# Who was hurting my puppy!?!?



## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

My wife had given me a 'break' this evening, so I was in the bedroom watching TV and resting my back after dinner. She had Grim and my Pug out playing in the living room. I heard Grim yipe. I yelled out "Who hurt my puppy?" I faintly thought I heard my wife say "no one". That didn't make any sense, as I clearly heard him yipe all the way in the bedroom. About five minutes later, I could hear Grim groaning and making his 'baby bear cub' sounds at my Pug. Then I heard him loudly yipe again! So I yelled out even louder (by this time I was angry, thinking my wife wasn't watching the pup too closely) "WHO IS HURTING MY PUPPY!?!" 

My African Grey has not only picked up Grim's whining, but a couple times (due to Grim's love of being RIGHT under your feet) his toe got stepped on and he yiped. She only has to hear something ONCE to mimic it perfectly. So now she's yiping just like him.  I didn't give too much thought to my Grey picking up all the puppy noises or how that could go sideways. This is going to be nerve wracking. She was whining like Grim a good part of the day yesterday... enough to get him whining in his crate from hearing her doing it. *Sigh* She can hang onto sounds for YEARS if she likes them, and she associates the noise with where she picked it up. When my oldest son moved out, she stopped burping. The day he moved back in, she started it again. Every time he comes upstairs she starts burping like a 300lb man, which sets my son off laughing which only encourages her. I hope that she doesn't keep on with the puppy sounds every time she sees Grim! :help:


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

That's funny...we have two Amazons and they are pretty good at making noises, and imitating things. Zazu, from when he first arrived, meows, and does a perfect chicken "bok bok bok BAAAAK!" 
We had a Starling orphan for a while that mimicked the phone ringing! You'd seriously go rushing for the phone, while he stood smirking in the corner


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

:rofl: I know nothing about parrots, are they all that quick to learn?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

From what I've always heard and read, Greys are much more adept at learning new things than Amazons.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Greys are the only parrots that can mimic human voices. She does the microwave, phones, answering machine (that we haven't had in a couple years now), the beeping of trucks backing up, Layla barking, our mutt barking, and the neighbor dogs barking at a distance. Just a small sample of her mimics that are dead on. Poor Layla still gets told to 'be quiet' when she's not the one barking, but most of the time I look to see if she's right by me asleep first.  She thinks she's hysterical, and will even laugh like a maniac when she tricks someone. :crazy: Thankfully, she's the only one that can do a realistic mimic that I have.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Do you mean, as in talk, Jag?
Both of our parrots do actually speak "human" words, as in "hello" (both can say that) and Zazu says "I love you", Edward, the newer parrot to our home, says his own name and a combination of some things that has us wondering what he's saying, but he learned it from TV or a movie, we think.

OH and this is sooo annoying - Edward lived with senior citizens and if one of us is hollering from the next room, he'll yell "HUH!??" at the top of his lungs.
We have a few good laughs about that one.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

No, I mean the sound of the talk. Most of my parrots talk. My Grey, though, does a PERFECT mimic of me, my wife, my youngest son, and my daughter. She also has her 'own' voice. This is how she got my female to pee on the floor (using my voice, sternly). She also answers my questions to my wife (in my wife's voice) and if I call downstairs to my son, she answers with an attitude full "What?!?" in my son's voice. She will also yell my wife's name in my voice. It can be very frustrating. If I'm in another room, I'll yell "Was that you?" to my wife, but the bird caught on and now yells back "yeah" in my wife's voice.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

LOL okay gotcha!
They sound like a lot of fun 
I know we enjoy our parrots. Zazu has a loud parrot thing he does which is probably why he was literally picked up as a stray!
And Edward's people had to go in the nursing home and one passed away so he was a rescue as well. He's a double-yellow headed Amazon and Zazu is a Mexican redhead.
Both have aggression issues from time to time throughout the day to where we don't handle them much.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

My "Rowdy Boys" have aggression issues as well, but they were abused.  My Grey was badly neglected. She came around fine, but my wife's the only one that can handle my Rowdy Boys.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

LOL!!! That's too funny, I'll have to take this into consideration if I ever get an African grey. 

My Senegal doesn't talk but he does a perfect imitation of the whistle I use to call the dogs back inside from the backyard!

What was also a little creepy is I had a sun conure who passed away recently, he wolf whistled. One day awhile after he'd passed I walked by my Senegal's cage and he wolf whistled at me out of nowhere, he and the conure were kept in separate rooms and he'd never done it before. I literally froze dead in my tracks when he did it but now he does it all the freaking time. 

Birds make very entertaining companions, just be prepared to be bitten and pooped on a lot. :crazy:


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

OMG...I am LMFAO!!!
:rofl:

:toasting:


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

please, please post a vid, just an audio at least
:rofl::rofl::rofl:


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Mexican Red Heads are gorgeous! I like to listen to Amazons talk (and sing). 

Trust me, I get bitten and nipped all the time, LOL! My Grey has never actually bitten me, though. My Jendaya HATES me. 

