Becoming a oneperson bird

[wastrox]

Cheerio is becoming a one-person bird. My 10 year-old daughter is really sad. We got the bird "for her birthday". I knew, as an adult, I would have the primary responsibility, and I always wanted a parrot. So, not suprisingly, she is bonding to me because I spend the most time with her. I'm also confident when I handle her whereas others are not. She's nippy with them. She will do step-up with them if we do it together as an excercise but she won't let anyone else get her out of the cage or off a perch. She will allow others to scratch her if she's on my knee and I've been scratching her. Tonight, I had Francesca feed her. We did step up practice and she perched on Francesca's knee for a few minutes. She then would not allow Francesca to get her off. I'm thinking I need to continue to have her handled by as many people as possible, and she's generally okay with that so long as I'm involved. Any suggestions or other things I might do to keep her more social? Oh yes, and I will get Francesca to work with her on getting out of the cage having her step up on a perch.

[Tycos_mom]

I would also get your daughter to start giving her treats while Cheerio is in her cage or on her playstand if she won't take them from her at first tell your daughter to put them in her dish when the bird is watching. also have her sit beside the cage and talk to him like she was talking to a friend saying things like can we be friends I really like you what a pretty bird you are. or if she can read a small book out loud to him. tell her not to look straight at the bird mabie she could put her head down or close one eye. the bird will soon understand that this person is nice and she give me good things to eat. It may help so that your daughter might be able to earn the trust of the bird. the worst thing you can do is try to push the bird into doing something that it doesn't really want to do. you must try to convince the bird that it was his idea to be friends with you daughter not yours. You kinda gotta think outside the box.

 

[wastrox]

He will often take treats from her. I've never seen her refuse a Cheezit. Today, I decided to only use the Cheezits when she's done something really special, like tolerating me misting her while she's in the cage. I'm also trying to potty train her and might use them then too but that's harder to be consistent with. From now on, I will only allow her to have Cheezits from Francesca and when she does something special as referenced above. Thanks for your help.

[spookyhurst]

Is there a healthier treat that Cheerio really likes? Cheezits have a lot of salt and junk in them, so it would probably be best if they were a rare treat. Does Cheerio like pine nuts? That's what I like to use after I give Nikko a shower. You can break them in half to make them go farther if you want.

 

Even though Cheerio has chosen you as her favorite, it sounds like she's being socialized well. One person birds tend not to let anyone but their favorite touch them, and sometimes attack people who go near their favorite person. Since she accepts scratches and step-ups from others, even if you have to be there, that's a good sign.

 

Just keep exposing Cheerio to new people. Maybe you could even take her out of the house (to the park, the mall, etc.) in a travel cage to expose her to more situations. Have your daughter carry her so that Cheerio looks at her as her safety net (the only person she personally knows) in these new and strange situations.

[wastrox]

Thank you so much spookyhurst. Your advice makes alot of sense and Francesca will have fun taking Cheerio out and about. We'll definitely start taking Cheerio out more. She isn't harness trained, so it will have to be indoors though she is clipped. As for the Cheezits, the pet store owner did tell me to limit her to 2 per day. I'll see if she likes the pine nuts just as well. Who knows, she may just have expensive taste:) BTW, do they typically allow birds in malls? I've wondered where I can take her, like possibly Starbuck's?

[lovemyGreys]

Here is a thread that may have a few tips..

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/the-nursery/73094-socializing-your-baby-grey.html

[spookyhurst]

I take Nikko out in an Adventure Pack. You can see it here:

 

http://www.theperchstore.net/newadpabyfls.html

 

If you sign up for their newsletter, they have percentage off sales and free shipping deals. However, I'd search around the net a bit, because you might be able to find someone that could beat their price.

 

I've never had a problem taking Nikko into the mall. No one has ever asked me to leave anyway . I've taken her into stores like Best Buy and Home Depot without issue too. The only person that ever told me she wasn't allowed was at a Wal-Mart, but she was a really cranky woman who I've heard bitches at everybody. No other Wal-Mart employee had ever said anything, but I still haven't taken her back there. State law says you can't take a bird into stores where food is prepared or served. However, I did have her in a McDonald's once (the one inside the Wal-mart) and sat next to the door with her in a grocery cart. I also waited inside a pizza place for them to finish my order to go (it was 110 outside, so they were nice enough to let us wait inside). I read a story about a guy who takes his macaws to Starbucks everyday, but the store would probably get in trouble if the health inspector came by. If you sat outside though, it should be fine.

 

Here's a pic of Nikko at a blessing of the animals event in her adventure pack:

 

[spookyhurst]

One other thought. Birds look at anyone below their eye level as inferior. Therefore, if Cheerio's perching spots are above your daughter's eye level, that could be a problem.

[Dave007]

""""One other thought. Birds look at anyone below their eye level as inferior."""""""

 

Is it possible that you can tell me where you heard that from or who told you such a thing?????

[spookyhurst]

Sure, let me take a look and I'll be back with the link.

