Afies training me!!

[aw64]

Brought alfie a bell a couple of weeks ago, introducing it to him slowly, in time had it hung on the outside of cage while playing with him would knock the bell saying ring the bell alfie, its now in the cage he doesn't ring it but when on play stand keeps saying 'ring bell ann' and there I am ringing the dam bell, so funny and clever that he has managed to turn it around and gets me to ring the bell!

[JeffNOK]

That is one thing that has amazed me. Our greys take the language they have learned and mix it up to fit the situation. Gracie puts sentences together that I have never said. For example this past Mother's Day my Mom dropped a knife on the floor and Gracie said "Mommie Stinker Stinker". I call Gracie a stinker when she dumps things on the floor. She has NEVER heard me say "Mommie Stinker" but she put it together. Alfie is a smart cookie, and he is using his language meaningfully. It is so cool. I wonder how much other parrot species do this.

[Timbersmom]

LOL! Too funny. All you can do is hunch your back and say yessss master...

 

Gracie seems to make a lot of those connections as well. Timber uses words appropriately, but I haven't heard him mix it up to fit a situation (yet).

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

timbersmom... oh you will! I promise! Once I realized Sophie's reasoning to herself.... I finally understood! ( probably around the age of three). Once I took a step back, and really " listened to her", ignored MY plans for her, and REALLY listened....she really doesn't ask alot of me, but I ask alot from her. I switched that around. I listened....would tell her " thats not going to happen!" OR.... yes.... we can work on that. The moment I walk in the door.... the complaint department is open!At the end of the day, whether they can talk or not... I understand what they are complaining about. Once issues are resolved.... I can go to bed with three birds of different origins, snuggling together.( I do love that pups remain neutral.). It is tough when you choose to have " open door policy." A TON of work, but sooo worth it to me. Nancy

[JeffNOK]

Kins, you said it well--lots of work but SO WORTH it. It is a labor of of love and we benefit as much or more than our greys do.

[Timbersmom]

Very true! Timber seldom speaks when I am in the room. He is very vocal if I leave the room or I am in another part of the house. He may very well be "reasoning" and saying things on his own, but I don't hear it. Another reason I love the spycam... it's the only time I get to hear him run through a lot of his vocabulary.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Timber may benefit with a game that I, and Mistyparrot are fond of. Contact calls in different rooms. It is Sophies favorite game! I make a whistle... she returns it. I make it more complicated.... she repeats it! We continue to make it more complicated back and forth. Her door is open, so she can fly and find me, but she likes the game of a door between us.If she forgets to " rap", I stand a chance to win. If I win.... I go and get her, tell her " I win!" and do a celebration dance. She " clucks", her displeasure. If she wins.... means she remembered to " rap", which I can't do... she wins! I go get her and tell her, she won!She LOVES this game. Nancy

[Timbersmom]

That's a neat idea Nancy. We do whistle back and forth all around the house.