I will try to get an audio vid tomorrow. It will (hopefully) just be her whining like him, but I dunno. I may end up with her doing his yipe, but I hope it's not all day! :crazy:


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Oh that is so funny!!!!


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

My friends inherited an African Grey from a relative. He lived in the office at their private airport. He could mimic helicopters, the coffee maker, the air traffic radio, etc. He was a hoot to be around. Also, the guy who had owned him was very hard of hearing so the bird yelled "What?" randomly.
I've always wanted an African Grey but don't know that my life is the best to bring a bird into the situation.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Greys are definitely not the only parrot that can perfectly mimic human speech. They are, however, the most commonly known of that mimic speech/sounds. My Amazon (and many others that I know) sound exactly like humans when they talk.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

That is funny, but I can see how it would get mighty annoying and confusing.

Greys are phenomenal.

True story: a Grey is responsible for outing a woman I knew who was cheating on her husband. Dang parrot started mimicking the, errr, sounds she and her lover made after her husband went to work.:crazy:


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Apparently Greys have the mental capacity of a 7 year old. That is incredible!!

BTW - crows have the mental capacity of a 3 year old, which is still pretty amazing. There was a fantastic episode of The Nature Of Things, called "A murder of crows", you can watch it online - totally fascinating creatures


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

I know a lady that has a Grey that speaks to her in her dead husbands voice. Talk about eery. The first time he did it was completely out of the blue several years after her husband died. The ladies name is Anna and her bird called her "Anna!" from the other room in her husbands voice. She said her blood ran cold.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

I raised Moustached Parakeets for a few years, and they could also mimic peoples voices. My first baby, Noodles, always said things like 'I love you" in my voice. He would call the cat, and he would tell my previous dog Lizzie "go potty" and "sit". There were other things he could say, but he was quite young still, when I had to sell him. 

Birds are unique companions for sure.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> Also, the guy who had owned him was very hard of hearing so the bird yelled "What?" randomly.


LOL Edward (double yellow headed) hollered "HUH?" this AM when the phone rang!
They are fun and interesting to be around. 
I'm always fascinated that they use the correct words at the correct times...for instance, the times I've been away a few days (or in Alaska for two weeks!) Zazu hollers "HELLO!" when I walk in the door. And immediately starts in with "I love you!"

Edward says "hello" when he's begging for food off our plates


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

I've always wanted a Grey...many years ago I was studying neurobio as an undergraduate and had an advisor who had worked extensively with Alex the Grey. I've been hooked ever since...and these stories are making the urge so much worse!


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## PatchonGSD (Jun 27, 2012)

That birds sounds like a riot! :rofl:

You need to get this on video!


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

I've always loved large birds. My brother delivered papers for a while and as a paperboy would have to go to the door to collect the fee. He went to one house in the summer that only had the screen door closed. He knocked on the door and someone yelled," COME on IN!" He went in to find that the only "person" in the place was a parrot! LOL


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## lzver (Feb 9, 2012)

I love hearing parrot stories! I have 3 parrots – a Red Bellied, Senegal and Meyers Parrots (part of the poicephalus family). Two of our parrots talk and mimic noises and they have both picked up Jake’s whining (cause we all know GSD’s are very vocal – well our Jake is a whiney dog) and my Senegal now says ‘Hi puppy’ because I say that to Jake all the time.

Having an African Grey parrot is a dream of mine someday down the road. They are capable of mimicking human voices. I have many friends that have birds and they are capable of calling the other animals in the house in the owner’s voice which really screws with a dog ;o) I heard somewhere once that Grey’s are capable of the intellectual intelligence of a 5 year old and the emotional intelligence of a 3 year old. So it’s like having a 3 or 4 year old for 40 or 50 years J


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## breyer08 (Jul 4, 2012)

I echo those who have asked for video-----this is seriously HILARIOUS!!! :rofl:


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

I seriously would love to have a Meyers. I LOVE the yellow and green against the gray! Rayne is a cinnamon Green Cheek, and I love her colors! There is almost no parrot I haven't seen or heard of or seen video of. I have a friend that runs a parrot rescue, I've been involved with other parrot rescues, and belong to an online parrot community that I've been a member of for years. You can look on Youtube vids to hear the difference between other parrots and Greys. I almost ended up with a rescue Meyers, but I just couldn't take in another and accommodate a special needs bird. My Grey is now 9... and yes, they live 40-60 years so my youngest son already plans on taking her when we can't care for her anymore.

I got a video today of her... I just have to run through it first. I know she did a little whine, but didn't yipe. She also said "Knock it off" a couple of times...and said "grandpa" (this is what she calls me most of the time). So when I get the birds and dogs all put to bed I'll be able to post that and new pics of Grim taken outside today! 

