Staring contests

[JessiMuse]

I've noticed that while I'm on the computer, my dog Bo, and my pionus Dudley, will just watch each other. Bo sitting on the floor, while Dudley on his perch in his cage.

What are they thinking, I wonder? They'll do this until either one gets bored, Dudley drops some food (Bo tends to eat his leftovers so I gotta be careful), or I call Bo over. My dog probably knows where the leftover bird seed is coming from, and is waiting for Dudley to drop something, like he waits at the kitchen table during dinner time. (Terriers are known to be smart dogs)

It's a total mystery about what our animals think, sometimes, isn't it?

[Wolf]

My Senegal, Amazon and my Grey all watch my doge from in and on their cages when the dogs are in and very often we will catch them sharing their food with the dogs by throwing some of it on the floor for them and watching to make certain that the dogs are eating the food they toss out for them. If the dogs quit picking up what they throw to them then thee birds quit giving them any more of their food for a while. They are very smart and you never know what they are thinking until they really want you to know.

[liz]

Mine go beyond that and just throw things at the dogs.

[JessiMuse]

Mine go beyond that and just throw things at the dogs.

Dudley throws seed at anyone who's trying to sweep up around the cage. Either he thinks we want it, or he just thinks it's funny.

[Pajarita]

No, throwing food down is a hard-wired behavior common to parrots. It's a function of their ecological niche used to disperse seed and feed ground species - nature is a very thrifty master and creates wonderful symbiotic relationships by establishing behaviors that benefit more than just one species.

[liz]

Mine go beyond that and just throw things at the dogs.

Dudley throws seed at anyone who's trying to sweep up around the cage. Either he thinks we want it, or he just thinks it's funny.

"Oops...now sweep it up".

[Wolf]

I dropped my nut... Where is that maid when you want one? Maid! Maid, oh maid! Come here, Maid!