itsjustnikki

I played this for Tango while he was doing his smoke detector noise and he immediately stopped that noise and started doing a much more pleasant noise like the one Dayo is doing. As soon as the video stopped, the smoke detector noise started right back up. I may put this video on repeat. Photo on 2013-03-21 at 11.26 #2 by itsxjustxnikki, on Flickr Tango was intrigued

I've posted a lot of pics of Tango, here is one of me and the boyfriend in Maine last fall. Not a very good picture, but you get the idea. Untitled by itsxjustxnikki, on Flickr

I have a lot of videos, I just need to upload them! I sometimes feel like I am obsessed with Tango. I just think he fascinates me everyday. Tango does speak like my boyfriend, just doesn't say as many things like him. Mostly calling the dog. I don't even think that he sounds like me until I play the video and everyone says that he sounds just like me. And then I think to myself, "do I really sound like that?" Some times I think that because he is a make that he should have a deeper voice, but then I remember that he got his voice from me.

Forgot about this video, just thought I would share. Just Tango hanging out on his cage. http://youtu.be/_I66dwNjHgA

Tango prefers his shower in his cage. So I have a spray bottle that I mist him with. He just loves to sit in the shower with or with out people. I would put him on his shower perch while I got ready ever since he was little and now he asks to sit in the shower. It's so cute. This is bath time: http://youtu.be/0RIgkac5j14 This video is from a couple of years ago, he has a much larger bowl now!

Glad to hear Alfie did well with the move. I have been lucky to have Tango do well with moving also! It's such a relief, isn't it?

Love the video of Alfie

Hi Dan and Bella! Seems like things are going well so far! She looks pretty comfortable in the second picture!

And by we, I mean my boyfriend. We recently remodeled the bathroom and took down the shower doors and the tile we have isn't exactly shower perch friendly. It doesn't stick because of the spacing of the tile on the wall. Tango loves to just sit in the shower and talk...not to actually get wet or shower with people. So he has been asking all week to "go sit in the shower". We felt really bad that he couldn't so we built a contraption out of pvc that sits in the tub and is movable so basically he can use it in any room. Here is a video of his first experience of it in the shower. (We tried it out in the living room first because he tends to be petrified of things.) http://youtu.be/RlhsnUDqzBk So far he seems to like it. He is anxious in the video because he knows I am recording him. I turned the video off and he relaxed and chatted for another 15 minutes.

I haven't made these in a while so that's why I haven't taken photos! The next time I pick up some avicakes I will definitely make them and try to remember to take pictures!

I don't know why it has taken me so long to post in this thread. Probably because I am totally consumed by trying to stop the smoke detector noise that Tango loves to make to get attention, that I forget how amazing he really is. There are so many things that he does that blow my mind on a daily basis, but here is the latest. My boyfriend and I have an inside joke about a relative that they sound like a CB radio when they are on the phone. So every time I am on the phone with that person my boyfriend makes a static noise. Well the other day, this relative was over helping me with some home improvements and as soon as they walked in the door Tango started making the static sound and talking in their voice. At least the relative didn't get the joke

HA, Tango started doing the noise from the Cheetos commercial where they say "cheese me" and there is a sort of whistle sound. Its so cute, I wish he would say the cheese me part with it. Thank goodness for DVR and we tend to record a lot of shows because of my work schedule and we can fast forward right through commercials. Tango listens to ipod or pandora during the day. He used to watch a lot of TV, but he started saying "call now" to everyone who came in the house, so I thought he needed some variety.

He has his playful times, where he will get crazy with his toys. This screaming seems to be directly associated with him wanting attention from someone. Whether it is to pick him up or to give him food or sprays, he will do it to get attention. I should mention that it is more like the sound of a smoke detector than a scream, but nevertheless, still ear piercing and annoying. Its just hard because sometimes I know that if I don't get to his food bowl quick enough he will start screaming, then I have to stop what I am doing to ignore him, but some days I have time constraints because I need to make it to work. So we have been trying to set a new routine (which unfortunately is going to get disrupted in a couple of weeks when my work schedule changes) but it seems to be helping a little with the screaming for food in the morning. He is starting to do his morning conversation without the smoke detector sound, which is nice! Other loud bird sounds are fine, I know he has to be loud at certain times of the day (especially in the morning) I want to try to get what he is doing on video, but as soon as he sees the camera he starts being all cute...

This is like an up and down adventure. Some days he is an angel and doesn't scream at all, and days like today he screams non stop. Its like he knows I have a headache and and wants to test my patience. Just needed to vent for a second.

