new quaker owner need advice on training

[althequaker]

i am a new quaker parent. im 25 years old and this is my first quaker. first bird ever besides two parakeets that i did not like very much. al is my quaker. i have no idea if he is male or female but i treat al like a he..soo.. I want to figure out a good way to train him to speak on command if that is possible. i have been trying to get him to talk more but i cant get him to say anything when i try giving him treats and i cant get them to him fast enough when he says it without any encouragment. he only likes me also. he will viciously attack anyone or thing near him that is not me, including coffee cups, cameras, remotes, hands, etc. he was born in august so he isnt a full year yet. and i got him in november from a breeder who hands fed them. he wanted attention right away he didnt need any warming up to me at all he was very well handled before i got him i can grab him and hold him on his back i can spread his wings and i can do anything without him biting me hard. there are exceptions every once in a while but i lightly grab his beak and tell him, "no" and that usually is the end of it. i want him to be able to be handled by other people incase i need someone to watch him sometimes and i want to know if he can be trained to speak or if that is only something that do on their own time. oh, and he knows al, kissy noises, laughing and buckmeow. and he is learning kiss kiss, he said my name once. any advice appreciated

 

[cnyguy]

Quakers seldom do anything "on command." They're usually the ones who give the orders. They are capable of learning to speak "on request," but typically they won't say anything unless they feel like it. If Al repeats a word when you've asked him to, give him lots of praise-- make a big fuss about it. You might also offer him a favorite treat as a reward. That might help encourage him to speak on request.

 

[mrgoogls]

it is hard to get a quaker to do anything "on command". like cooper will sometimes say hello every time i walk byw. other times he wont say anything. it depends if they feel like it. i agree with cnyguy on how to at least try.

 

[althequaker]

ok thanks. i thought it might be like that with his talking but is there anything i can do with him trying to attack everyone and everything. i want him to be friendly to others but its hard because no one else wants to hold him in fear of being bitten.. hard..

 

[cnyguy]

The technique used to help parrots settle into a new home can also help them accept other family members and visitors. Just have people sit quietly near Al's cage and talk softly to him. They can tell him what a handsome parrot he is and how much they want to be his friend. They might also try offering him a favorite treat. A friend from another forum had other family members clean her Quaker's cage and fill his food dish and that worked for them-- but they did have to endure a few parrot bites along the way.

 

[dereknc]

My young quaker doesn't like anyone but me either. She absolutely refuses to have anything to do with my wife or kids, except to bite them of course. And she refuses to take any treats from my wife. Now with me it's a completely different story. She will let me do anything to her and only complains a little now and then, but rarely ever bites hard. The exception to this is when she tries to warn me of the dangers that my wife and kids pose. They must pose quite a threat because she bites the snot out of me when they approach.