murfchck Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Stewart has taken a big step over the weekend. About a month ago he started letting me touch his neck area and just for a short moment. This weekend we progressed to full hand petting from the top of his head to mid back. I even got to touch his cheeks! When i stopped and set my hand beside him he would bump it, wanting more rubs. Now that his flight feathers are coming back, he has started flying to his stand in the kitchen when i am in there and then back to his cage if i am in the living room! It is so exciting to see and feel his love now. He has always given kisses but now i feel i am getting these kisses because he wants to, not because he was trained to do it. Good progress for a 5 yr old grey who we rescued in Jan of this year! I am beside myself with excitement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 That sounds great. When they come around they COME around. Time well spent and now he wants you to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kave70 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 That is great news! All your patience is showing it's rewards. Happy Dance for you :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWIX Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Great stuff, nothing beats the feeling of being loved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 You and Stewart are making tremendous strides. You have every right to be excited and you make me excited and happy too. Our work with Gilbert is taking a lot longer but every little bit of progress is worthy of celebration. Stewart has realized you are good good good! He is a lucky little fellow and he seems to know it. Congrats on all your success and bonding with him. I love knowing he is so happy and he is making you happy too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Wonderful to see how he is progressing, some Grey never do get cuddly so you are fortunate indeed. Yay Stewart and kudos to you for your patient work building trust creds you are now cashing in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 We all work sooo hard, to develop trust with our birds. Unfortunately, sometimes it does take forever. Bless you for your patience! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 I think something has gotten into him! He going to wake up and say what the....? He actually let me slide a finger under his wing tonight, when he realized what i was doing, he jumped, but didn't bite. I didn't push my luck, just went back to his head and back. Thank you all for the well wishes, it is so nice to know there are others who i can share this with who understand the excitement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Oh yes, I know that excitement well. Just goes to show why the word patience is used so many times on this forum. Having it is as essential as having a good cage, especially with a re-homed bird. Good work to you, your family, and of course Stewart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Lol. And today...... He hates me! Gesh! He even nipped stepping up. I guess he just wanted some space today. He gave me kisses at bedtime and let me stroke his back for a bit so i guess he doesn't hate me too much ( on his terms ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 so i guess he doesn't hate me too much ( on his terms ) Are there any other sort of terms when it comes to a grey? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Lol! Once you learn to accept their terms, they tend to be interested in learning. Sophie and I argue all the time. Most decisions are 50/50 .. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Lol. I can't wait to reach that 50/50 point! He has stopped talking, he said step up the day i brought him home and nothing since. Sounds however, he seems to learn a new one every day. ( He started making this loud sharp noise we couldn't figure out, until last week. It is the fly swatter which one of our dogs is scared to death of the sound it makes. We can only use it when she is outside or she will hide shaking. Stewart has figured out that if he makes that sound, there is one less dog in his way.) Since he does like to make sounds and knows how to talk but won't, we are trying something new. We are teaching him to say hello like daffy duck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'm really happy for you. Gracie hates my hands. I can rub her beak with my nose and give her a kiss, but that's it. Once my hands appear--she backs off. I had a dream the other night that Gracie let me pet and scritch her. Then I woke up--; (. Enjoy your progress. I take heart from your statement about doing things on their terms. That is what I am learning every day. Keep the updates coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezron Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Yeah Stewart and Murfchick! Good progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Everything, is always on their terms.I really love when Sunny comes in to see me and complains like crazy!( our rescue!) We were never able to teach him to talk, but no big deal. We love him to death! He will go on and on, expecting that I understand! I actually do. Girls are crowding him, loving him to death. He wants more independance and space. Girls need to get off his rope, as they are sinking it. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Since he has been letting me pet him, he has been biting me on the simple things, like stepping up. He hasn't bitten me hard ever until this week, now i am thinking about joining the bite me club! He use to just nip when he played with me and i was foolish enough to think that was his bite. Oh how wrong i was. It is like he is telling me i can't have it all at once, i can hold him but not pet or i can pet but not hold! Little stinker, i do want it all at once! I can be as stubborn as him and one day, one day, i will win out! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Stewart has some of the same kind of unpredictable Jeckyl/Hyde moments as Gilbert. For a few days now he has been dissing me and has taken up with my husband and daughter and asking them for head scratches. If I come close, he gets grumpy so I have been giving him leeway and being grateful just to see him respond to my family. This morning he decided to be my buddy and let me give him a little scratch. You are doing so well with Stewart for having him with you only five months. Do you ever wonder how we got to the place where we define success by the terms of a little feathered grumblebutt? LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Do you ever wonder how we got to the place where we define success by the terms of a little feathered grumblebutt? LOL. Hee Hee Hee. grumblebutt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 katana600 ... We all got a kick out of them being called a grumblebutt! That is a riot, and should be a sticky! They are all "grumblebutts", in the beginning.LOL! BUT... they grow into the amazing friend we all desire! I sometimes feel guilty, that Sophie after twelve years, IS the bird we all desire. Grumblebutt in the beginning! Of course I occassionally have issues with Sophie... but walking in the door after a hard day, and finding Sophie at the door, asking me to stepup immediately, is such a destressor. She knows when I am stressed! She does this " AWWWWW". A destressor for me. She is empathizing, asking me what she can do to make me feel better. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Do you ever wonder how we got to the place where we define success by the terms of a little feathered grumblebutt? LOL. Lol, that is so true! Stewart nudged me tonight when i stopped petting him, i have created a monster! As bad as this sounds, i took pure delight in the fact that Stewart lets me handle him like i do and tonight while my husband was playing with him, he tried to just touch his head and got a little warning nip! The whole time he had him, Stewart was looking at me! I had Oliver so we switched birds to keep everyone happy! We try very hard for equal time with the boys so there wouldn't be any issues for either of us down the road but both have bonded with me. (for this month anyway, lol.) I am going to get them boings tomorrow, they both are getting more active so its time to start with independant toys! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hates the boing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Don't despair. It took about 8 months of moving the boing closer and closer to Dorian's cage before he stopped regarding it as a potential parrot killing device. Probably was another 4-5 months before he tried getting on it. Now it's a big-time love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingy Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 DS used the "unaccepted" boing as a bridge from the floor to the cage door. She was playing with him on the floor, got spooked, made the mad dash for her cage and used it to climb back in without thinking. Now she uses it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Lol, amazing that these guys are fearless of things that should scare them, in our case, dogs. But give them a twisted rope and bell and they freak out! Go figure! Gee i just can't wait to start working with him and a harness! Won't that be fun? ( this is months, if not a year down the road ) Quick funny story of his personality. Sunday our macaw took a fall, (this story in the other birds room) after the fall the only sound Stewart would make the rest of the day was that bomb dropping noise with a little poof at the end. Little stinker, making fun of his brother! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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