[spookyhurst]

I'm not sure where I read it, since it was 3 years ago when I was researching greys, but I read it in many places. Here's one article. I'll have to look further to find the one about greys:

 

http://www.quakerparrots.com/training/quaker-parrots-and-kids/

 

EDIT: The argument of height dominance probably goes along with the topic of you should/shouldn't let a bird sit on your shoulder.<br><br>Post edited by: spookyhurst, at: 2008/06/19 07:26

[Tycos_mom]

I read that also just today as a matter of fact on another forum in their articals I'll tell you where if I'm allowed too let me know.

 

[Lupa]

I might be wrong cause I have read so many books about parrots over the past few months but I am almost sure I read it in Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athen.

 

don't quote me on that tho I could be wrong, I will go check at home later.

[Tycos_mom]

The artical says if you want to make friends with a Grey you must be at the same eye level if you are higher that him he will see you as dominant and if you are lower then him he will feel dominant over you and may not pay attention to you. So if you are trying to make friend with him it is important that you are on the same level so he thinks of you as equal it also say that later if you need to punish him you can have him below eye level so that you are the dominant one at that time. The artical is writen by a well known person in the grey community she also said thats what worked for her and the bird she has and that it may not work for your bird as each bird has its own personality

 

[Dave007]

I asked that question for a specific reason because a correction needs to be made before a person actually applies it literally and believes it and reacts because of it, especially where family members are concerned

 

Inferior is a human condition. It doesn't apply to wild animals. True, a bird needs to be trained in a certain position but there's a reason for that which has nothing to do with the word inferior. It's simply a matter of convenience for the person to be more successful in what they're trying to accomplish and for the bird to be more responsive.

 

A parrot is a flock type animal who's natural makeup is to watch out for any possible trouble that's nearby. This is proven in the wild. They don't deal with trouble by becoming offensive. They don't stop and decide whether the trouble can be handled because that trouble might be coming from something inferior. Animals, even predatory animals who cull the weak members of their own kind out of a family only do this for the safety of the rest of the animals in that family. The weak animal is simply left behind.

 

A parrot who is higher than a person reacts to that situation not by attacking but being defensive. If it can't succeed in warding off that problem and feels cornered it will bite. It's an area that contains many angles of escape. It will do everything possible in order to stop that discomfort. The best area in which a bird can accomplish that is on something that provides room to run away. A parrot doesn't see a person as being inferior because if that were true, the person would have to stay away from that bird in order to avoid offensive attacks which would happen on a constant basis.

 

A parrot who is sitting on a lap and refuses to get off and when provoked, decides to bite is not a parrot who considers that person to being inferior. If that were so, the parrot wouldn't be on that lap.

 

There could be no training of a parrot if that bird decides that what he's dealing with is inferior to himself. Frightened, uncomfortable, edgy, nervous, willing to put on a defense such as biting or flying away--yes. None of these things are done because the parrot thinks that person/persons are inferior. No one here has said one simple thing--the fact that a parrot such as a grey doesn't take to children very well and the person asking about his problem should know that. The child isn't looked upon as being inferior. The bird is fearful because the child is irractic. The bird can sense that there's nervousness in the air and also takes on that same feeling and bites or flies away. The person then goes to back to the bird and the bird reacts negartively because it's just been through a negative experience.

 

If a person who is new to birds and sees a specific word that applies to the human condition and decides to continue with the bird but has that word in the back of his mind, that will only cause difficulties because that person will feel fear in everything he decides to do with the bird. The right words need to be used with a person who is new to birds. The literal belief in certain words that don't apply will only help the person to not succeed and that will happen quickly because that person will think that the bird is in total control.

 

I'm also not a big fan of some authors that write articles in their books about certain subjects.

 

Hypothetical---There's four different authors who discuss one particular situation in each of their books. The four different authors give four different answers and each insists that their answer is the only true answer.

 

A PS concerning inferior--if a bird is put into a situation where his natural abilities of escape have been compromised, does the person who's put that bird into that position have the right to now consider the bird to be inferior because he's now in control?

 

Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/06/19 20:14<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/06/19 20:22

[danmcq]

Excellent response Dave!!

 

You asked: "concerning inferior--if a bird is put into a situation where his natural abilities of escape have been compromised, does the person who's put that bird into that position have the right to now consider the bird to be inferior because he's now in control?"

 

My Answer - NO!! The bird/animal was put in that situation by the owner. It is up to the owner to now figure out how to best extract or let it out of it's own power to a more neutral ground.

 

My response to book writers that promulgate the "Leader of the Pack Theory" - Birds are not dogs - - There is no leader and no Inferior/Superior position. It is a community of equals that treat each other as such.

[Tycos_mom]

I agree totaly I just said I read that I didn't say I followed that advice I've brought 5 birds back from scared unhappy abused bird to well adjusted confident happy birds and I've done that by treating the birds as equals and working in either my territory or in mutual territory when we are in he birds territory I simply talk to them and offer my friendship I don't force anything on them if I did I'm sure my birds would not be where they are with me today. They definatly aren't afraid to come over to be with me when they feel the need and thats most of the time I got 5 velcro bird and Even Tyco is starting to come around more and more she walked over and climb up onto my shoulder the other day out of the blue so I must be doing something right LOL

 

<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/06/19 22:55