how can i get him to understand?

[greyburd]

How can I get my partner to understand that it's not funny to teach a bird "foul" words? He seems to think it would be funny.

[The Outlaw]

Well, it goes like this: If something happens to either of you and you have to find him a home, just what kind of home do you figure he'll be welcomed in? If you want him to wind up a featherless breeder bird, then by all means teach him profanity. That's his future. No one wants a foul talking bird around their parents, grandparents or little kids. Its your call. How perfectly cruel.

THE OUTLAW

[Casa Amazona]

You might tell him you appreciate that just about as much as he would appreciate someone getting into his new Rolls Royce and smoking a stinky cigar day after day after day, dropping the ashes on the carpet and putting the butts out on the dashboard.

[Majj]

And would he also think its funny to teach a child to use foul language ???? I don`t ...I hope you can make him see some sense ..Maybe he is just teasing you..I hope so ..
Have you go your bird yet ??? what type of bird do you plan on getting ??? It might not even speak so don`t get one just because you want a talking bird will you they sometimes don`t and they are just a loving and wonderful....
Take care ...

[Glenn]

My hubby also went through a stage of thinking it would be fun to teach our IRN "bad things".. until I pointed out that it's wouldn't be funny for our 3 year old boy to say the same things :eusa_naug ... and I also pointed out that what the bird learns to say today it will continue to say for the next 30-40 years... how funny would it be 30 years from now :aiwebs_01 ???

[HareTrinity]

I think it sounds like he's just kidding, but yeah...

Let him know the novelty would wear off after a few years, and then it'd be hard to explain it to everyone who heard your bird.

Hey, I know, how about getting him to teach the bird amusing phrases or such instead?

One of my uncles and his family have a green parakeet of some description called Big Bird, and he'll say "head butt!" and nod his head up and down whenever anyone says "head butt" to him. It's not rude, but it's amusing, and gives him something to entertain people with.

Maybe you can get your partner to agree on something more like that instead of something rude?

[smallonion]

Parrots outlive us. As Outlaw says, a bird who uses foul language will have a very hard time finding a loving home - no one wants a bird like that around in a family environment. After you two are gone, his language might be the deciding factor between him getting a loving home and him ending up in a bad situation. It is cruelty. Perhaps if you put it to him that way, he'll understand.

[smallonion]

Also you could turn it into a competition. One of you teach him one thing (clean, useful) and the other teach him something else. See whose phrase he picks up first. What about teaching him his address? In case he ever gets lost? This might satisfy your husband's naugthty streak.

[tocold4u2]

I AGREE i tell the kids and anyone else , not to sware around the birds or try to teach them bad words,
tocold4u2

[peeker]

He might thing it's funny to hear the bird say bad things--some other people might think it's funny too--BUT some people won't! It's really much nicer to teach the bird clever, cute and funny things--then EVERYONE thinks it's funny. :)