Do you ever...?

[BobbyC]

So I had a question I was always curious about. Do any of you ever take your birds out with you in public? Generally mine are always home. But today I went to Home Depot, building a new play gym, and here's this lady walking down the isle with a M2 on one shoulder, and a U2 on the cart handle. No harness or anything. I was pretty shocked because I've never seen that before lol. Have any of you ever tried taking your birds in to public places? And if so, are people usually cool with it or do you get a lot of people that ask you to leave, give you trouble, etc?

 

[sunnysmom]

@Sarah13

 

[Hankmacaw]

There are places you can take your bird, places you can't and places you shouldn't. Home Depot is one of the places you shouldn't. Next time you go into the Home Depot take notice of all of the smells - paint vapor, carpet off-gas etc. -not good for your bird. Jasper and Hank when he was alive loved to go to the nursery with me. I'm careful where I take them and I'm very careful about people trying to pet them - I don't want to pay for someone's finger. Both of them love to ride and to get out and about.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

I've taken both my birds to different parks. I use to take Zane to a couple different stores but he's not longer as potty trained as he use be so he just goes to parks now. Sometimes I get dirty looks with Zane because he's a self multilator. I try keep his wounds and bald spots covered to stop that.

Its funny people reactions. Sometimes it really nice and moving which I always love. Other times its just funny how shock or startled people are Like their eyes are deceiving them. "Is that a bird?" is common thing i hear. Sometimes it just people wanting to take a picture or hear them talk which can a little annoying. But Echo is a really social bird and likes getting out. Zane's a bit of a grump now days so he doesn't get as much. But he used to love seeing people too

 

[melissasparrots]

Look up businesses that will let you bring a dog in. Most of those are places you can take a bird. I don't normally take mine to businesses though. I do take my GSC2 for walks around the neighborhood and to parks. Sometimes I can just tell, she gets a little squirrely in a neurotic cockatoo sort of way and needs a change of scenery so we go for a walk. Ariel has a piece of a wing missing so she can't fly. My goffin's would need to be harness trained which probably would not go over well so she stays home.

You do need to watch out for other people's dogs and children. Its not uncommon for me to have to put my thumb over her toes and hold her above me because someone let their dog run loose and they come over the sniff. Small children want to pet and some just reach. I don't take mine anywhere that there might be other parrot type birds so that she doesn't pick up any of the big aviary diseases. People can be just plain weird. Sometimes people know nothing about parrots but that they talk and cost a lot. So, you may have to be a little evasive about where you live and your personal details. To me they are family, to others they exotic things to envy. Some people are just plain jerks. Normally when I take her for a walk, some guy with a loud exhaust system decides to gun his car right as he going by us. Sometimes they turn the corner and do it again just for effect. Ariel has gotten fairly bomb proof regarding that and doesn't give much of a satisfactory jump anymore.

 

[Tanya]

Rhubarb enjoys going out with us in her harness. Usually to the non-dog park.

Actually, the most insensitive person to ever approach her was in our house... And was a relative by marriage. She grabbed at Rhubarb quite abrupty and tried to pet her back like a dog. Rhubarb stiffened and dodged. I quickly moved her out of reach. I mumbled some excuse and took Rhubarb to another room where she got plenty of scritches to calm down before going back to her cage.

 

[Lady Jane]

I think there would be tons of places a bird could be seriously injured in a Home Depot type of store. I have seen a cockatoo on a woman's shoulder in pet Smart. This bird could not fly due to an old injury. She also took him to nursing homes and children's hospitals. This bird was very social and talked to strangers.

 

[Diesel13]

I have taken my nanday, Diesel, to a variety of places. We go to parks, restaurants (that allow her), some stores, outdoor festivals (renaissance fair), and to the beach. She's always in her harness and loves meeting all the new people! Everyone loves getting a chance to hold and take pictures with her too. Just be prepared for some pretty typical non-parrot people questions: "can it talk? does it bite? why doesn't it fly away?"

 

[BobbyC]

There are places you can take your bird, places you can't and places you shouldn't. Home Depot is one of the places you shouldn't. Next time you go into the Home Depot take notice of all of the smells - paint vapor, carpet off-gas etc. -not good for your bird. Jasper and Hank when he was alive loved to go to the nursery with me. I'm careful where I take them and I'm very careful about people trying to pet them - I don't want to pay for someone's finger. Both of them love to ride and to get out and about.

