Training Parrots To Be More Friendly

Senegal Parrots

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:22:00 +0000

The Senegal Parrot is very near and dear to my heart as some of you may know. That's because I have a Senegal named George.

Alot of People believe that Senegal Parrots are one of the easiest parrots to own and raise and I have to say that I agree. George has been a great bird and I look forward to many more years with him!

I have updated the Sengal Parrot portion of my web site so check it out when you have a few extra minutes. There's some great information available as well as the option to sign up for a free training video. So until next time Happy Training!

Thinking of Getting a Pet Parrot?

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 15:08:00 +0000

Parrots aren’t really “rare” pets anymore. Even small pet stores carry large birds, and most people know at least one person with a parrot. Captive breeding provides a good selection of species at a wide range of prices. Hand-rearing has gives us birds that are apt to see people as friends rather than monsters. It’s easy to find a pet parrot these days. Maybe too easy. It’s not uncommon for people to acquire one in less-than-well-thought-out circumstances. This leads to many unwanted birds. Parrots are ending up in rescue situations almost as frequently as dogs and cats.

One sure way to decrease unwanted parrots is to educate potential owners. Chances are many of you already have a parrot, but some of you are still be mulling over the idea. You’re doing what you should be doing, which is thinking, so good for you! It’s much better to sort things out carefully than to make a snap decision you regret later. While some parrots are bought on impulse, there are people who think ahead of time and still wind up making a poor choice because their motives weren’t in the best interest of the bird, and/or they were given bad information.

Be sure you have the right motivation for getting a parrot in the first place. Don’t think it’s a good way to impress people. Don’t try to complete your tropical island décor with a live prop. Don’t get hung up on the whole “because it talks” thing. Get a parrot because you want a smart, active, engaging pet that wants to be and can become part of your family. And because you don’t mind that sometimes it’s stubborn, noisy, messy, destructive and demanding. Sort of like a kid that will never grow up. If you’re cool with that, then maybe you’re good to go as far as your motives are concerned.

Your expectations about what you’re getting in a bird need to be clear and based in reality. Plenty of people end up unhappy with their feathered pet because of the difference between what they expected and what they actually got. They thought they were getting a relatively low-maintenance pet that didn’t need much in the way of daily care or training, one that would want to be played with and held at their convenience, and always be the sweet big-eyed baby they cuddled back then.

These are unfortunate, common misrepresentations that you hear get tossed about as easily as yesterday’s seed mix. No matter where you seek your bird, you may be told “You just have to feed him this seed and take him out once in a while”. Or “He’s a hand-fed baby so he won’t need to be trained”. Or “You don’t need to give him toys because you want him to focus on you”. Or “Any vet will do”. And you can really get a good story from the people with the “for sale” ad in the paper who claim they’re getting rid of their bird because they a) have to move; b) are having a baby; c) just got a new job; or d) insert various other excuse for getting rid of a bird here. But what they really should say is “We had no idea what we were getting into. We can’t take anymore a) noise; b) mess; c) biting; d) insert various other reason for getting rid of a bird here and just have to get him out of here!”

I’m kinda painting a dark picture here, and if parrots were always bad, no one would have them. But they are one of the more challenging pets to keep if you’re going to do it properly... especially with species like the African Grey and Cockatoo. You need to be prepared to spend money on more than just the bird, provide a varied diet, spend lots of time socializing and training, possibly drive long hours to find a good vet, and be adept at picking up all sorts of parrot-related messes. Parrots may be exotic, they may talk and they may be impressive, but they aren’t low-maintenance, inexpensive or automatically well-mannered. The more you accept that going in, the more likely you are to be a parrot-worthy home. The next step is to figure out what species you might want and where to get it! Looks like you still have lots of thinking to do. Good thing I have more for you to read….

Parrots as Pets: Undemanding and low cost? Not!

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:43:00 +0000

Today I'm excited to announce a new voice to my blog. There's so much bad information on the internet about parrots, that I've made the decision to scoop up a few of the real experts and convince them to post some really breakthrough, and accurate information to my blog on a regular basis.

It's my hope that over the next several months I can attract some of the most advanced parrot behavior specialists in the world and get them to share their thoughts, articles and insights with you for free on this blog.

This website attracts over 7,600 visitors to it a day, making it one of the highest trafficked parrot websites on the internet. So if you know of a good parrot behavior specialist who you think might want to contribute their knowledge to this blog then contact me at info@birdtricks.com I don't know why no one has ever assembled many great parrot trainers in one place where they could share their thoughts and advice with you... but the wait is over, and on a weekly basis you can now check back to this blog for up to date training information and insights to help you strengthen your relationship with your parrot.

So with that said... here's the first article from one of our new writers, Kim Bear!

Parrots as Pets: Undemanding and low cost? Not!

Usually when I write, I have a clear plan of what I want to say. Sometimes that plan doesn’t take. Originally, I was going to present standard “is a pet parrot right for you?” information, and go over the pros and cons and whatnot. But then I read something that changed my focus. Now it’s more of a rant.

This rant pertains to the very medium you’re using right now, ironically, and how one must be careful when using the internet to look for information. It started out innocently enough. I was searching for statistics about where parrots rank in the pet population. I’d read something a while back that says they’re the 3^rd most popular pet, and I wanted check that out.

So, like many people looking for answers, I did an internet search and got several sites. The first one I visited was one of those large “we cover everything” sites where people post all sorts of articles, so you can read about everything from how to conquer bad breath to how to get a good rate on your mortgage refinancing. And, evidently, how to choose a pet. Hey, this site even has one of my ads on it! How cool is that?

I wasn’t long into reading one particular article before I started looking for the statement “and these are all myths about pet parrots”. But that statement never came. Anyone who reads the article would get a very wrong impression about parrots.

Phrases used to describe them included “less demanding” than dogs or cats, “less involved” in the family, and not needing “the same amount of attention and training” as other pets. Oh, and also “not as expensive to maintain”. That sound you hear? It’s probably the collective “HA!” and “YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!” sounds coming from parrot owners who know better.

