New Yellow-Shouldered Amazon - In Love

[wrench13]

Congrats on getting Cobie into his harness so quickly - it took me the better part of a year, training every night, to get Salty comfortable putting it on and not constantly chewing on it. These are very smart parrots, I think, brighter than most. LOL, I sound just like a parent of a gifted child.

 

[PCash]

Yeah, Wrench, Cobie's harness training is still a work in progress. I got the small size, oops, and the loop kinda snags when pulling it back off of his head. I'll try to get ahold of the medium at some point down the line. Overall, though, he's doing well.



Oh, Wrench, I saw your Jingle Bells youtube. So cool! I'm not sure how to teach Cobie to retrieve, but he would love that.



Update on the husband/Cobie relationship. Today my husband came home after being away since last night, and he hangs out with us in the family room for a few minutes before going outside to unload the car. When my husband leaves the room, Cobie, in his most sultry voice, calls after him, "hi", and immediately follows it up with "cracker" (the word my husband's been trying to teach him).

 

[wrench13]

Start with a small ball and the cup right next to cobie. when he puts it in the cup reward him. Then its a matter of moving the cup further and further away, then thry ifferent balls, then other objexts like the bell. like any trick, do it every night and always be consistent.

 

[PCash]

Thanks Wrench!


So, 'nuther question.

In the picture above Cobie is trying to tell me something but I'm a little clueless. I had just started vacuuming. Before that I was hanging out around his cage putting the seed catcher on. So I start vaccuuming and Cobie's eyes pin, his wings spread and his tail fans. He kinda bobs his head while saying "hi" again and again.



He has been using "hi" generally as a greeting, like when we first walk into the room or when we uncover his cage in the morning. Once in awhile he says "hi" when we're out of the room, but I think he's calling to us. I think.



Anyway, I don't think Cobie was being aggressive. I haven't seen any aggression from him actually, other than a gentle bite when he's been trying to tell us to stop something and we haven't been picking up on it.



He wasn't like hiding from the vaccuuming or acting scared (no sleeked down feathers or freezing), so I don't think he was afraid.



I'm reading this as excitement, but also, I'm a little confused. Was he calling for me? If so, what does his spreading wings and fanned tail mean?



(I tried to get a video of it, but I fat fingered the buttons and took a picture instead.)

 

[wrench13]

What's new on the Cobie front? Has he started singing? Yellow SHoulder Amazons can be just as accomplished as any of the hot 3 once they get started. Dont be afraid to sing any old silly tune to Cobie, and put his name into the lyrics. Singing and laughing are 2 of Salty's favorite past times, and another member's YSA was pretty good too, ( they are not active anymore though).

 

[PCash]

Cobie continues to be part of our family. Training has slowed with a setback in my health and the Christmas season busyness, so Cobie's just been hanging out with us. He loved "helping" wrap Christmas presents. He's always making me smile with his antics playing and growling with his toys. I hope he doesn't grow out of his playfulness, it's so cute and funny to watch him fight his toys.

Recently he started making new sounds, unlike any I've heard before, so I have hopes for a bigger vocabulary. Right now he says "hi" and "cracker" (his word for treat). He's still shy about "cracker" so he says that one softly. He's based in the living room, so when I go out to the kitchen to make supper, he'll call for me. I ignore the yelling and he quickly switches to "kissing noises". Oh, and he's started laughing. Today we were watching a scary (for a five year old boy) movie and the scary music started playing and Cobie chuckled. Haha. It was so creepy!

 

[wrench13]

Great ! suggest that you establish a set "contact call" for whenyou need to work n the kitchen. It will cut down on the yelling or screaming on his part - he just wants to know your near by. Use the same one over and over and he will recognize it as your call. Also - you can be first to use it sometimes. Mine for Salty is simple " I'm here Salty, where are you?" Family members can eachhave their own contact calls- thats how its done in the wild !

 

[PCash]

Sounds good. Thanks! Cobie kinda started the kissing call already, so we may keep that one. If I say "hi" or "hello when I'm out of the room," he gets excited and yells. I was using "hi" as a greeting, so I can see why he might get excited with that one.