Oh trust me I 100% agree with you. I definitely wasn't pleased for the very reasons you mentioned. But it wasn't my place to scold the lady. Not like it would have done any good. People are gonna do what people want to do. I just thought it might be a nice change of scenery to maybe get out of the house and just go for a walk or something. But I was curious how people tend to react to it. Definitely appreciate the advice and stuff from you.

 

[Aaron]

I was leaving a meeting at Chandler mall and a woman had a caique and a sun. There was poop everywhere and the mall was crazy busy but the birds definitely did not seem stressed. I saw a guy with a u2 at vf outlets which has not traffic and I thought that is a safe place to socialize a bird. If I had a too at the time I would of stopped to say hello.

 

[Sarah13]

I take my GW just about everywhere. I use bird sense and avoid places that have chemicals, other birds etc but besides that, away we go. Banks, schools, stores, libraries, post offices, outdoor events, a fair number of restaurants surprisingly allow her inside...being potty trained, flight trained, quiet, and social helps. A lot of people don't even notice her. It's pretty funny actually.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

I worked in a nice gift shop a few years ago and then later an art gallery. I took birds to work with me ( hauled cages too and even left a large cage at the gift shop to make it easier). They enjoyed the travel and I got to share them with people as well. When I had babies to hand feed they went with me as well with brooder, heater, and the whole works for feeding. Today I went to Walmart for groceries and I swear I heard a sun conure somewhere in the store…. definitely not some squeaky toy a kid had.

 

[cassiesdad]

Milton likes to accompany me when I go out. Because he is well-behaved he's welcomed just about everywhere we go. Common sense says he doesn't go where food is consumed or prepared, though.
He's adored at my bank, and he'll flirt with everyone he meets there. A story about that...One morning, I was preparing Milty's cage so we could go visit our bank. As I was doing so, a call came over the police scanner, and we heard that the bank was being robbed. If I wasn't preparing Milt's cage, I'd been at the bank as the robbery was happening.. karma was working for us that day...

 

[LuvMyBirds]

I do enjoy seeing birds out in public - in a harness. It makes me sad to see them out and about without a harness. Everyone knows someone (or has heard) whose bird got startled and flew off - even those that are clipped. Clipped doesn't mean they can't fly, believe me they still can. My brother had a neighbor whose Caique routinely rode around on his shoulder for many, many years outside in the yard. This little guy would hang on as the guy pruned bushes, raked - whatever. One day there was a car crash, it startled the little guy - he took off then immediately was snatched by a hawk.

To me, it's just not worth it. Even if I were to harness train - I would be too afraid something would happen.

That said, I have a friend whose husband has a Blue and Gold that is his emotional support bird. This B&G is superbly harness trained and is without a doubt this guy's lifeline. They are quite the pair to see, this bird is so attuned to him.

 

[Sarah13]

I worked in a nice gift shop a few years ago and then later an art gallery. I took birds to work with me ( hauled cages too and even left a large cage at the gift shop to make it easier). They enjoyed the travel and I got to share them with people as well. When I had babies to hand feed they went with me as well with brooder, heater, and the whole works for feeding. Today I went to Walmart for groceries and I swear I heard a sun conure somewhere in the store…. definitely not some squeaky toy a kid had.

My Sun conure in Wal-Mart.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

My Sun conure in Wal-Mart.

View attachment 229244

My goodness, that's the BIGGEST sun conure I've ever seen!!!

 

[lupe]

I trained Elvis to wear his harness at an early age. He associates it with going for walks. I generally don't take him to public places because when he spooks he will take flight and I have to reel him back in......he might hurt someone or himself in the process. BUT! we do go for daily walks around my apt. complex. Alot of the folks know him and say "hello Elvis" and he returns the hello. When they ask to pet him I say he bites very hard, would you like to keep your fingers? they usually laugh it off.....

 

[Odin]

I would LOVE to talk Boo the Too for a walk! He hams it up when we go in the car. I think he would like the change of scenery. I do think that some people would have to be told not to touch him, I still have people pet my dog without asking! I always say sarcastically "good thing he didn't bite you"