Now I’m not saying the author doesn’t know anything about parrots. He has written several articles on that site, though I didn’t see much about his parrot-related credentials. He may actually be an expert. But he certainly has a different perspective than other experts I know. People have the right to form opinions based on their own experiences, of course. And it may be that in this man’s experience, his statements are true.

But I wonder how much has he ever expected from his parrot? Perhaps he has never realized his parrot’s potential. Never noticed just how involved in his life the bird would be if given the chance. Never thought to buy lots of toys or build a play gym, to teach trick training or take his bird to the park. And maybe he’s been lucky and has never had to take his parrot to the vet.

But that’s the thing about the internet--There’s so much out there, and you have to sort through it. I feel for you folks who are just beginning to research whether or not a parrot is right for you, and what type of parrot that may be. You’re in a mine field, so tread carefully. Most websites these days are nicely designed no matter who is actually behind them, and the information looks like it’s coming from people who know what they’re talking about. And, for the most part, you can gather good information.

But you can also get a hold of some very not-good information. Like one of the other articles on that same site that says something along the lines of parrots not being picky eaters. Listen carefully...you may hear more scoffing from parrot owners as they toss out yet another uneaten bowl of pellets or scrape another slice of banana off the wall.

So ends my little “reader beware” lesson. Please gather your sources carefully. Feel free to check up on me so you can decide whether or not I’m credible, since I’m pointing fingers here. Oh, and I did find out where parrots rank as pets. One site said they are the second most popular pet in the U.S. But you know what? I think I will keep checking. I don’t want to believe it just because I read it on one website.

Tips for finding quality parrots for sale

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:31:00 +0000

Finding quality parrots for sale isn't easy. My brother Dave and
I recently created a product to help show people how to make
sure the next parrot they buy is from a reputable place... we even
videotaped that footage, and offer it in a full blown
How To Buy Your Next Parrot system.

But the reason I bring this up, is because one of my subscribers
just sent me this short, simple question that reminded me that
I'll never be able to stop telling people how important it is to know
what to look for when searching to buy a parrot, here was the
message:

Dear Chet,

Can you please tell me where I can find cheap red fronted macaws
for sale down here in florida?

Thanks,
NAME WITHHELD

Messages like this really scare me. Not because the person wan'ts
to save some money on purchasing a parrot, that's natural. But that
the only thing this person was concerned about was the cost of the
macaw.

Now I don't pretend to read minds, and I'm not going to judge this
person, but their quesion brinds up a great point...

Thousands of parrots are abandoned every year by people who
got into parrot ownership because they just wanted a pretty creature
living in their home. They're only concerned about price, and they're
soon to find out that without proper care that pretty little bird WILL
turn into a terror.

So before you think you need another parrot, please make sure to
stop and think:

Does the parrot I already own get enough attention?
Am I already spending an hour with them every day?
Will I have the time to train mynew parrot properly?
Is my family willing to cooperate with the training process so they
don't end up teaching the new parrot bad habits too?

And most importantly, have you done your homework on whether
or not you're buying your parrot from a reputable breeder, and
not just trying to save some dough.

All breeders are not created equal, so make sure you check your
parrot's breeder out, you wouldn't want to end up with a bird
destined to be a feather plucker, die of a disease that could have
been prevented, or turn into a biter.

Why I need new parrot bird cages

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 20:28:00 +0000

Well this Christmas was a bit of a surprise for me. And has caused me to realize that I need some new parrot bird cages.

And I think this picture shows why?

See why my parrots need some new bird cages?

(I do want to note that if you look closely, my foot is in this
picture -- meaning this was highly supervised. A puppy should not have access to a birds cage on the floor. I'm actually clicker training the dog in this picture to remain calm while near the bird -- and relaxing his body language)

My beautiful wife Sally and I had talked about getting a puppy around the middle of January... but she surprised me this year with a little bundle of Joy we now call Bauer. Our 8 week old Golden Retriever Puppy.

Luckily I've been doing my homework when it comes to picking out some new bird cages for our parrots, as I new we'd be needing a bird cage soon, just not this soon.

So today I'm ordering a new parrot bird cage from Cages By Design. It's a great company that has recently been featured on the mammoth hit TV show, "Extreme Home Makeovers" and is really starting to come on the seen as a premier builder of parrot bird cages.

And I think the main reason they're doing so well is because they don't just offer bars and food holders. They have actually created bird cages that solve parrot's behavior problems.

These parrot bird cages come with fully installed 'Full Spectrum' lighting, which has been proven to increase vitamin K production in indoor parrots who don't get natural sunlight. Because windows filter out the light, and leave our parrots little bodies starving for what nature intended -- sunlight.

And in case you don't read all my newsletters and already know this... 'full spectrum' lighting has been proven to decrease feather plucking. And Cages By Design is the first company to preinstall full spectrum lighting into a parrots bird cage in a way that looks beautiful, instead of clunky.

Plus their parrot bird cages also come with automatic bathing systems, that can be set on a timer to give your parrot a bath on a regular basis.

But I'd like to ask you a favor...

I'm wanting to know if this company treats it's customers right before I start recommending their cages to everyone. So If you're at all interested in a new bird cage for your parrot, or at least interested in adding some better features to your parrot bird cages, then I'd like to ask you to go over and sign up to have CagesByDesign send you one of their full color catalog chalked full of all their parrot bird cages. And tell me how they treat you?

And I'll be sure to post some new pictures of the parrot bird cages I purchase, and show you some of their cool features if the company can deliver like they promise -- which I hope they can. Because more parrot's need to be living in bird cages like these.

I'll keep you posted on how I like my parrots new bird cage!

... and here's some more pictures of Bauer

Feather Plucking In Blue And Gold Macaws

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 18:55:00 +0000

If you have a Blue And Gold Macaw with a feather
plucking problem... I know how you feel.

It's painful to look at a Macaw that could be so
beautiful, if he'd just stop plucking his feathers.

That plucked chest, legs & wing tips are a contant
reminder of the bad shape your Blue and Gold is
really in.

