August 22, 2010 – 5:23 pm
I do hope everyone is enjoying my more fanciful “Tuesdays with Ty” posts, but I realize I have been neglecting what was initially the core of this blog– training and behavior advice. I need to get back at that as well.
I love writing the little essays for Tuesday, pondering what it is that the parrots [...]
January 21, 2010 – 5:29 am
Check out this month’s issue of Bird Talk if you haven’t picked it up yet. It features an article on getting a “do over” when your relationship with your parrot has gone awry.
It is the one thing all parrot owners dread happening. The sweet baby parrot that used to spend hours cuddling in your [...]
December 29, 2009 – 11:21 am
…People are Animals too!!
Those of you who have heard me speak on parrot training, have likely heard me say this in 10 different ways in my lecture. We often forget how incredibly important it is to be considerate to the others who live with our parrots and are not necessarily parrot people.
The ex-parrot post got [...]
December 22, 2009 – 10:07 am
From the Contra Costa Times:
Last month my boyfriend moved in and with him came his pet African Grey parrot. The bird calls his ex-girlfriend’s name all the time and says things like, “Michael, I love you” in his girlfriend’s voice. I want to kill this bird. And, now she’s asking to visit the bird. I’d [...]
December 13, 2009 – 5:10 am
I had a dream the other night…a nightmare, really, that I couldn’t take it anymore.
The animals were too much. I decided that I had to give up my African grey, Ty and my Brittany spaniel, Booth. Worse. I was desperate. I wanted them out of my life immediately.
And so, I left the grey in a [...]
Of all the behaviors that parrot owners struggle with, the most frustrating and difficult to manage is plucking.
All parrot species seem to be capable of resorting to this behavior, but the reasons and level of plucking vary. Some parrots over preen their primary wing feathers, some may just pluck the feathers around their legs and [...]
Got a bird that hits the floor and goes for feet? Teach him to station.
An easy thing to train your bird which can keep him out of all kinds of mischief is “stationing.” Training animals to station is a common husbandry technique in zoos. If you need to work with an animal that is dangerous [...]
I frequently get asked how to find and vet behavior consultant. This is mostly because I recommend that part of a behavior modification program involve the consultant coming into your home to help you see what he or she is talking about. Unfortunately, people call me from all over the United States. I often don’t [...]
March 22, 2009 – 10:00 am
If your parrot is one of those species that breeds in the spring, you might be dealing with some behaviors that are less than desirable lately. I seem to be getting more requests than usual for ideas on managing broody and suddenly territorial parrots. A bird that a chosen a mate in the household and [...]
One of the most common problems with parrots that come from previous homes is a fear of hands. I don’t have any studies to verify this, but it has been suggested that the old idea that “all parrot MUST step up” has done much to create a whole generation of captive bred parrots that are skittish [...]
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