With time and patience I think it's possible to tame/re-tame a quaker. Getting his wings clipped is definitely the place to start. Once you start working with him, remember to *always* be gentle, use slow movements around him. After getting the wings clipped, get him out of the cage and work with him away from the cage (you might have to use a towel to get him out of or away from the cage). Cage aggression is common with quakers, and it will be much easier for you in to work "neutral territory." It will be better if you take him to another room, away from his cage to a room he's never been in before.

Once in neutral territory, observe him, see what he does. Perhaps you have him on a table in front of you--you might put some toys on the table. Does he explore? Does he come over to you and want to interact? Does he try to bite or attack you? Is he afraid of you? If the reaction is neutral or good, try interacting with him. If you move slowly, he may let you touch him. If he seems scared, stay still, talk to him softly and calmly. At first, you might want to spend some one-on-one "play" time with him. If he acts really aggressive, you could go ahead and start "training."

Each training session should be short (like 5 min), and you might want to work with him once or twice a day.

Don't be too rigorous with the training--just intersperse the following steps with a daily, routine (the same time each day is best) "playtime".

The first thing to train is "step-up".

Here are your goals and procedures for the training. How far you get in each short session will depend on how your bird is acting.

If he's biting or trying to bit a lot, you might want to start with hand-held perches (anything about the right size with a surface he can grip will work) instead of your fingers. <g> It's probably easiest to start with him standing on some kind of perch (so he can't back away). Bring the hand-held perch (or your finger if you want to) up from below and gently but firmly press it against his lower belly or where his legs join his body--at the same time saying "step-up" (or phrase of your choice)--until he steps onto the perch. Once he does this, lots of praise, and maybe even a small treat (one he can finish quickly). Then have him step onto another perch, held with your other hand, with the same process. Having him do a series of step ups from one hand-held perch to the other is called laddering.

Once he's doing that pretty well with the perches, and doesn't seem to be trying to bite, you can start off laddering with the two perches, and then smoothly put down one of the perches and replace it with your finger--doing a few more step ups between your finger and the remaining perch in your other hand. If you do this relatively fast, he shouldn't have a chance to bite. Always praise after he does well. Then transfer to laddering just between your two hands (or fingers). If he starts biting, you can always back up a little and go back to the hand-held perches. If he doesn't show any signs of biting, slow down on the laddering until he's just sitting on your finger.

This process should get him used to perching on your finger and not biting. If during these sessions with him in a neutral area, you've also been just plain spending time with him--talking to him, watching him, playing with him--he's probably a lot more used to being around you. He may even automatically be starting to let you touch and pet him. As always, just be patient, and move slowly around him, especially when you're working up to petting him. In time, Grady may begin to like being touched and cuddled, and seek it himself. Quakers have such potential for being wonderfully interactive pets--so much more than just a bird to be listened to and watched though cage bars.

Jennifer & Jadey aka JenIggyQP

JJNg13@juno.com ICQ# 13578196

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