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- #21
It's so ironic I started this post out of curiosity to only find first hand the answer to my own question. As I started this thread, a former breeder of TAGs I know contacted me and informed me of an elderly woman who has a TAG and given her age and mental state (dementia), they (her family and friends) felt that she needed to find her pet an new home. I inquired how the bird was and offered to take the bird in to my friend. I didn't hear back from her until 3 weeks later and long story short, the 28 year TAG lives with me now.
Excited but scared of the unknown, I left the bird alone in it's cage for several hours to let it acclimatized to it's new surroundings. Thus, given the previous owner's mental state, I was told she loved her pet but the onset of dementia would sometimes produce physical harm to the bird. Subsequently, this left the bird to start plucking it's feathers on his chest and became weary of hands. Therefore, I didn't try any hand taming but to my amazement, it gladly took seeds (called it cookie) from my hand. This brought a lot of encouragement, since he would take seeds from my hand and not try to bite my hand or growl as some greys do. I thought this would be an opportune time to start hand taming (3rd day). I started to clicker train him and though he never at all try to bite me as I tried to hand tame him out of his cage, I would say cookie and offer the seed. By the 5th day, I am glad to say, he readily steps up of course with a bit of hesitation, but once he gets that first seed with the word cookie, he steps up and gives me a kiss. I was so amazed that this 28 year old TAG, was able to adapted to easily and display such good natured disposition given his recent past.
To digress, I wonder now, if birds are similar to dogs, in that, if birds can be breed with good dispositions the way dogs are. Since, I know first hand, though it may be the exception than the rule, that not all TAG bite or become aggressive once they reached maturity.
Excited but scared of the unknown, I left the bird alone in it's cage for several hours to let it acclimatized to it's new surroundings. Thus, given the previous owner's mental state, I was told she loved her pet but the onset of dementia would sometimes produce physical harm to the bird. Subsequently, this left the bird to start plucking it's feathers on his chest and became weary of hands. Therefore, I didn't try any hand taming but to my amazement, it gladly took seeds (called it cookie) from my hand. This brought a lot of encouragement, since he would take seeds from my hand and not try to bite my hand or growl as some greys do. I thought this would be an opportune time to start hand taming (3rd day). I started to clicker train him and though he never at all try to bite me as I tried to hand tame him out of his cage, I would say cookie and offer the seed. By the 5th day, I am glad to say, he readily steps up of course with a bit of hesitation, but once he gets that first seed with the word cookie, he steps up and gives me a kiss. I was so amazed that this 28 year old TAG, was able to adapted to easily and display such good natured disposition given his recent past.
To digress, I wonder now, if birds are similar to dogs, in that, if birds can be breed with good dispositions the way dogs are. Since, I know first hand, though it may be the exception than the rule, that not all TAG bite or become aggressive once they reached maturity.