That's why I recently hunted down one of the leading
experts in Feather Plucking and grilled her for
over an hour, on how to cure Feather Plucking in
Blue and Gold Macaws.

I'll admit... I'm not an expert in dealing with
Pluckers, and I was shocked at how complicated
feather plucking can really be.

It could be your Blue and Gold's diet, it could be
air quality in your home, it could be a medical
condtion etc.

There's no ONE solution that can fix feather plucking.

The only thing you can do to make sure your Blue and
Gold macaw doesn't keep plucking his feathers is to
act fast! Every day you wait to get him help, is
making it that much harder to stop his feather
plucking.

It's a habit that's hard to beat.

If you'd like access to my interview on "How to Stop
Feather Plucking" you can find more details here.

How to get parrot to stop screaming

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 23:59:00 +0000

There's nothing more annoying than a screaming
parrot -- nothing!

That mind numbing screeching, or squaking,and no
matter what you do, never seems to stop. Annoying
screaming comes in as the second biggest reason
people get rid of their parrots... second only to
biting.

In my best selling DVD training course, I spend
a LOT of time talking about one of the greatest
ways to stop screaming, and it's helped hundreds
of my customers get their parrots to finally put
a cork in it.

But in this newsletter issue I want to tell you
about a new technique that is working wonders on
how to get parrot to stop screaming.

This method deals with NEGATIVE reinforcement:

Most people think negative reinforcement is
punishing a bird for his bad behavior, and they're
right. A perfect example of the WRONG way to use
negative reinforcement would be to spray your bird
with water, or throw a rolled up sock at his cage
if he starts to scream. And here's why that's the
WRONG way to use negative reinforcement...

Because the bird sees you throw the object at him,
or sees you swat him, or sees you yell at him to
"SHUT UP!"

Thus the bird DIRECTLY associates his punishment
with you, it's owner, and ends up becoming fearful
of you and less trusting.

So the trick is to use negative reinforcement in
a way that DOESN'T leave your bird associating his
punishment with you, or other members of your
family.

In fact ideally, you want the bird to think he
caused himself to be punished.

A perfect example of this would be if a cat hopped
up on your counter and walked accross your hot
stove.

Upon touching the stove, the cat would be burned
badly enough so that he probably would never go
near that stove top again. And if he burned
himself twice, my bet is he wouldn't come within
10 feet of that stove for the rest of his life.

Now you wouldn't do this on purpose, but it serves
as a perfect example of how a behavior was trained
using negative reinforcement without leaving the
animal with a personal grudge against it's
owner. The punishment was given, and the cat
doesn't have anyone to blame but himself, or the
stove. (which is a key point to remember)

So the goal is to recreate that situation, in a
MUCH more mild form that doesn't harm your bird,
but scares, or startles him slightly when he's
in the act of screaming.

Just like the cat who's not very excited to singe
his little paws on that hot stove a second time,
you can get a parrot to realize that every time
he screams he causes a negative experience to
happen; an experience that happens whenvever
he screams with you in the vicinity. But to do this, it
needs to be done in a way that your bird doesn't
suspect you're the one giving him the negative
experience.

I first learned this technique when my father
got all pissy at our Golden Retriever puppy when
I was a child... threatening to give it up to
the pound if I didn't train him to behave better.

So I ordered some training guides from an
infomercial and put them to use.

These training guides used negative reinforcement
exclusively, but in a way that didn't leave our
dog mad at us for distributing his punishement.

And while today I think there was a lot wrong
with that course I bought, I like to think you
can take something from it.

So I started brainstorming how to give parrots
a negative punishment discretly.

I thought the best way would be to use a loud
startling noise maker, that could be set off
the second a parrot screamed -- causing the
parrot to be startled, and stop screaming.

I'd been toying around with the idea and talking
about it with a few people, when one of my clients
actually put it to use and reported back on this
method's amazing success on his Umbrella Cockatoo.

Here's how he did it:

This client happened to keep his parrots in
an empty garage. It was a nice garage and had
been a nice bird room. And here's the key point
about this garage...

... It still had working garage door openers, that
could automatically open his loud, grinding garage
doors, whenever he wished, with a button.

This noise always startled the bird, but not in
a way that would send him thrashing and lashing
in panic accross his cage. Instead he'd just
stiffen up and hold onto his cage bars tighter --
the perfect amount of negative reinforcement.

And here's the best part.

This owner's cockatoo would constantly scream for
his owner's attention. And the neigbors were starting
to get a bit pissy about it!

So he decided to reward his cockatoo every time
he screamed -- with a scary garage door. (but perfectly
harmless, and NOT associated with the owner)

Each time the cockatoo would scream, the owner
(who would carry the garage door opener on his belt
while in his house) would simply tap the garage
door openerbutton, which opened the garage, startling
the parrot, who would then stop screaming!

And what happened over time, is that the owner trained
his parrot to think that every time his parrot screamed, the
garage door would open....training it in such a way that did not
leave the parrot resentful of its owner.

Because the parrot thought he caused the scary
thing to happen resulted in. . .

The parrot stopped screaming, because he didn't like
the scary garage to open anymore.

It's a beautful technique that I suggest you apply
to your parrot if he has a screaming problem.

But PLEASE use some discretion.

I don't want the thousands of people reading this
email to all go pluck their parrots from the
environment they're comfortable in, and stick them
in a garage.

Your garage might not be a SAFE place for your parrot.
There may be gas fumes, it may be too drafty, or too
cold etc.

Instead, take the principal and get creative.

And for Gosh sakes, DO NOT go OVERBOARD on this.
I don't want to hear through the grapevine that a
bunch of peole are firing up chain saws next to
their birds cages, and doing stuff that terrifies
their parrots.

You only need to STARTLE your parrot... not scare
the wajeebeez out of him. So please be smart about
this, and if in doubt, don't do it.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts, and certainly
any other success stories from you if you've already
put this method to use.

Just remember, the key to giving negative reinforcement
is that your parrot has to remain safe,
and that your parrot can have NO way to associate his
negative reinforcement with you -- he needs to think
he's bringing it all on himself.