My parrots are like my children. It is seriously like having 6 kids who will never grow up. They all have distinct personalities, likes, dislikes, etc. I take them all to my camper whenever we go. I put up a screen house for them to chill inside, have a playstand for them outside in another enclosure, etc. I haven't been up there much this summer... but they are well known there and other seasonal campers LOVE to come and see them and always ask about them. We're going to go up at least once yet this season as everyone's waiting to see Grim!


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

*Link to vid of Ziva, CAG talking and doing "Grim whine"*

Ziva rambling - YouTube


Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to embed the vid directly here. Here's a list of what she says when. She calls me 'grandpa' and was annoyed with being filmed. Her Grim whines are short (I think because I was recording her). She never did 'yipe'. My conures get loud now and then, but the best way to hear what she's saying is to wear headphones. 

39 seconds-"Grim whine"
56 seconds- "Grim whine"
1.27- microwave mimic
2:12- her laughing
2:19- sloppy "what're ya doin'"
2:36 dog whistle
2:37 "Knock it off"
2:45 short Grim whine
2:51 "knock it off"
3:37-Rayne calling for my son "Jon" and she says "Rayne's a good girl" but it's very quiet
4:14- Ziva- "What?!"
4:20-"grandpa"
4:23- "Knock it off"
4:56- very lazy "grandpa"

Ziva makes an assortment of sounds in between all this. She's a riot to listen to all day. This is the one time that she's making more noises than talking. Figures! Please excuse spelling errors, I'm about to fall over asleep!


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Jag said:


> My parrots are like my children. It is seriously like having 6 kids who will never grow up. They all have distinct personalities, likes, dislikes, etc.


I completely agree, except my eclectus is more like my mom when it comes to bed time! My eclectus gets so cranky if me and my husband stay up too late watching tv and playing video games. One time I put the birds to bed early and we went out. We came back pretty late and I flipped on the light, turned on my computer to start playing video games, and turned on the tv. My eclectus scrambled off of his cage, STOMPED out of the closet(he sleeps on a travel cage inside the closet. No idea why, he just always climbs off his cage and goes in the closet when he wants to sleep), sat in the opening of the closet and just SCREAMED his head off at us. He was so angry that we woke him up and weren't going straight to bed. If I use the computer past 10pm I have to use it in the dark or he'll come yell at me to go to bed:help:.

Neither of my parrots have interacted with Chrono because I'm fairly certain he would kill them, especially since they are fully flighted and not caged, so he's not allowed in the room they are in. I get jealous whenever I hear of stories where parrots are interacting with dogs by calling them or feeding them.


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## Kelly&Kip (Aug 5, 2012)

We breed and raise parrots, including African Greys and Amazons. Their protection is one of the reasons i got Kip, so that he would defend our property from others. Kip is curious about our birds and interacts with one of our Cockatoos daily through the bird's cage. They both seem to enjoy each other. 

My favorite species to work with is the Blue Front Amazon. This is a video featuring two of our pet ones. They talk and sing a lot, but unlike a grey, have a very parroty sounding voice. Greys can sound just like humans. In this video you will hear Lola and Cookie singing and talking. They were learning The Copacabana Song by Barry Manilow at the time. They are horribly off-key, but the words are clear.


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## Danielle609 (Jun 18, 2011)

Haha, both of those videos are great! I love them singing the Cococabana song!


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Kelly&Kip- that's what I was trying (without success) to convey. It's the lack of the 'parrot' in the voice. Sometimes I just can't get the wording right.

I LOVE your enclosure! BFAs were on my long list of 'wants'. I love hearing them sing. They may be off key, but they seem very interested in music (in general) and pick up lyrics quickly! What beautiful feathered kids you have! Thank you for sharing! I've spent hours watching vids of zons. Great birds! :wub:

I don't allow my birds out when my dogs are out. Grim so far has only looked at them briefly, not shown too much interest. My Grey has a horrible habit of dropping food for the dogs, though.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> My Grey has a horrible habit of dropping food for the dogs, though.


Oh our Zazu will fling food down for the dogs, it drives me nuts. We have a seed guard on both of our parrot's cages for catching food. Zazu will still fling it though, and much of it hits the floor.
He really loves to feed those dogs and see them running around trying to catch it. I think it makes him feel superior to them LOL

When we had just gotten Edward, my parents had stopped by and on their way out the door we were saying "byebye" to them and Edward said it too, but hasn't said it very much since then.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Lmao!

That OP's first post is the funniest thing I've read in a long time heh!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

We used to go to this farm every year, and they had a "pet" crow (IIRC it was originally a wild crow that was injured/rescued) there that could say "Hello" and "Hi" I always thought that was pretty neat.

My next-door neighbors have a parrot, I think it's a Macaw. I only met it once years ago though. It speaks Spanish from the previous owners, and English. When I met it it said to me, "you're weird." 
Usually now only time I hear it is in the summer when I'm outside and it shrieks really loud, and either their windows are open or maybe they have it out on the screen porch.
I know they used to have parakeets too but I'm not sure if they have any other birds now. 
Birds are pretty much the one type of pet I haven't owned, unless you count injured wild birds that I helped when I was younger.


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