How to Train a Rat: Recommendations and Examples

A rat is a very intelligent animal. It is capable not only of performing simple commands, but also participating in experiments, overcoming labyrinths and solving rather intricate tasks. To teach your pet such tricks, you need to understand how to train a rat, what techniques are necessary for this use and what maximum can be achieved.

The first stages

Training of any animal is recommended to begin with the simplest. Accustoming to a name, the ability to come to the cage on a knock, the habit of climbing on the shoulder by command - these are the basic knowledge that a rodent must possess before he is required to take more complex actions. Curiously, a white domestic rat learns more slowly than an animal that has a different coat color. However, this does not mean that it does not make sense to waste energy - you just have to show maximum patience and spend a little more time.

Learning tricks

Before you train a rat, you need to pay attention to the degree of its satiety - it should not be hungry. But it's also not necessary to feed before the "lesson". Great, if she received food 12 hours ago. One of the simplest exercises is a rack on the hind legs. For all the simplicity of learning and doing, the trick looks pretty impressive. To a white domestic rat stood on its hind legs, you need to give her a sniff of a snack and slowly lift it from her over the muzzle. An animal, reaching for the fragrance, will be forced to climb to the back of the trunk. After the animal takes the right position, you can give a treat.

Understanding how to train a rat at home, it's easy to teach her to jump from subject to object, perhaps even through a hoop. For example, you decided that she would ride on stools. First, let the animal explore the area where the training will take place. After that, the objects are moved slightly away from each other. An animal on one of them, with the help of delicacies, is forced to switch to another. There it gets a "yummy". Such actions will have to be done many times until the stools are sufficiently far apart. It is very important to fix every correct action. You can not abuse a pet, otherwise it will stop trusting you. Using a delicacy, you can teach the rodent a lot of interesting activities.

Training with a clicker

Before you train a rat, you need at least a little understanding of her psychology. For example, these animals can hardly distinguish the sounds of human speech. Therefore, it is very difficult to train precisely for the commands of this pet. The animal gets confused in the words you say. Instead of them it is more rational to use sounds. For example, you can apply a clicker. Training with this device is based on the positive reinforcement of the correct actions of the pet. The application of this technique allows the animal to concentrate on the task for a long time.

Rodents find it difficult to understand speech. Therefore, it is the clicker that is ideal for those who do not yet know how to train a rat. The sound produced by the device is quite clear. The pet will quickly realize what it means to reward. During classes it is better not to talk with the animal at all, so as not to distract and not confuse it. Clicking the clicker is necessary as a praise, whereas the lack of results is simply ignored. You can not scold or punish rats.

Advice

Tips for training will be useful even for those who already know how to train a rat. For beginners, this is very important information, without which all of their activities can be meaningless:

• The lesson should not take much time. 15-25 minutes - maximum, during which the rat is able to concentrate.
• Do not skimp on affection and praise - it will allow the animal to feel more confident.
• To the rat is not afraid of the voice, it should be a lot and often talk - but not during the lesson.
• If there are several animals, everyone should be given the same amount of time.
• Training is better combined with games, then the animal will be less tired.
• Training without treats will be ineffective. As a praise, you can use chopped nuts, bits of vegetables, fruits or meat products. Pieces must be very small, so that the animal does not eat up, but understands that this is an encouragement.

When learning it is important to observe the principle of "from simple - to complex". Only this approach will give the desired result.