It's the only way this type of training will work,
without ruining the relationship you've already
established with your bird.

Here's hoping this can help if you've got a screamer
living in your home -- and bugging you and the neighbors.

Happy Training!

Chet Womach

Thanks For Helping Me Raise $1,000 For Parrot Rescue Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 05:30:00 +0000

As you probably already know I released a new course on how to buy your next bird recently, in an effort to help raise funds to rescue abused parrots.

And although I didn't raise as much money as I'd have liked to, I thought you'd be happy to hear that yesterday I donated $1,000 to the Gabriel Foundation -- a GREAT parrot rescue organization that takes in abused birds and gives them phenomenal care they so desperately need.

Here's a few pics of the birds that the money raised from the release of my new training course will help take care of over the next 12 months.

This pic is of Maggie and Toltec . As you can see they're are in need of special care. And it's parrot rescue organizations like the Gabriel Foundation that make sure these birds get that special care that nobody else can give them.

And then there's Ricky Roo who is a self mutilator and will wear a collar the rest of his life. He needs special attention and probably will never be adopted out. Again, another example of a bird that wouldn't have a loving home, and people to care for him and give him the love he needs, without outside donations to parrot rescue organizations.

Thanks to your help, and those of you who purchased my new course... two more parrots will be taken care of that otherwise wouldn't have a home, or the medical attention they'd need to survive.

If you'd like to help me raise even more money for the Gabriel Foundation, I'd encourage you to do one of two things:

#1 -- You can visit the Gabriel Foundation's website yourself and make a donation. (and be sure to tell them Birdtricks.com sent you) As they like to know how people heard about them. Or...

#2 -- You can purchase a copy of my new course, filled with tips and tricks for people looking to buy their next parrot, and how to get the nicest, healthiest bird possible -- without getting scammed by pet stores. And I'll donate 20% of the cost to charity. You can check out more details here.

And whether you're one of the people who's already helped me raise money for these parrot rescues, or you've yet to help out... we hear at Birdtricks.com thank you for being a member of our parrot loving community, and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

God Bless,

Chet Womach
BirdTricks.com

Abusive Pet Shops Caught On Tape

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 04:39:00 +0000

I'll keep this short and sweet...

Right now I'm posting this message from an abandoned
CIA communicattion post that the US military used
extensively during WWII.

The only access point to this location is via
secret, underwater caverns and passageways.

(which we really did have to swim with sharks
to reach -- and we've got video to prove it)

And now that we are safely hidden away in this
abandoned shelter, we're finally ready to release
our 'surveilance' footage of bad pet shops caught
on tape to the public.

But to access this footage you must do one simple
thing...

You have to watch the behind the scenes footage
of how we barely escaped with our secret intel, and
how we risked our lives to bring you this
information ;-)

You can view that video click here.

But you'd better act quick agent Chet, this
message will self destruct in 5...4...3...2...1...

Agent 'C' out...

Only 3 more days 'till I expose bad pet shops!

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:24:00 +0000

Agent 'C' here, reminding you that we have now
compiled all the 'intel' we gathered from raiding
crappy pet shops and will be releasing this
information to the public at 12:03am this Friday,
the 17th of November.

We have compiled over 10 hours of audio and video
surveillance of bad pet shops into a step-by-step
system that's designed to take someone by the hand
and show them how to secretly analyze a pet shop,
to make sure it's safe to buy your bird from.

So if you're looking to buy a bird for the first
time, or you're looking to add another member to
your flock, you'll want to get your hands on this
footage the second it gets out. Plus there's another
reason this footage should interest you...

You may be thinking that the shop you either bought
your parrot from, or are going to buy your parrot
from is perfectly fine, and you don't need someone
to show you how to analyze your store.

But I'm here to tell you that you're walking on
thin ice with that type of mentality. In fact some
of the footage you'll see in our system shows you a
pet shop that most people would LOVE to buy their
bird from. Their bird's are all loving, the owners
seem SUPER nice and it's a great atmosphere.

In fact I've bought toys from them on 5 separate
occasions. But guess what I just found out about
this so called "great" store...

... I got word from an ex store agent that these
people get their birds from a 'less than stellar'
breeder... and a recent group of birds tested
positive for a disease that's name I can't pronounce.

But the point is, I used to think this store was
great, and could have brought home some infectious
disease from their store and transferred it to my
birds.

Which is why one of the things we teach you in this
new system is how to spot check these types of pet
stores for diseases -- it's crucial!

After all, many of you reading this message don't
plan on buying another bird, but you should still
know how to spot terrible problems like diseases so
you don't bring home something that infects the parrots
you already have -- possibly killing them!

This issue hit's particularly close to home as I've
just recently lost one of my birds, and even though
his death was NOT caused from a pet store, it pisses
me off to know that 6 out of every 7 stores we snuck
into and video taped, didn't care enough to screen
their birds for diseases. They just don't care
if someone like you and I has a bird die on us because
of their neglect -- this is wrong!

So when I release this footage on Friday morning,
make sure you're one of the people who gets there
in time to grab a copy.

What I'm releasing should change the way people
buy parrots. It'll weed out all the crappy pet stores
and help the few GREAT stores out there be rewarded
with tons of people like you giving them there business.

So until Friday I've got to go dark again...
code word for going undercover... so my enemies can't
track me down and stop me from releasing this 'intel'

Until then... Agent 'C' Out

P.S. I should also remind you that in addition to
releasing this new footage as a ground breaking
new tool for people to learn from when buying a new
parrot, I'm going to be donating 20% of the proceeds
to parrot rescue organizations.

In fact my goal is to raise $10,000 and present it to
my favorite parrot rescue organization this
Thanksgiving -- to help take care of the thousands of
parrot's who've been abandoned and mistreated by
their owners. Won't that be a sweet Thanksgiving day
surprise!

So even if you don't think you have any need for the
information I'm releasing on Friday, visit my website
on friday morning as I'll have plenty of ways you can
help us reach our goal of donating $10,000 to a parrot
rescue organization -- I might even throw in a few
free goodies if you get there early enough.

