseptable to diseases. Nancy

Joey is adorable! He HAS demonstrated two times.... a warning. First, full fluff of feathers, one foot lifted off. Next, one foot lifted off and tucked in.Its important to understand what your bird means in body language. When Sophie was younger....put her wing and foot out, I knew she fealt threatened. I would come down the stairs, tell her..." foot down". She knew it was me. It is important to learn their body language. It is also important to " correct", their language. Nancy

Interesting about the cats! I have none... I always think they will eat birds in a heartbeat! Unfortunately, both my kids are severely allergic to cats, so can never have one. I really LIKE cats... Nancy

I LOVED it! Nancy

All have great advice. Even when your bird throws against the walls veggies, keep introducing. Sophie also participates at dinner.She was a great influence on my boys. I always said " If you won't try it...nor will she!" They tried it! Sophie and Sean still won't eat broccholi, while Ryan and I love it. Sophie and Sean LOVE cauliflower, Ryan HATES it. Nancy

Excellent point Talon made. They want to be confident, as well as do best practicing on their own. Nothing wrong though, acknowledging that you hear them. Sophie and I practiced many words with the wall separating us. We also had many games that we played without seeing each other. Sophie's favorite to this day. Nancy

Candi,,,so glad you are forgiven! Typical punishment is usually 24 hours. Sophie hasnt punished me in a long time. I don't towel her anymore as she will stepup, but if we had a fire and I needed immediate cooperation, she would be toweled. I'm sure she would be cooperative to stepup, but we have several animals to evacuate. Plan is to towel Sophie and sunny...dogs get evacuated to car in driveway. We had a fire in the past... the plan was in place and executed. Birds were toweled, dogs sent to car in driveway. Nancy

Hope you are worthy as financee certainly is! LOL Appreciate birds good taste. Nancy

Bird is doing GREAT! Now make sure you ignore birds instructions... follow your own. No shoulder status. Work with stepup and down. Give tour of house. Trust is being developed. nancy

I am part deaf, so annoying sounds, have never been a problem for me! LOL! My kids go crazy at times.... but I am here all the time, so if it drives me crazy, it is BAD! I rarely use the " SHHHH" card. If I do, its bad! When I say " SHHHH", my birds stop.. Dogs do as well. SHHH means be quiet. They get it. Nancy

I am soooo sorry! My guys arent use to the vet, but use to going to trimmer for nails and beak. They HATE getting in the carrier, so I just put them in thru all their protests! Once they are there.... they are happy birds. I guess I should be empathetic more for them, but I am not. It is a necessity, and its got to be done. My pup Zoey, has to go to the vet every six to eight weeks. I have to hold her " paw", all the way there! Once we get there.... she wants to get in as quick as she can! She barks with excitement, wags her tail. All the other dogs think she is crazy! She leaves me in the waiting room wagging her tail and comes back just as happy. Gotta love my pup! It is very important, to let our birds, or other animals know, it is important to see their vet or trimmer.It is part of life and when it is no big deal for me... it is no big deal for them Nancy

Good job Joey... now if you could learn to do some wash, that would be awesome! Nancy

Candi.... So happy Echo and you guys are doing so well! Yes.... many of us, do go crazy and get excited with first words, better behavior, just like our kids. Call us crazy!!!! LOL! BUT.... now my kids are off to college, no empty nest syndrome here. I've got one more baby, and that is Sophie. When kids leave for college, we tell her they have to go to school to get smart. Sophie always tells us " Sophie is smart!" Why yes she is! Nancy

I agree that greys talk on their time! Be patient.... their time is sooooo much slower than our time. Some don't talk alot, but I always think those are the smart ones! Absorbing it all in. Nancy

jeez.... I guess Sophie has been too exposed to college kids. She can rap, sing to electric guitar.I do point out, once they leave, I have to deal with the fallout! Nancy

I believe Inara will eventually say " Inara" says..... just like Sophie. Sophie has a way of saying... " Sophie says"... pups jump to her demands. I don't go crazy with her demands.She knows I will roll my eyes, don't give in to her demands. Nancy

If you have a family member that is home during the day... I would suggest practicing " stepup, stepdown"... never going anywhere, but praising. Leave the cage door open. Once they trust stepping up on door, continue the same. Sophie our rescue, learned to stepup and down once we were playing games in front of her cage. She walked down out of her cage and decided to play. She stepped up to everyone! Knowing her now, she is VERY competitive and LOVES games. That was our achilles heel. It came a time, she refused to stepdown, so I put her on the floor in front of her cage, told her " bedtime!" I walked away. If she would " stepdown", she got a bedtime story. If she did not.... she got nothing! She eventually learned to choose a bedtime story! Now Sophie puts herself to bed. I try to rush my life and get there quick enough for booktime! She forgives me when I am late! Nancy

Brat Birds... it is important that we as parrents are allowed to feel emotionally.It is part of life! Sophie has been with me long enough to know if I cry... I just need a little support which she gives. She knows I am going to be fine in the long run....she is more than happy to sit on my shoulder and give a snuggle. Thats what you get with a trusting bird. There is nothing like it! We meet each others needs. It may take awhile to get there with you and your bird, but I promise... the end result is amazing! A best friend that never goes away. Nancy

We have two feet of snow. Getting ready for another foot! Sean constantly shows up with a snowball to eat. Sophie is always eating his snowball. I told him to invest in adding " flavor" to his snowballs... LOL! Nancy

jgerardo... not sure what you mean? Nancy and Sophie

Brat Birds.... Awwww! Peanut wasn't attacking you...he was attacking that " emotion" that was making you feel bad. Sometimes with birds, you have to think " out of the box." We as parents deal with life " rationally". There is nothing " rational" that birds do, unless we try to think like them. Ryan home from college with his rescue pup one year old. Recovering from knee surgery. Other knee went while here. She was limited to kennel. Sophie and Callie liked each other right off, but couldn't hang together.Callie kenneled mostly. Once Callie went back to school with Ryan, I could tell Sophie's life and routine had changed. I'm home on disability due to a broken foot. Zoey has been having more seizures lately. Her phenobarbital level was low... they upped the dose. she started being confused and too sedated. One night after Callie and Ryan left, I was in my room with Zoey watching TV. Sophie went up the stairs, one by one. ( not sure why she didn't fly.) Went into Sean's room. He played with her for an hour, then brought her to me. Ten minutes later... Sunny flew up to my room. Neither ever fly to my room unless very stressed.I could tell both felt like their world had changed. No.... it was time for a sleepover. Birds slept with me and Zoey.( I can always wash the sheets.) Zoey's phenobarb dose back to original until her behavior is normal, then we will increase slowly. Sophie and Sunny feeling better and acting normal again as well. Back to work on Thursday. Geez....crazy household! Nancy

We just got two feet of snow! Sean is loving it. Sophie is next in line to get a snowball off of roof from Sean. nancy

jgerardo... No, greys are NOT bipolarar, but they sure seem to be! LOL! They tend to if exposed to the entire family, get confused where their allegiance should be. That was my goal when we first got her. A decade later, Sophie loves all of us for different reasons. I think I got the " short straw"... I am the one who feeds her, keeps her safe. Kids are the " fun ones". Nancy

Sophie knows her name, and loves to throw her weight around! She always says " Sophie" say's Hi. Sophie say's out Ollie. Sophie is a pretty girl. Sophie.... Sophie... Sophie! LOL Nancy