What public places do you/would you take your bird to?

Since it was brought up in another thread about socialization and it's something I want to do more of, what places do you guys take your birds? Or what places do you think it would be appropriate? Since Yoshi's really good with the harness I want to take advantage of it by taking him places. My first reaction would be "outdoors places only" like taking him with us to watch a rugby game or to a flea market or something, but what about into buildings - running errands? Grocery stores and restaurants would be out obviously, yes? What about the bank? Specialty stores like Best Buy, craft stores, REI, etc.? Wal-Marts without food sections (or if you were staying in the non-food side)? Any extra ideas?

Basically anywhere and everywhere unless and until we're asked to leave (which isn't often). Home Depot's pet friendly. Restaurants with outdoor seating. EC and I found a yummy hole in the wall Greek place a few months back with outdoor seating. Now every time we go, the employees have to come out and see what birds we have with us.

California's very pet friendly in general. Some banks are very pet friendly and they'll have dog biscuits for doggies. Starbucks out here generally do not allow dogs on their patio due to problems they've had with unruly dogs, but I have yet to get booted from the Starbucks patio w/ birds.

If I leave the house, I pretty much have a bird or two with me without thinking twice.

LyzGrace wrote:

Since it was brought up in another thread about socialization and it's something I want to do more of, what places do you guys take your birds? Or what places do you think it would be appropriate? Since Yoshi's really good with the harness I want to take advantage of it by taking him places. My first reaction would be "outdoors places only" like taking him with us to watch a rugby game or to a flea market or something, but what about into buildings - running errands? Grocery stores and restaurants would be out obviously, yes? What about the bank? Specialty stores like Best Buy, craft stores, REI, etc.? Wal-Marts without food sections (or if you were staying in the non-food side)? Any extra ideas?

I think that you should bring your pets to places like craft store (so they can pick out some stuff to play with ), walmart (not where food is for people who go ewww ), the bank maybe... not for very long though, Ipersonally wouldn't take my bird to any restaurant or grocery store. Aren't birds not supposed to be near strong smells like restaurants? Or is that wrong...
Would someone yell at you if you brought your bird into a public place like target?

I've taken JJ everywhere. Grocery stores, restaurants and doctors offices included. I probably won't take her back to the doctors office. They didn't tell me not to, but the doc didn't seem real hip on the idea and I don't want to make her uncomfortable. LOL! There's actually no reason they can't go there as long as they're well behaved and not carrying diseases. Pets are welcome in the local hospitals as long as they are restrained and properly vaccinated.

Banks have all loved my dogs, now they love my birds as well.
JJ and Bucky have both been in Hobby Lobby and Michaels looking for things to make toys with.
My dogs go in Bass Pro Shop and Gander Mountain, when I go next time, the birds'll go with me too.
Jay's been in Wal-Mart on several occasions - food or no food.
Best Buy? Why not?
Sam's? She's been there a few times.
Target? Yep.
Lowe's...
JJ's even been on top of one of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks. (Mt. Evans) (In July, and it was frigid COLD up there!)

I've found that if you walk in with a bird on your arm/shoulder, people don't look at you and automatically think, "OMG! SHE'S GOT A PET! SOUND THE ALARMS!!!" Most of the time they don't know what to think, so they just let you go. And once you're in, everybody assumes that somebody else decided that it's OK, so it must be OK - and the ooh'ing and aah'ing begins. Then, once you've been there a few times, you've established yourself and the bird and you've made your own rule. Human nature is pretty easy to predict.

Colorado's pretty pet friendly as a whole as well.

I forgot to say that when I have her and go to restaurants, I try to make it at off-peak times and I have food for her to nibble on as well. Some places pretend like she's not even there (one place never even acknowledged I had a bird with me, it was pretty funny!), other places are sending staff over to see her using their head-sets... So the reaction is variable.

patdbunny wrote:

California's very pet friendly in general. Some banks are very pet friendly and they'll have dog biscuits for doggies. Starbucks out here generally do not allow dogs on their patio due to problems they've had with unruly dogs, but I have yet to get booted from the Starbucks patio w/ birds.

I hadn't thought about state differences, I supposed your community would take a big effect in where pets were deemed acceptable.

Fallen_Parakeet wrote:

walmart (not where food is for people who go ewww ), the bank maybe... not for very long though, Ipersonally wouldn't take my bird to any restaurant or grocery store. Aren't birds not supposed to be near strong smells like restaurants? Or is that wrong...

Yeah, that's a big thing - I'm not normally one to really care about what people think, but I think even I would raise my eyebrows at someone bringing an animal into an area with open produce. I don't know what their home is like or how they keep their animals. I don't think aisles with boxed goods would be as big a deal.

