Voluntary Nail Training

We get it, going to get your bird's nails trimmed can be very stressful, especially for them. And it’s no fun having to fight them to get into a carrier to go to get groomed can be very difficult. Consistently having to go through this stress can make certain birds so worked up they can have seizures, and even get so bad that just seeing the carrier or walking into the place where they get their nails done triggers them into a seizure. No matter how much we try to make it as quick as possible while minimizing stress, most birds don’t like to be restrained like we have to in order to safely groom them. I always compare it to being grabbed out of your car and tapped down to a table to get dental work done. If you don’t know what is going on that would be extremely stressful. This is why I am a huge fan of training voluntary nail trims.

    If you don’t already know, voluntary nail trims are when you teach your bird to place their foot onto the cage bars to get small pieces of their favorite treat in the vicinity of a dremel (turned on so they can get used to the sound it will make). Through repetition and positive reinforcement, you can slowly bring the dremel closer and closer and work on getting them comfortable with the dremel touching the end of their nail to gradually take down the length and sharpness of the nail. This is done through what is called “protective contact” where they are inside their cage with you and the dremel on the outside. This has been shown to feel safer for them since they have the cage bars as a barrier from the dremel or you if they don’t feel comfortable with it. I love this method, since it allows the bird to move away if they are done or don’t feel comfortable.

    This is a huge trust exercise between you and your bird, and has a lot to do with respecting their boundaries, but can be a great way to avoid stressful restrained nail trim for both you and your bird. It is a process, but may not take as long as you think. I do voluntary nail trims for my bird Cora, and it only took me two weeks of working on it with her for less than 10 minutes every day. Now we do it once every two weeks little by little to make sure they stay maintained, and so I don’t have to do too much for her all at once. Check out how good she has gotten!

If you’re interested in learning more about how to train this way, check out one on one sessions with our trainer, Cassie Malina, here: https://www.awesomeanimalsolutions-cassiemalina.com/

-Lucy