My Ears Are Still Ringing, squawk training Options

[Glowbird]

Has anyone successfully trained a quaker not to squawk while sitting on a shoulder? If so, how did you do it? Frost nearly shattered an eardrum today. I don't mind her squawking anywhere else, but she made my ears ring today.

[passenger900]

marleys days of sitting on my shoulder are over and from what i understand he's not alone as far as quakers go something about them being eye level and not on a perch envokes bad behavior so the fact that frost hasnt attacked your ear of kneck is a good thing but like they say every bird is different

[Siobhan]

You could try covering your ear and saying "Please don't deafen me" -- that's what I do -- but it might not work. Or get her to say something instead. Pick one of her favorite things and say it and maybe she'll repeat it and stop squawking. "Pepper" usually works for Clyde, or today his favorite word is "peekaboo."

As for the attacking -- Clyde only nibbles my ear if I'm not paying enough attention to him. He does try to preen freckles and moles off my neck, but he isn't attacking when he does that. He's just preening. Thinks he's doing me a favor and get offended if I squeak. An attack is a whole different thing than preening, and he isn't trying to do damage. I let him sit on my shoulder as much as he wants, but he prefers my hand. The shoulder is for riding around the house. If I'm sitting still, he wants my hand.

[Glowbird]

Frost doesn't go on the attack when she's on my shoulder. She's quite cuddly and affectionate. And she usually doesn't sit there very long. I'm just a convenient landing spot as she flies about the room. The only downside is the occasional ear-splitting squawk.

[Cacophony]

Kiko's banned from my shoulder but not because she gets aggressive. She gets under my hair at the back of my neck and gets... affectionate. I'm trying to discourage the courting behavior and mating requests. That, and when she starts panting in my ear because she's getting worked up it sounds a little obscene. *chuckles*

If my hands are full I can put here there (with the cue "shoulder") and I walk her directly from where I am to her cage and insist she step off. It seems as long as I'm moving and she's focusing on hanging on she keeps herself out of trouble.

[passenger900]

marley has gotten really aggressive once and ever since then every time he makes a beeline up my arm i let him hang out up there for a minute but i think he can tell i'm nervous and he starts acting like he getting ready to launch a full blown attack and i just put my hand up there and he says real quiet "step up, step up" and thats that until next time