VickiNumbers wrote:

I've found that if you walk in with a bird on your arm/shoulder, people don't look at you and automatically think, "OMG! SHE'S GOT A PET! SOUND THE ALARMS!!!" Most of the time they don't know what to think, so they just let you go. And once you're in, everybody assumes that somebody else decided that it's OK, so it must be OK - and the ooh'ing and aah'ing begins. Then, once you've been there a few times, you've established yourself and the bird and you've made your own rule. Human nature is pretty easy to predict.

Exactly my thoughts, you just said them better than I could have, haha. I wouldn't think twice about a Gander Mountain, REI, stuff like that, but for places like Target, banks, etc. I guess I just wanted some confirmation. He's bigger, so not as "concealable" as a conure or 'tiel, but he's super quiet when I take him out, and honestly, especially if my hair were down I don't even know that people would notice unless they were next to me. I'll have to make some test runs this week and see how it goes!!

VickiNumbers wrote:

Colorado's pretty pet friendly as a whole as well.

I forgot to say that when I have her and go to restaurants, I try to make it at off-peak times and I have food for her to nibble on as well. Some places pretend like she's not even there (one place never even acknowledged I had a bird with me, it was pretty funny!), other places are sending staff over to see her using their head-sets... So the reaction is variable.

that would be funny to like hid the bird and finally show the waiter and have him spaz out over it.

LyzGrace wrote:

patdbunny wrote:

California's very pet friendly in general. Some banks are very pet friendly and they'll have dog biscuits for doggies. Starbucks out here generally do not allow dogs on their patio due to problems they've had with unruly dogs, but I have yet to get booted from the Starbucks patio w/ birds.

I hadn't thought about state differences, I supposed your community would take a big effect in where pets were deemed acceptable.

Fallen_Parakeet wrote:

walmart (not where food is for people who go ewww ), the bank maybe... not for very long though, Ipersonally wouldn't take my bird to any restaurant or grocery store. Aren't birds not supposed to be near strong smells like restaurants? Or is that wrong...

Yeah, that's a big thing - I'm not normally one to really care about what people think, but I think even I would raise my eyebrows at someone bringing an animal into an area with open produce. I don't know what their home is like or how they keep their animals. I don't think aisles with boxed goods would be as big a deal.

VickiNumbers wrote:

I've found that if you walk in with a bird on your arm/shoulder, people don't look at you and automatically think, "OMG! SHE'S GOT A PET! SOUND THE ALARMS!!!" Most of the time they don't know what to think, so they just let you go. And once you're in, everybody assumes that somebody else decided that it's OK, so it must be OK - and the ooh'ing and aah'ing begins. Then, once you've been there a few times, you've established yourself and the bird and you've made your own rule. Human nature is pretty easy to predict.

Exactly my thoughts, you just said them better than I could have, haha. I wouldn't think twice about a Gander Mountain, REI, stuff like that, but for places like Target, banks, etc. I guess I just wanted some confirmation. He's bigger, so not as "concealable" as a conure or 'tiel, but he's super quiet when I take him out, and honestly, especially if my hair were down I don't even know that people would notice unless they were next to me. I'll have to make some test runs this week and see how it goes!!

Ya I agree, if its boxed produce it's no problem. Tell us how the test runs turn out.

LyzGrace wrote:

Exactly my thoughts, you just said them better than I could have, haha. I wouldn't think twice about a Gander Mountain, REI, stuff like that, but for places like Target, banks, etc. I guess I just wanted some confirmation. He's bigger, so not as "concealable" as a conure or 'tiel, but he's super quiet when I take him out, and honestly, especially if my hair were down I don't even know that people would notice unless they were next to me. I'll have to make some test runs this week and see how it goes!!

I used to take my CAG and cockatoos. I've had the same experience as Vicki#s. People are too busy gawking.

Funny story - I saw someone else with a U2 in HomeDepot once. Dude was in a suit with the too on his arm, talking to a Home Depot employee. Cockatoos are funny. They can be egged on very easily. I saw the too, I got really animated and started bobbing my body at him from down the aisle. Then I darted out of the aisle. I peaked back around at him. He raised his crest. I knew I had him going. I jumped back into the aisle and started dancing. His owner is not noticing me at all. Too raised his wings, started dancing and then . . . SCREAMING, SCREAMING, SCREAMING! as I run into the next aisle. I peak around the corner to see his owner freaking out.

patdbunny wrote:

LyzGrace wrote:

Exactly my thoughts, you just said them better than I could have, haha. I wouldn't think twice about a Gander Mountain, REI, stuff like that, but for places like Target, banks, etc. I guess I just wanted some confirmation. He's bigger, so not as "concealable" as a conure or 'tiel, but he's super quiet when I take him out, and honestly, especially if my hair were down I don't even know that people would notice unless they were next to me. I'll have to make some test runs this week and see how it goes!!