P.S. If you're reading this email and wonder who the
heck agent 'C' is, or why I'm talking in spy lingo, or
what this whole email is even about, you can get
yourself updated by reading many of the other posts
on this blog.

Let's just say it's a fun way to tackle a VERY serious
issue of parrot abuse and neglect in our society ;-)

What I'll Miss Most

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 20:23:00 +0000

I'm writing this brief message to you today
in complete sadness. As I've just discovered
we lost 'Ricky' today :-(

Ricky was my wife Sally's, Parrotlet, and we
cherished him dearly.

He had spent the last of his days becoming
very close to me, as I moved his cage into my
home office, where we could chat, talk, and
play in the office all day.

He had the complete run of the whole place
and was having a ball with life -- until he
passed away late last night.

I hate that sinking feeling of walking into a
room and something just doesn't seem right...

... there's no squawking, or cute little birdie
chatter. Just a lifeless body, where there used
to be so much heart, playfulness and love.

So obviously my heart is heavy this morning,
and I needed someone to share my sadness with,
so I thank you for listening, and will leave you
with this.

I'm NO poet, but it's from my heart...

*** What I'll Miss ***

Goodbye my little Ricky, I'll miss you very much

Your sweet little cooing noises, and your gentle
little touch.

I'll miss your playful nature, and your cutest
little voice

I'll miss the way you'd begged to play, not giving
me another choice

I'll think of you and smile about the loving times
we shared

And wish I could pet you on your favorite spot to
let you know I cared

I'm so thankful for the memories that you let us
share with you

And will miss you very dearly Ricky, and Sally sure
will too

***

I still do not know what caused Ricky's death. He
had spent all of yesterday playing quite cheerfully
and was not moping around like sick birds usually
do.

And even though I've been harping on bad pet shops
lately, I wanted to let you know that Ricky's death
was NOT due to a bad pet shop.

However it serves as a gloomy reminder that our
little bird's lives are fragile, and we should take
as many precautions as possible to keep them healthy.

So do me a favor today and spend a few extra moments
with your parrot.

Maybe spend an extra 30 minutes stroking the back
of his head while you watch some TV tonight, or take
him in for a fun bath if that's what he likes.

But do something fun with him... because you just
never know if it's the last bit of fun you'll
ever get to have with your bird.

I know I'm glad I took some extra time this week to
play with Ricky. It makes me feel just a little bit
better knowing his last days were some of his
happiest.

Thanks for listening

Sincerely,

Chet Womach
http://www.birdtricks.com

P.S. My wife Sally is pretty down from all this, so
if you are the praying type, I'm sure she could use
a few people praying for her today. She loved Ricky
very much.

Operation Crappy Pet Shops -- Mission UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:21:00 +0000

Dear Secret Agents,

On Monday I sent you an email errr... encrypted spy
message, which explained one of the ways I planned
to use the footage I got sneaking into pet shops
and catching their abusive behavior towards parrots
on camera.

And just to refresh your memory, my 1st goal is to
raise $10,000 for a parrot rescue organization. To
help take care of the unfortunate birds who've
already been abused.

Stuff like feeding them, medications, surgeries etc.

But I've got an even bigger goal to this whole
undercover spy operation :-) And it's time to tell
you about it:

What I've done is take all the 'Spy Footage' we got
from sneaking into pet shops and compiled it into
13 thought provoking lessons.

These lessons show you the 'tough to spot' warning
signs that 99% of people don't catch, when buying
their parrot.

Heck... I've fallen for half of them myself in the
past, and I've paid the consequences with painfully
high Vet bills, and having to literally inject my
parrots with drugs to fight off the diseases and
infections they got at their pet stores.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Most pet shops look just fine on the surface. But
it's the 'hard to spot' stuff that they hide from
you that can get you into trouble.

What you really need is someone to take you by the
hand, walk you through bad pet shops, and point
out all the small little things a seemingly great
pet shop is actually doing WRONG! And why you
shouldn't dare buy a bird from them.

That way you can make sure you don't get suckered
into buying a bird that has problems like:

--> Already a prolific screamer when he doesn't
get the attention he wants. But you won't
know till you bring the bird home.

--> Owning a bird who's destined to be a feather
plucker -- 'cause the pet shop skipped one
essential step in raising the baby parrot

--> Getting stuck with a baby bird who's contracted
a deadly disease or infection.

and many other problems much worse than these...

So I just wanted to let you know that this footage
is being assembled by our intelligence team... the guys
who burn our DVD's ;-) ... and will be ready for
you to process next Friday, November 17th.

Fitting isn't it? Since that's the day the New
James Bond movie's coming out -- I wonder if that was
an accident ;-)

But seriously... even though I'm having a little fun
with this undercover 'Spy Mission' I can assure you
that the problem is real, bird are really being
abused, and new, unsuspecting parrot owners are
paying the consequences.

Help me solve this problem next Friday by helping
me get this information into as many parrot owners
hand's as possible.

After all, my goal is to use this footage to help
me raise over $10,000 for parrot rescue organizations
in desperate need of more funds.

It's a cause worth fighting for, and I hope you'll
join me in this fight next Friday the 17th of November.

Talk to you soon Agents,

Agent 'C' Out...

P.S. Just in case you're reading this message, and
are thinking about buying a parrot as the next
addition to your family... I strongly recommend you
wait until November 17th, to make sure you're buying
from a top class parrot breeder. The 'intel' I have
could save you a LOT of agony.

P.P.S. If you are one of my 'under cover' agents whos
attempts to bring you these mission updates
have failed to reach, you can get caught up to speed on
my blog: http://www.birdtricks.com/updates

Raising Money For Parrot Rescue Organizations

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:00:00 +0000

Attention Agents!

I'f you've been following my brother and I on our latest mission to catch crappy pet shops around the world, then I've got an important favor to ask of you:

Agent 'D' and I (Chet & Dave Womach) are in the process interviewing/analyzing parrot rescue organizations. We've set a lofty goal to raise over $10,000 on behalf of a great rescue organization, and wanted your input and opinion on some of the better organizations out there.