Funny that you said this, I said this to him when we first started out on this adventure. lol

It seems to depend on the day really. I work at night some nights so my boyfriend is alone with him for a few hours until I get home. Last night, he said that he didn't really scream too much when he was home, but tonight was a different story. He said he screamed the whole time he had been home and didn't really stop long enough for him to make it to the cage to let him out. Which is fine, because he needs to learn that he can't scream and get picked up. When I am home with him during the day he doesn't do it really anymore. So now it is just breaking the habit at night when I am not at home.Since I have been home he has been pretty quiet. We have also been hanging on the couch the past couple of days and Tango has been sitting with us, so I am not sure if that is keeping him quiet.

Yes. I agree 1000%! Well my mom and stepdad did a good job of keeping up with the training during his mini vacation and ignored his screaming. He stopped immediately for them, so there is hope for me! He is back home tonight and its back to training for me. I enjoyed the mini break, but missed him too! We will see how tomorrow goes once he is back in his routine.

Tango is spending a couple of days with my parents because we are doing some painting around the house. I have to admit it is a nice little vacation from the training. My parents know the drill, no rewarding behavior for screaming so hopefully this doesn't set me back too much. Things are moving along ok, he knows that I won't give into his screaming. My boyfriend is another story. I am working on training him at the same time too. Needless to say it is definitely a work in progress. I feel like strangling my boyfriend sometimes........

I don't know about wild caught bird bands, but Tango has a band that is from CA and the year 04 even though he definitely hatched in FL in 2005. My veterinarian says that sometimes breeders will reuse bands, even though this is not really good practice. Maybe the breeder just used whatever bands they had available?

I definitely have enjoyed your updates on Jellybean though! It is great seeing the progress! You shouldn't feel bad about sharing. Other people may be going through the same thing too afraid to ask and/or share what they are going through and seeing your post might be helping them. You never know! I couldn't agree with Jay more. I have had Tango home with me since he was 4 months old, he is now going to be 8 yrs this July and I can remember before I even brought him home the things I told everyone that my bird would never do. Here I am, almost 8 years later with a spoiled little bird who is nothing like the one I brought home. But boy do I love that him. He will never cease to amaze me with the stuff that he can learn and do.

As I am typing this Tango is screaming incessantly. I think he has started to taunt me now. He will now quiet down and say good boy when I ignore him, and when I start to praise him he starts to scream again. He is too smart for his own good. He knows what is going on and is trying to play the system. I am not letting him get away with it this time. He gives up after a while and finds something in his cage to entertain himself or a way to get to where he wants to be without me or my boyfriend picking him up. I know its only 3 days, but I think he's catching on! Edit: I wish I had one of those web cam things so I could show everyone how much of a little brat he can be. But I just keep ignoring now and he eventually stops screaming.

I think that this is amazing! Unfortunately it took your bad experience, but hopefully other people and birds/animals will be saved from having to go through the same thing!

Thanks everyone! I am embarrassed to admit that I have experience with dog training so I know better than to let him get away with all of these things, I am not sure what happened. I think my need to make sure that my previous roommates didn't kill Tango took over and I would just grab him or do what ever it took to quiet him down. I am now paying the price (and so is my boyfriend). Yesterday was the first full day of everyone ignoring the screaming 100% of the time and I think even the dogs are going to have a breakdown, but we will get through it. Hopefully. On to day 2. He is already testing my patience. I did have a question, how long after he is quiet should I wait to give him praise. Sometimes he will scream and scream and be quiet for like 30 seconds, then scream again. I want to praise him when he quiets down, but sometimes its such a short time, I don't have time.

Thanks, I kinda thought that's what I was going to have to do. But I wasn't sure if birds would exactly respond to ignoring a behavior/rewarding quiet like a dog does. I am not sure if I was clear in that statement, "I try to rule out that he has all that he needs (his snacks, food, sprays, almonds- the other things that usually make him scream excessively) if I deviate from routine with Tango and don't give him snacks or food and sprays when he expects them he can get a little cranky and become vocal and scream excessively like he wants more that what I am giving him. Even if I am holding him he will scream. This is as soon as someone leaves his line of sight the screaming starts. I can't explain it but it is a different sounding scream.

Tango has decided that he would like to scream anytime people leave the room. Even if it doesn't leave him alone in the room he will scream. He is fully flighted and has the ability to fly anywhere he wants (but doesn't) but I can't take him with me everywhere I go. Sometimes I am trying to do things without him. He has plenty of things to do when I need to do things without him, but he is not interested. I try to rule out that he has all that he needs (his snacks, food, sprays, almonds- the other things that usually make him scream excessively) So I think he is definitely just being a brat. Unfortunately, we have both fed into this behavior by picking him up to get him to stop, and now he is out of control and a little monster bird lol. I need suggestions on how to train him to stop this it is driving not only me crazy, but my boyfriend who is not so much a bird lover is at his boiling point. I am willing to try pretty much anything (within reason of course) Thanks in advance for suggestions!