I used to take my CAG and cockatoos. I've had the same experience as Vicki#s. People are too busy gawking.

Funny story - I saw someone else with a U2 in HomeDepot once. Dude was in a suit with the too on his arm, talking to a Home Depot employee. Cockatoos are funny. They can be egged on very easily. I saw the too, I got really animated and started bobbing my body at him from down the aisle. Then I darted out of the aisle. I peaked back around at him. He raised his crest. I knew I had him going. I jumped back into the aisle and started dancing. His owner is not noticing me at all. Too raised his wings, started dancing and then . . . SCREAMING, SCREAMING, SCREAMING! as I run into the next aisle. I peak around the corner to see his owner freaking out.

that would be so funny to see. and he never noticed it was you?

patdbunny wrote:

Funny story - I saw someone else with a U2 in HomeDepot once. Dude was in a suit with the too on his arm, talking to a Home Depot employee. Cockatoos are funny. They can be egged on very easily. I saw the too, I got really animated and started bobbing my body at him from down the aisle. Then I darted out of the aisle. I peaked back around at him. He raised his crest. I knew I had him going. I jumped back into the aisle and started dancing. His owner is not noticing me at all. Too raised his wings, started dancing and then . . . SCREAMING, SCREAMING, SCREAMING! as I run into the next aisle. I peak around the corner to see his owner freaking out.

That is SOOOO something I would do!! Except I would then wander back down the isle, innocent as can be, and commence dancing with the (already wound up) bird! I love it!

VickiNumbers wrote:

patdbunny wrote:

Funny story - I saw someone else with a U2 in HomeDepot once. Dude was in a suit with the too on his arm, talking to a Home Depot employee. Cockatoos are funny. They can be egged on very easily. I saw the too, I got really animated and started bobbing my body at him from down the aisle. Then I darted out of the aisle. I peaked back around at him. He raised his crest. I knew I had him going. I jumped back into the aisle and started dancing. His owner is not noticing me at all. Too raised his wings, started dancing and then . . . SCREAMING, SCREAMING, SCREAMING! as I run into the next aisle. I peak around the corner to see his owner freaking out.

That is SOOOO something I would do!! Except I would then wander back down the isle, innocent as can be, and commence dancing with the (already wound up) bird! I love it!

patdbunny wrote:

Funny story - I saw someone else with a U2 in HomeDepot once. Dude was in a suit with the too on his arm, talking to a Home Depot employee. Cockatoos are funny. They can be egged on very easily. I saw the too, I got really animated and started bobbing my body at him from down the aisle. Then I darted out of the aisle. I peaked back around at him. He raised his crest. I knew I had him going. I jumped back into the aisle and started dancing. His owner is not noticing me at all. Too raised his wings, started dancing and then . . . SCREAMING, SCREAMING, SCREAMING! as I run into the next aisle. I peak around the corner to see his owner freaking out.

Right. Note to self: make sure Roz is far far away when commencing to get the birdies out more!

I was thinking of starting a similar thread to this. In addition to where you take your birds for socialization/enrichment how do you do it?

1. Fully clipped, on shoulder or arm?
   
2. In a carrier? If so, what type?
   
3. On a harness?
   
4. Other?
   

I think my basic problem is that I need more enrichment! Mostly I go to the grocery store and/or pet store on the way home from work and that's the bulk of the time I spend not in the car, the house or the office. Usually errands on weekends are run after I've driven somewhere to pick my husband up from a long run -- we have lunch and shop. I rarely leave the house for a short errand! I usually exercise at home. I'd take 'em out in the back yard when we are hanging out before dinner, but hubby has taken to smoking cigars at that time. I'm not going to the barn regularly any more, but I was always a bit concerned about exposure to dust and so forth there. (Note to self, must go clean out tack room and store items -- Roz is there horse stuff you need? I may be clearing out a lot of the supply/daily use stuff I have).

On a similar note, what kinds of activities around the house do your birds supervise? Mostly Scooter goes around with me when I fix his breakfast, put away groceries, move laundry around and sometimes if I'm sitting in the dining room picking out recipes or reading magazines. But I don't feel comfortable having him around when I'm housecleaning (if it's not the dreaded vacuum, it's chemicals and stuff), cleaning the litterbox, cooking or working in my studio (noxious fumes, metal dust, dangerous tools) ... and that covers a lot of the time I am in the house. TV and dinner for us are usually simultaneous and late -- 8 or 9 PM, so the birds are getting sleepy and don't join us (Scooter gets very nippy and easily agitated when he's tired. Scotty just grinds his beak and goes to sleep.)

