paul@mit-caf.UUCP (Paul Meyer) (02/23/88)
I recently bought a spoon-fed African Gray. It is now about 4 months old and I am starting to attempt to teach it to talk. It is very tame and pettable and not hand-shy at all. If anyone out there has any advice on training a parrot to talk or perform simple tricks, I would appreciate it. I have several books on the subject, but the more advice the better. Paul Meyer Microsystems Technology Laboratory MIT
edg@pbhyg.UUCP (Elizabeth D. Gottlieb) (02/24/88)
Paul, Good luck with your Grey! My advice is to talk to him ALL THE TIME -- whenever you pass by, etc., and repeat what you'd like him to learn in relatively the same tone of voice. Also, reinforcement once he learns is important. My blue-front Amazon talks up a storm, but only when he wants to. The blue-and- gold macaw who sits next to him has finally (after 10 years) learned to speak from the Amazon! I think the Amazon (Yakov) learned more quickly because his voice range is closer to mine, and the macaw needed a male voice to imitate, so my husband's reinforcement helped there. A funny story -- years ago, a friend was visiting who kept trying to feed Yak raisins, which he won't eat. When I came home from work, he was repeating her offer, "Want a BIG ONE? Want a BIG ONE?" Needless to say, we didn't reinforce this and he doesn't pop up with it anymore. Libby Gottlieb
susans@cfi.COM (susans) (02/25/88)
In article <768@mit-caf.UUCP> paul@mit-caf.UUCP (Paul Meyer) writes: > > I recently bought a spoon-fed African Gray. It is now about 4 >months old and I am starting to attempt to teach it to talk. It is very >tame and pettable and not hand-shy at all. If anyone out there has >any advice on training a parrot to talk or perform simple tricks, I would >appreciate it. > >Paul Meyer Poor Paul!! He made the fatal mistake of posting about a (gasp! shriek! moan of disgust) PET BIRD in rec.bird -- obviously he missed the heated debate in which those of us who keep birds as pets were assaulted by the men of Toronto. Now that we've been bullied out of this newsgroup, I've noticed traffic is pretty stable at about 2 articles a day. I'd love to read the e-mail Paul gets!! -- Susan Scheide Another friend of Bill's "I am responsible..."
gp@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) (03/01/88)
> Now that we've been bullied out of this newsgroup, I've noticed > traffic is pretty stable at about 2 articles a day. Yes, but they are usually 2 _good_ articles a day. And you should see it after the weekend! :-) Greg Pasquariello