Learning to keep introducing new things daily with Maui

[lisamarie973]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share something that I've learned myself in the past few days. If ANY of you have a grey and particularly a baby, do yourself a favor and continue to introduce something new EVERY day, for they become VERY complacent with whats "comfy" VERY quickly. As I took Maui outside of the covered patio and into the screened pool area, he was very afraid, I realized that everything has been the "same" for him lately, people, where he's been, just simply everything. If you want a well socialized bird, and specifically this species, it's VITALLY important to show something new every day, they honestly do become skittish in a very short period of time. I have slapped myself on the wrist for allowing myself to fall complacent myself!!
I made several short trips around the pool (not all at once, several times, during the day) and each time we would venture out of his comfort zone, he would relax, we used to say that Maui was afraid of NOTHING!! Not true, he just learned to trust our judgement because we were constantly showing him new things.

I just wanted to share with anyone who is interested that these birds as babies are much easier to socialize, as they get older, I can see how it would take a LOT of time and patience, so do yourself a favor, take your bird with you on short runs to the gas station, through a drive thru window, where ever, just take him with you a few times a week, so when the time comes that you MUST take him, he will be very relaxed and not too terribly stressed out.

Other than that, Maui is doing GREAT! We're just NOW starting to get the hang of potty training, although we still have some work to do on it :54:
Things around my home have been extremely out of wack and off kilter, which is one of the reasons that Maui has NOT gotten much, "lets see something different and new today" time with Mommy.

 

[Pheonix Rising]

Thanks Lisa I found myself having the same issues with pheonix
i keep thinking hmmm what's something new I can do with him
now and not even thinking that a trip to a different room in our house is something different for him
definatly going to make more of a consious effort to keep doing new things with him

 

[lisamarie973]

Thanks Lisa I found myself having the same issues with pheonix
i keep thinking hmmm what's something new I can do with him
now and not even thinking that a trip to a different room in our house is something different for him
definatly going to make more of a consious effort to keep doing new things with him

Wonderful idea!!!! It's amazing, how little of a change to us, is such a HUGE thing for them. It's a great big world out there, and when these guys are born in captivity, it's pretty darn scary seeing it for the first time!

 

[Spiritbird]

This is what I teach new forum members with greys. I love to take her to my bird club meetings because everyone there helps in the socialization of your bird. Taking for rides is good too. Please to not take for a walk unless your bird is in harness or cage.

 

[lisamarie973]

This is what I teach new forum members with greys. I love to take her to my bird club meetings because everyone there helps in the socialization of your bird. Taking for rides is good too. Please to not take for a walk unless your bird is in harness or cage.

What a wonderful idea, I do believe I'm going to try to attend a bird club here in Sarasota with Bob, I will take him with me. I have taken him on short trips in the car, simply to get him used to the sensation of being in the car, he's starting to actually ENJOY going with me now, as, if he's in the house and see's me walk toward the front door, he'll fly to my head. We always cage Maui when leaving the house, for any reason, because he WOULD fly out the front door, just not to be left.
Spriritbird, when I say taking him for a walk, it is in a screened encased enclosure around my pool area, he can see outside and hear all the sounds of outside, but not truly outside where he could fly away. I would be just beside myself if I ever lost him, and I'm not naive enough to believe he would stay attached to my arm, I've heard too many horrror stories of people who have lost their birds that way. And, some of them have had their birds for many, many years, but they still flew out of fright or curiousity, but couldn't find their way back.

 

[Marie]

It's great to expose birds to small changes gradually so they are used to change in case a big change ever happens!

 

[antoinette]

Lisa you are so correct in saying take the bird out, let them get used to so many different things.
When hanging washing outside, it's Mishka's favourite...... She listens to all the birds chirping and singing and imitates them. She loves going out in the car, sits in the car saying car eieoooooo eieoooooo. She loves the outdoor life, is not afraid to go anywhere, as long as mommy is with her.

Even when in the house, let your bird wonder around, under supervision of course.
Whenever I took Mishka into a room, I told her where we are going. Every morning, for 3 years, when taking her to the bathroom I would say to her, bathroom, Mishka going to the bathroom. When turning on a tap, I would say water. The result is now, she walks towards the bathroom I say, where is Mishka going?, she says to the bathroom, to poopie, then I must go in turn a tap on and she says water, and makes the noise of water dripping.
Just having the bird around you, doing your daily activities they are learning not be be afraid of different thing and learning all the time

 

[lisamarie973]

Aw, thats awesome Ant, that's why she's such a smart girl!!! I do explain everything to Maui as well, tell him constantly what I'M doing, what I'M eating, touching or pointing to. I tell him when I leave the room, that I'll be right back or that I'll be back a little later on. I tell him what he's eating when I chop veggies up, whichever he picks up and eats, I tell him what it is. When he hears a noise, airplane, car, dogs barking, cats meowing, hammering, music, I always tell him what the noise is. Now, I'm GLAD that I over explain every detail of everything to him, I can only HOPE that he is as bright as Mishka when he's her age!!

He's just started to get a little "testy" with other people, a little nippy, sassy, I suppose, we're working on correcting that behaviour, luckily, he does listen pretty well when we say "Maui, No Bite" as I hold his beak gently in my fingers. Now that he's flying, he definitely is a little more sassy and independent, almost like the terrible twos, except he can't SAY "NO" yet. LOL. I appreciate everyones advice on how to rear him the best I can. So many of you have such awesome birds, I sure hope Maui turns out to be such a sweetheart as well.

 

[Bobby34231]

I got a chance to visit with Lisa for a short while today, haven't seen Maui in a couple weeks, the changes in his appearence and his behavior in just that short time is amazing, getting more and more handsome and you can really see the confidence he's gained, I just wish all parronts were as loving and caring of their fids as Lisa is, keep up the great work

 

[lisamarie973]

Aww!! Thanks so much Bob! What an awesome compliment. Maui is getting more and more confident each day, even to the point of a little bit "sassy" at times, but, he corrects that behaviour fairly quickly, he definitely does NOT like for me to disapprove of his behaviour and will almost immediately correct the bad behaviour and "suck up" if you will, with asking for head scratches and chirping to me. It's rather adorable if you ask me. I just love him so much, he spent a good LONG time in his cage today, from about 8AM until about 3PM, which is very unusual for him, but he did fantastic!!!! He was ELATED when I came home to let him out, but, while I was out, all I could think about was how badly I wished I could get home to let him out!! LOL