One of my projects is to take an old T-stand on wheels we have and fix it up as a moveable playgym for Scooter. It's just a round metal tray with a single perch over it right now, but I thought I'd get some PVC or wood and diversify it. If I get that done, he could be around when I'm prepping dinner, close enough to keep an eye on and far enough to be out of danger. Likewise if I'm practicing yoga or walking on the treadmill (I want him out of flight range of the treadmill!) If I get him harness trained, I can try and break my errands into smaller pieces and take him along, and I could do more walking in the neighborhood for exercise with him.

OK, here's the thing... who has the time machine? All I need is more time!

ScooterNScotty wrote:

In addition to where you take your birds for socialization/enrichment how do you do it?

1. Fully clipped, on shoulder or arm?

Yes.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

In a carrier? If so, what type?

I always have a carrier with me. I've been making homemade ones out of
plastic storage tubs from Walmart. Drill 1/2" to 1" holes all over.
EC's bourkes used to go out in a wire carrier like this:

ScooterNScotty wrote:

On a harness?

Eric's going out on harness w/ carrier back up.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Usually errands on weekends are run after I've
driven somewhere to pick my husband up from a long run -- we have lunch
and shop. I rarely leave the house for a short errand!

Get to know every eatery with outdoor seating! A lot of times the birds
are out with us all day long. Hours at a time.
That's why I have carriers with me.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

(Note to self, must go clean out tack room and
store items -- Roz is there horse stuff you need? I may be clearing out
a lot of the supply/daily use stuff I have).

Oooohhh!! I'm a mooch. Whatcha
got?

I take Lorenzo with me on short drives to work---- I WAS working as a therapist at a local gym until I left and went self employed last week. But I did take him in with me a couple of times to show the other ladies. he'd fly around in our room upstairs and enjoy the extra large mirrors across the room hehe. There is a beautician friend I worked with and she loves birds but Lorenzo didn't like her as much : he kept biting but by the second visit warmed up to her enough to sit on her leg and play with her hair.

Otherwise me and my boyfriend are considering to take him to a large football field while its still summer and let him get some proper flying fun. we'll stand on different sides and let him fly across. Will video that when it happens.
I think he would be freaked out to take him to anything more public as he's not used to alot of strangers just approaching him thinking they can just touch him easily.he needs one person at a time and then he bonds quickly but gets scared in a different environment with more then 1 new person at a time.

If only the little bugger would wear his harness, then Id take him so many more places!

idlepirate wrote:

Otherwise me and my boyfriend are considering to take him to a large football field while its still summer and let him get some proper flying fun. we'll stand on different sides and let him fly across. Will video that when it happens. {...} If only the little bugger would wear his harness, then Id take him so many more places!

This is something I DEFINITELY hope to be able to do one day!! You may have done some free flight research already, so sorry if this is "duh," but I'd be really really really really careful about your surroundings, especially if you said he won't wear a harness. Unless you're 1000% confident in Loro's ability to fly directly to you and your bf, I'd be nervous. Even if he does, you have to be careful of variables: weather, stuff that might spook him, loud noises, traffic, any predator birds if the football field is near a wooded area, etc. These people have quite a few good free flight articles if you're looking for any more research. If you do end up going you'll have to report back and let us know how it went!!!

right now the extent of rainbow's out time is sitting in her carrier or small cage while I garden or chill in the yard so she can soak up some rays. When I finally get around to making her harness (next week if I can finally get the stuff I need...) then I'm thinking of slowly introducing her to more, um, populated areas. There's a small park near my house and a place with great outdoor seating that I can grab a bite to eat. I find having a pet with you is a great way to meet the neighbors
but this is a great topic! I'm looking at ways to socialize rainbow more and I think more walks would be fun for both of us...

Once I get the harness thing going for Merlin (I hope!) I plan to take him everywhere I can to socialize him more. I don't know about the USA, but here the pet stores will allow you to bring your pet in as long as they are on a leash. That's the first place we are going! Provided we don't kill each other before I get the damn thing on him!

First was walking around neighborhood and park/forest without a leash, then we stepped up to pet stores(they are pet friendly here), then Chico saw the dog and show, that she CAN fly, so we start with harness...
Pet stores, grocery stores(local, Juel), she helped me to pick up the floor in Menards, in Home Depot she help us to buy Birthday gift for my bf, bank is normal now(both: drive through and inside), Craft and dollar stores, in Michel's sales people already know her by name.
It's easy with her, because she is quiet small, and most reaction is sympathy so far.