I want to be 100% confident that the money I'm raising will go to a top notch parrot rescue organization. So your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

To share any insights you have into a great parrot rescue organization I should raise funds for, please click on the comments section directly below this post.

Thanks Agents!

Agent 'C' and 'D' out...

'Top Secret' Mission UPDATE -- Phase II

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:48:00 +0000

Attention Secret Agents,

Over the last 7 days my brother and I have been
collecting 'intel' from bad pet stores that sell
parrots.

The first phase of our mission was a success, as
we now have TONS of intel that exposes the bad
practices of these stores.

So armed with this 'intel' it is now time to
commence Phase II of our operation. Phase II is
of the utmost importance. And will be the
difference between catching a few pet shops, and
shutting down their whole 'EVIL' empire.

What you're about to see is 'Top Secret' and for
your eyes only ;-)

=============================
TOP SECRET MISSION OBJECTIVES
OPERATION "CRAPPY PET SHOPS"
=============================

Objective #1 -- Raise FUNDS to Win this fight!

Ever since I exposed the fact that I would be
attempting this mission, I've been receiving
an overwhelming amount of support for what I'm
doing.

Hundreds of agents (my customers) have either
emailed me, or posted their story of how their
own parrots were raised and sold by TERRIBLE pet
shops all around the world on my blog.

Some of these people have written me enraged that
I have not already handed over my footage to the
authorities who could shut these people down. And
I applaud those people for their passion, and
commitment to these issues.

And I want to let these people know that I will
hand over all footage I have, of truly TERRIBLE
pet store situations that I've caught on tape.

However I have something bigger and better planned...

It would be a HUGE mistake for you, or any of my
other 90,089 subscribers, to think that handing
over the footage I have would make a dent in
solving the problems of pet store abuse.

Sure I'd shut down a few pet stores, but dozens or
even hundreds more would pop up somewhere else.

This type of thinking, while noble, would be like me
thinking I'm going to cure the world of bugs by
driving down the freeway and splattering a few of
their guts on my windshield. I'd kill a few, but
I could never get them all.

Plus it brings up an entirely different issue...

... what about the pet shops who aren't bad enough
to shut down, but still sell lots of birds.

Here's an example:

We walked into a pet shop that to the unsuspecting
eye was fine. There were toys in the cages, the
cages were big, and none of the birds looked abused.

But if you looked closer, the only thing they fed
their birds were sunflower seeds!

If you didn't know, this one terrible mistake of
a bad diet, will nearly ALWAYS cut a parrots life
span in half.

These people are killing parrots too... they're just
doing it over the course of 5, 10 or 20 years. It's
just that the parrots will now die from fatty liver
disease, or kidney problems instead of physical abuse.

This store did a GREAT job with everything else,
but because seeds are cheaper than fresh foods,
produce and pellets, they chose to feed only seeds.

I can promise you, no amount of lobbying is going to
shut this store down. It's just not going to happen.

And that's why my brother and I wanted to do something
more than just shut down a few pet shops. So instead
of just catching a bunch of bad stuff on tape, we
spent dozens of hours interviewing some great pet
shops... because we knew we needed to create tools
to teach people what to look for in a good pet shop,
and not just blaspheme a few of them.

I think you'll agree that makes a lot more sense.

So with your help, I'm going to try to fight this
problem on two fronts.

I'll tell you about the first front today, and get
you more details on the second front in a couple
days. Both fronts are important, but I don't want
to bore you with a 82 page email covering all the
details ALL in one email.

So here's just ONE of the main things I'm wanting
to accomplish with this mission.

Scratch that... one of the things I WILL accomplish
with this mission!

Front #1 --> Raise FUNDS To Help Already Abused Birds

I don't have the statistics in front of me, but
thousands and thousands of parrots are bought on
impulse every year, and then abandoned when people
realize they actually require effort. Go figure

This happens because bad pet shops don't teach
people how to raise a happy, well adjusted parrot,
and it results in thousands of them being abandoned.

People will literally leave them on their back
porch when they move away, and not tell anyone...
slowly letting the parrot just starve to death
if it's not found by neighbors.

Luckily, there are some wonderful organizations
that rescue parrots in these terrible situations.

Many birds require immediate medical attention
including surgery’s, and other forms of treatment.

But as you can imagine, these types of treatment
aren't free, plus once the bird's lives are saved,
it's not exactly free to feed a parrot. Not to
mention make sure it has toys, a nice cage etc.

And that's where I come in!

I've got 90,000+ subscribers to my newsletter,
and I'm betting at least a few of them want to
help donate to this cause.

Am I right :-)

But since I'm swamped with all the details of our
mission, I'd like to ask for your input on some
of the better rescue organizations out there.

I've personally not dealt with any as of yet,
and I'd like to get your feedback on them.

So I've just posted on my blog about this whole
issue, and I'd like you to go and leave me some
feedback on two things:

-->Your recommendations for great rescue
organizations.

--> Warnings about which organizations to stay
away from. I want to make DARN sure I don't
raise money for a bad organization.

If you'd like to do that for me I'd sure appreciate
it, and you can post your feedback in the comments
section of my most recent blog post.

I'll be in touch soon agents.

Agent 'C' out...

P.S. Please realize that shutting down a few pet
shops, and raising funds (even a LOT of funds)
is not going to help STOP this problem.

That's why I'm working on a project that should
help teach people how to avoid these pet shops
before buying from them. And that's where I'll
be using the footage I've just gotten.

I'm hoping that the footage will scare people
into ONLY buying from reputable places, and
actually teach them how to find them. I'll
brief you more on that whole topic in a few
days -- I think it will revolutionize the way
parrots are bought!

Helping Parrots For Sale Around The World

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 04:51:00 +0000

Glad to see you made it Agents! All the parrots for sale throughout the world are hoping this intelligence reaches you before it's too late.

(Agent's 'C' and 'D' Deep Undercover)

As promised, here are a few screen capture shots from the data feeds we were able to pull out of our intelligence report. All the intel available on this blog are still images of our gathered intelligence. However we accumulated over 10 hours of surveillance footage, mostly of pet parrots for sale in bad -- even horrible living conditions.

