Target training.

[meowingaround]

Ok we got the clicker training down nicely. woot. good boy Windy!!
And we were making good progress on touching the target, but now we've gone backwards and I'm not sure why. No I haven't accidentally touched him with the chopstick yet (as if I could he runs away so fast )if I hold a treat and the chopstick in the same hand he might touch the chopstick I reward and praise click and treat. BUT heaven help us if I try to just put the chopstick anywhere near him he's off and flying around or runs away.

I never realized I had such a nervous tiel. On the bright side we are making huge progress on overall trust. Both mine in him , and his in me. Today he was displeased with how I was scritching him and instead of biting to draw blood he just pecked at my fingers a bit. And I didn't move them away and he didn't get more violent. I can also use all my fingers to caress his face/neck now where before I could only use one finger and i had to be wary lol

I'm aware as a very nervous sorta person, he feeds off my energy so that's something I'm really trying to work on deep breaths and being calm when he's being a lil turd.

I just want him to realize the chopstick isn't scary I'm not gonna beat him with it or anything. Seriously I don't want him to think I am going to hurt him it makes me sad.

[coolhady13]

well , when i started training my cockatiel to retrieve the coin trick , it was the first time he ever see a coin and he was scared from it , what i did is that i put it far from him not very far , far enough that fear signs disappeared and i put a treat on it ( 2 seeds ) and i waited for him to go eat the seeds when he ate them he gave the coin a little touch with his beak to check if its harmful and then walked away , the second time i did the same thing he tried to hold the coin in his beak as soon as he did that i clicked and give him a Treat , so he knew that touching the coin would get him a treat , so you may use the same method with the chopstick put away from him and a few seeds or treat on it and w8 for him to go and eat them the second or third time he will hold the chopstick in his beak thats when you will click and reward, and dont worry even without this method sooner or later he will bite the chopstick and you will be wandering how to make him stop as its made from wood and they love to chew wood , it took my cockatiel a few days to learn not to chew the stick , Good Luck