Only one time Polish contractors in the local 7eleven store wasn't aware, that I may be Polish too, and I heard, something like this in translation:
"What the stupid idiot, o f..., she bring the parrot on the leash. Crazy, completely crazy". My reaction was somehow very cool, I came to cashier(who is Polish) and in my native language started conversation with her. Guess who felt like stupid then

patdbunny wrote:

Funny story - I saw someone else with a U2 in HomeDepot once. Dude was in a suit with the too on his arm, talking to a Home Depot employee. Cockatoos are funny. They can be egged on very easily. I saw the too, I got really animated and started bobbing my body at him from down the aisle. Then I darted out of the aisle. I peaked back around at him. He raised his crest. I knew I had him going. I jumped back into the aisle and started dancing. His owner is not noticing me at all. Too raised his wings, started dancing and then . . . SCREAMING, SCREAMING, SCREAMING! as I run into the next aisle. I peak around the corner to see his owner freaking out.

"We're bunch of funny, but watch out for patdbunny" it was about you really. We should put this one back in description of off-topic

LyzGrace wrote:

so sorry if this is "duh," but I'd be really really really really careful about your surroundings, especially if you said he won't wear a harness. Unless you're 1000% confident in Loro's ability to fly directly to you and your bf, I'd be nervous. Even if he does, you have to be careful of variables: weather, stuff that might spook him, loud noises, traffic, any predator birds if the football field is near a wooded area, etc. These people have quite a few good free flight articles if you're looking for any more research. If you do end up going you'll have to report back and let us know how it went!!!

I will report back on it:) thanks for the link. I havent done much research into it yet so this is great. Not sure when it will happen though:( summer only exists for a few weeks in this country but the football pitches are massive and some are indoor which i might start at until im confident enough. Will probably also use a harness first too asumming he'll eventually wear it.would be amazing though! If I was a bird and it's your natural instinct to fly but you could only ever just fly around a room and be restricted, and then be let loose to really spread those wings

Margaret wrote:

Only one time Polish contractors in the local 7eleven store wasn't aware, that I may be Polish too, and I heard, something like this in translation:
"What the stupid idiot, o f..., she bring the parrot on the leash. Crazy, completely crazy". My reaction was somehow very cool, I came to cashier(who is Polish) and in my native language started conversation with her. Guess who felt like stupid then

You go girl!! My grandfather did this once to a couple who were standing behind him in line and saying rude things about him in Spanish. "If you can't say something nice, at least say it in a language that you know nobody can understand..."

idlepirate wrote:

I will report back on it:) thanks for the link. I havent done much research into it yet so this is great. Not sure when it will happen though:( summer only exists for a few weeks in this country but the football pitches are massive and some are indoor which i might start at until im confident enough. Will probably also use a harness first too asumming he'll eventually wear it.would be amazing though!

That would be awesome if you could use something indoors!! I'd think that if you got really good at getting him to recall to both you and your bf in a big open area indoors that it wouldn't be that bad of a transition moving outside even if you didn't have a harness. Maybe just start with small back-and-forths. This is all pure conjecture, of course, because I've never done any of this before Just something I've been reading about and hope to do one day.

Well, we did it!! I'm gonna be honest, sitting in the parking lot getting ready to walk in I felt like I was gonna rob a bank or something. I have absolutely no basis for my parrot-in-public anxiety... ANYWAY, they all thought he was adorable and a few people came up and petted him. He was great the entire time and I was so nervous he was gonna poop on the floor while I waited for them to mix my paint even though I waited for him to go in the car before I brought him in He didn't though, sooo got him home and he must have been more excited than he seemed because fell asleep practically as soon as I got him in the door! So success story number one!!! My mom's already calling me the crazy bird lady, now my mission is to get over my irrational taking-parrots-into-public-places fear and see how many buttons I can push

LyzGrace wrote:

Well, we did it!! I'm gonna be honest, sitting in the parking lot getting ready to walk in I felt like I was gonna rob a bank or something. I have absolutely no basis for my parrot-in-public anxiety... ANYWAY, they all thought he was adorable and a few people came up and petted him. He was great the entire time and I was so nervous he was gonna poop on the floor while I waited for them to mix my paint even though I waited for him to go in the car before I brought him in He didn't though, sooo got him home and he must have been more excited than he seemed because fell asleep practically as soon as I got him in the door! So success story number one!!! My mom's already calling me the crazy bird lady, now my mission is to get over my irrational taking-parrots-into-public-places fear and see how many buttons I can push

Thats AWESOME! congrats!

Very cool!