To give you an idea of how truthfully sneaky we are, and the level of hi-tech spy equipment we have access to, please note the secret button spy cameras worn by myself and agent 'D' during this crucial sting operation.

Snap Shot Of All Our Spy Gear!

This allowed us to take full motion video footage while in direct contact with our target's, without blowing our identity. Allowing unbelievable close up footage of the parrots for sale in each pet shop we spied on -- allowing you to see the horrible condition these birds were in.

Here's a picture of the tiny camera, disguised as the button on a black shirt. This devise was secretly concealed from our targets, by being worn on our shirts, allowing us to get up close video evidence of bad pet shops, where otherwise none could have been gathered.

Spy 'Button' Cam Shots

(abused African Grey Parrot)

(Agent 'D' Gearing Up)

(Agent 'C' On The Move)

As you can see from the pictures, we got some equipment that was the real deal -- in fact it set us back 2,000 big ones. But it's money well spent if we can raise just a little bit of awareness about how parrots for sale in our nations pet stores, and other stores around the world need to be treated with more respect.

So please, if you have a personal story about a parrot you've purchased that came from a bad situation, whether it be a bad breeder, pet store, or some other parrot pan handler, then I encourage you to share that story by posting a comment in the comments section of this blog.

My site Birdtricks.com gets exposed to over 2,800 people per day, and your story will be read by thousands of others, who may be touched, and helped in the purchase of their next parrots -- or their first one.

That's all I've got for now agents -- I've got to get back to phase II of "Taming, Training & Tricks Undercover -- Operation 'Crappy Pet Shops'

This last part of the mission requires detailed planning, and extremely efficient execution if we're truly able to help rescue thousands of pet parrots for sale around the world.

I'll brief you on the last last phase of your assignment in a few days.

Good Luck Agents,

Agent 'C' and 'D' out...

Pet Shops Get Caught This Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 03:37:00 +0000

For the past several months, my brother and I have
been planning a 'TOP Secret' mission designed
to expose the immoral ways that pet shops and
breeders are selling parrots in our society.

I won't go into all the literally 'Gorey' details
about how parrots are being sold and mistreated in
virtually 80% of the parrot shops we've survielanced...

... those details are still confidential, and the
release of that intel would compromise todays mission.

So for now, you're to operate in the dark, and await
future orders pending the outcome of todays mission.

But I can tell you these 3 things...

--> This email is NOT a Halloween joke -- We've
spent a lot of money on some pretty fancy
gadgets to make sure we capture 'intel' that
will expose how bad pet shops are selling
parrots.

--> We WILL be providing you with VIDEO proof --
of our missions 'intel' upon successful
insertion and extraction from these 'Hot Zones'

--> You will be recieving a 'Top Secret' field
report with full intelligence details within
the week.

--> Once I expose these details I am certain to
create many enemies -- forcing me to go dark,
and rely on you (my best field agent) to help
me get this intel into the public's hands.

This is TRULY the most daring thing I've ever done.
Going into pet shops and literally spying on them to
expose their bad practices will be very nerve racking.

We'll have to be extremely careful not to get caught,
and will need the best of disguises to keep from
being exposed. That's why we picked Halloween -- We
can dress up as spies and nobody will no the
difference ;-)

So for now, lay low, have a great time scaring your
neighborhood kids this year, or keeping yours from
being too scared, and I'll do my best to update you
on our missions success in a few days.

Wish me luck Agents,

Agent "C" out!
(short for Chet)

P.S. I want it to be VERY clear that this is not the
typical, "Save the Whales" type of mission. I'm not
an over the top environmentalist whacko... and what
I'm about to reveal doesn't even attempt to go there.

I have found many environmentalist organizations
extremely invasive into my rights to own parrots,
and I'm against many of their overbearing policies,
as they nearly stole our Cockatoo on a trip back from
the Caribean.

Instead I welcome you to follow me along on this
mission and let it open your eyes as to what breeders
and pet shops you should start avoiding -- and
discover tons of tips and tricks for spotting the few
parrot shops that go above and beyond, to raise
parrots the right way.

I promise it'll be a fun, informative and eye opening
adventure for both of us.

Umbrella Cockatoo Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 20:36:00 +0000

Have you been scouring the internet looking for where to find the best pictures of certain parrots?

Maybee you've been thinking about buying a new parrot and you want to know what they look like. Or maybe you've started a new website and you're looking to find the best pictures out there for as many parrots as possible.

I have two suggestions for you.

The first is to do a search in google, for your breed of bird you want a picture for. So let's say you want to search for Umbrella Cockatoo Photos.

Just go to google type in Umbrella Cockatoo Photos, and hit the images tab instead of the normal search tab and google will scour the whole internet looking for pictures of umbrella cockatoos.

But one of my more favorite sites lately to find photos for just about anything is istockphoto.com

Because they let you have free resell rights. Sure you have to pay $1 for each picture, but you don't have to go to the hassle of asking people for permission to use their pictures on your websites.

When Parrots Are For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 21:13:00 +0000

The state of the pet industry can be sad sometimes... especially when it comes to the unethical moving of too many parrots to unsuspecting buyers willing to buy the next cutest little parrot they see.

Parrot buyers are giving less and less thought as to what it really means to bring home a baby parrot, and pet store owners aren't helping the problem.

Just go into any pet store, play dumb and act like you're interested in purchasing a bird, and you'll find they're very happy to sell you one, but fall VERY short of actually preparing you for what it takes to raise a happy, healthy baby parrot.

So I've written a short article that touches on the subject, and can help give you a few guidelines to follow when buying your next bird.

You can find it here, it's called "When Parrots Are For Sale", and gives you 3 quick tips to help spot a pet shop that you shouldn't let sell you their birds.

When Parrots Are For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 21:13:00 +0000

You can find it here, it's called "When Parrots Are For Sale", and gives you 3 quick tips to help spot a pet shop that you shouldn't let sell you their birds.

Fixing Phobias In African Grey Parrots

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 22:50:00 +0000

If you've ever purchased anything from me, you know that I am constantly using the services of Kim Bear. Who runs her parrot behavior consulting business at KimBear.com

Well a few week ago I called Kim, because I had realized that one of the biggest problems I'm constantly having to coach people through is the "shy African Grey". You know, the type that's afraid of his own shadow.

Because Kim is an expert with the handling and caring for African Grey's, I asked her to help me with input for an article that dives right into the heart of this issue.

It's a bit longer article than normal, but if you have an African Grey, or are thinking about getting one, this article is a must read. And I mean that with all my heart. Not reading this article, is doing a HUGE disservice to your African Grey.

So make sure you check out the African Grey Parrots article that dives into how to fix phobias, by visiting my article directory on my home page.

So You Don't Think Small Parrots Can Be Trained Huh?

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 06:00:00 +0000

So you've been told by your ignorant pet store owner...

"yeah, small parrots are kinda' hard to train... just
try to treat 'em nice, and make sure you buy our hand fed ones"

... What a load of crap!

If I only had a dollar for every time I've heard that line before. It's the most stupid, ignorant bit of information owners of small birds can hear... and to be honest, it's down right moronic.

My brother and I have trained small birds, I personally have trained my parakeet to fly to me anywhere within sight. He'll fly off of anything, be it a lamp, TV, another cage or anywhere he's been perching himself. All I have to do is give him the cue. He'll even fly back into his cage if I give him the cue.

Now I admit... that's not very common, but it was VERY simple to teach, and didn't take more than 3 days to train.

And when it comes to small birds, I didn't stop there, I've also trained my cockatiel ,Mr. Magoo, and my Parrotlet, Ricky, to flex, spin, and crawl through toilet paper roles.

But what I've taught my birds isn't what I wanted to convey to you today... it's THAT I've taught them, and that you can teach your smaller parrots too!

Don't discount them because they're small. I think you'll find they are very intelligent, and often learn quicker than bigger birds like Macaws... that's been my experience.

In fact my brother and I are re-releasing a powerful series of training videos specifically designed for small bird owners, this upcoming Monday. It'll be full of tips, and tricks that will blow you away!

Stay tuned to the blog for videos of all the stuff our new video series will teach your small parrot to do.

If you own a bird the size of a Cockatiel or smaller, you'd be a fool not to get your hands on these videos. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but I'll stand in front of the world and let anyone who'll listen hear, that these videos are the MOST ADVANCED parakeet training videos ever created!

Are You Having Trouble Getting Your Parrot To Take Treats From You During Training Sessions?

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:32:00 +0000

Picking the best treat to reward your parrot with, is a crucial part of your training success. Even a starving parrot won't eat certain things. For example cockatiels that have note been taught how to eat pellets, have no idea that they are food, and if given the option between starving to death, and eating pellets right in their food bowl, will choose death... it's pretty common.

I bring this up, because of my recent troubles with training Ricky, my Parrotlet, sometimes he wants to work for food and other times he doesn't. But one things for sure, is that he doesn't like the millet I've been offering to him lately, and it's hurting his training routine.

So what's the solution...

Try EVERYTHING... I need to go buy 4-5 types of different millet sprays to see what he likes most, I need to try lots of different seeds... I need to try shelled vs. unshelled seeds etc.

And recently I've been seeing him pick nuts out of pieces of bread I've been giving him, so I should get those same nuts, and try to use them as treats.

I bring this up, because lots of people give up way to early, because their bird's won't work for treats. This is from one of two reasons, A, there bird doesn't like the treat you're giving them, or B, your bird has become bored with the training, and going through the effort just isn't worth the treat anymore.

Be sure to be perceptive of which problem your bird's having, and correct it with either more variety of treats, until you find something he likes... or VERY short, one to two repetition training sessions to keep the training short, active and fun for both you and the bird.

Your sure to end up with a much more energetic bird, that'll fall in love with his training sessions in no time!

A Great Clicker Training Resource

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 02:15:00 +0000

Have you heard of this great free resource for learning about clicker-training? I found it by picking up a great book called "Clicking With Birds" and the author formed a group called 'Bird Click' that can be found by searching yahoo groups under the phrase 'Bird Click'.

It's a group that focuses primarily on clicker training... and frankly just reading the success stories of how people have trained their parrots by using a clicker is enough to get you pumped up to try clicker training.

So your homework for today is to go on over to Yahoo Groups and sign up to be a member and read these guys articles.

African Grey Parrots UK

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 01:27:00 +0000

Plenty of my customers and subscribers that live in the UK are looking for African Greys. And since this breed of bird seems to be so popular, I thought I'd point you in the direction of a few good UK locations, or websites to check out, when it comes to looking for your next African Grey in the UK.

The first is a site I found while cruising google, that rescues parrots at http://www.parrot-rescue.co.uk/ and is a site that receives abused, or abandoned parrots. And if you know what you're doing with bird handling and you want to give a sad parrot a happy home, they're worth checking out.

I've also posted a quick article about African Grey Parrots in the UK in the breed information section of my website.

And when all else fails, head on over to google, and search for different locations near you, to find your next lovable Grey.

Training Your African Grey Parrots To Obey You -- And NOT Develope Phobias

noreply@blogger.com (Chet Womach) — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 18:36:00 +0000

I personally do not own an African Grey parrot, but I've worked with thousands of clients, and been coached by professionals on how to handle this breeds specific types of behavior problems.

Currently I'm working with a VERY talented behavior specialist in creating an article that will help warn, and prepare new African Grey parrot owners, on this breeds issues.

But don't be alarmed, a properly raised Grey is an amazing animal... but an improperly raised one is extremely shy and develops strong phobias of people, toys and things.

So check out this African Grey Parrots Article, and stay tuned to this blog for the publishing of more Grey based articles that should help you out if you're a new owner of an African Grey, or looking to buy one soon.

And if you're looking for more resources for your african grey, you might want to check out this parrot website too, it's got lots of great articles about Greys, that might interest you.