How to train a hamster yourself at home

Trained rodents that unquestioningly carry out the commands of their owners evoke feelings of tenderness and delight. But to make a real circus performer out of your hamster, you will need a lot of patience and daily training. New owners do not always know how to train a hamster correctly. We have developed detailed instructions for them and compiled a list of mistakes encountered during training.

What animals are trainable?

Hamsters approach training differently: some readily learn commands and tricks, while others cannot be trained at all. And the point here is not laziness and harmfulness, but the natural characteristics of funny rodents, and also their age. In order for a hamster to obey you, you must first tame it, teach it to eat from your hand, and trust its owner.

The best age for training is between 3 and 10 weeks. It is at this time that the tiny animal learns about the world and tries something new. At a young age, hamsters develop skills that will stay with them throughout their lives. Kids are much more trusting and brave than adult animals. Therefore, training your hamster should begin as early as possible.

Animals older than 4 months are reluctant to train, and six-month-old hamsters completely ignore the owner’s attempts to train him. They will be drawn to treats, but they won’t follow commands without treats.

The physiological state of the fluffy is also of great importance in education. If Khoma is sick, he will have no time for entertainment. First you need to treat the animal, and only then start training.

How to properly train for tricks?

In addition to practical recommendations, there are a number of rules for effective training:

1. Training a hamster will be effective if it starts from two weeks of the pet’s life, and no later than two to three months. It is at this age that hamsters easily lend themselves to new knowledge; they, like children, are inquisitive. If you start training a Djungarian or Syrian later than this period, most likely it will be ineffective, the animal will have to change its usual way of life, which is extremely undesirable.
2. The animal must be healthy and active - training should be postponed during mating, pregnancy or illness of the pet.
3. The best time for games is the evening, this is the peak of activity of hamsters, during which information is absorbed best.
4. Hygiene - your hands should not have any foreign odor, the aroma of food will distract the fluffy, and strong aromas will scare away.
5. Before starting training, establish contact with your pet; he must come to you on his own; if the animal hides in the corners, nothing will work. To achieve results, the pet needs to be tamed. For taming, contact is required from an early age; take the animal in your hands and first let it smell you. The movements should not cause pain or discomfort, leave it alone, if the baby is scared, come back later and try again.

Basic rules of training

Before you train a hamster at home, you need to understand a number of simple rules that will help you avoid making mistakes.

What should you avoid during training?

1. Noise. The animal should associate the learning process with a pleasant game. Sharp sounds will scare the homa and discourage it from playing.
2. Punishments. If your hamster doesn't obey, don't bother punishing him! It is easy to offend a vulnerable animal with such treatment; he will associate further attempts to play with punishment. And even the most delicious treat will not help.
3. Compulsion. It is better not to touch your furry friend when he is busy with his own business (toilet, sleeping, eating, rearranging his cage). Forcing your rodent to play will only irritate the animal.
4. Presence of strangers. Training a hamster gives positive results if the owner works with him alone, paying attention only to him. You can, of course, sit your baby next to him and ask him to lead him quietly. But the presence of a cat or dog nearby will throw the hamster into panic.

To train your hamster correctly, we recommend that you follow these recommendations:

• start small, don’t demand quick results from your fluffy;
• during the game, call your pet by name to attract attention;
• repeat the name of the command several times: this approach will help the animal associate the desired word with a certain action;
• watch the intonation of your voice, speak kindly, calmly, do not get irritated;
• repeat each exercise several times;
• if you teach a rodent to perform several tricks, at first you need to follow their order, so the hamster will remember better;
• training should become daily and take place at approximately the same time;
• Don’t forget to reward your Homa for obedience - this is the most important component of training all animals! But you should remember that you cannot train a completely hungry rodent.

And the most important rule: you should start training your hamster with simple commands. Complications should be introduced gradually.

Can a hamster be taught simple tricks?

Hamsters are quite smart animals and can be trained. Rodents are capable of performing simple, easy-to-remember tricks. Don't expect them to fetch toys or give you a paw. Animals can recognize their owner, climb into the palm of your hand, and respond to their name. Training depends on the age and physical condition of the dwarf.

It is difficult to teach an adult rodent to perform certain tricks. It is better to start training with a hamster that is two weeks old. During this period and up to three months, jungarians are very active, inquisitive and mobile. They remember commands faster. It is quite difficult to teach a hamster tricks at six months of age.

When training an animal, take into account its condition. Training will only harm an animal during illness.

Basic commands

The basic level of training involves the hamster learning its name and following simple commands where the stimulus is a treat. Even a six-month-old hamster can be taught to respond to a name and participate in “tasty games.”

But how to teach a hamster to respond to its own name? It’s simple, the main thing is to follow 2 important rules:

1. Choose a short name. It is better if it contains hissing sounds.
2. Call your fluffy by his name more often. Say the name, looking at the animal, in a gentle voice while changing the water in the cage or feeding by hand.

Over time, you will notice that the pet has recognized its name and begins to respond to it.

Now let’s look at simple tricks that the animal will perform in exchange for a treat.

Exit from the cage

This exercise is suitable for hamsters living in a cage with a side door. Is it possible to teach a homa to get out of its cage on its own? Of course yes!

At the first stage of training, we place ladders near the door (on the outside and inside of the cage). We put a tasty treat outside at the foot of the stairs, saying: “Go for a walk!” We repeat the command while the homa moves along the ladder to the treat. Don’t expect the animal to immediately rush to follow your instructions, have patience. But if the rodent hesitates, you should bring a treat to its nose and lure it to the exit, not forgetting to tell the command.

When the animal has learned to leave its home in order to get a treat, the second stage begins. Try opening the cage door and commanding: “Go for a walk!” The animal will leave the cage, but will not find the treat. Don't upset the cutie, reward him with a piece of his favorite treat!

Some rodents are so smart that when they hear a familiar word, they run to the exit of the cage even when the door is closed. Such an animal can be taught the most difficult tricks and become a real circus performer!

Standing at attention

Hamsters standing on their hind legs look very funny. Training a rodent is not at all difficult, the main thing is to have patience and regularly repeat the code word “Stop!” Here are step-by-step instructions for this trick:

• place the homa on a table or bed;
• take something tasty;
• Place your hand with a treat 1-2 cm above the animal’s head;
• wait while saying the code word.

Soon the rodent will be tempted by the treat and will stand up on its hind legs to get the treat. This exercise needs practice. You will notice that each time the hamster will come to attention faster and faster.

After a few days of training, you can try to do this exercise without bait. Raise your palm over your pet’s head, say the cherished word, and when he makes a stand and touches his nose to your hand, hand him a piece of food.

Attention! This trick does not work right away. If you don’t succeed the first time, continue training your hamster, encouraging him with gentle words.

Drawing figures

A very funny trick when a little lump runs after the owner’s hand. And it's very simple to do. First, the hamster runs after the hand with the treat, which moves in a circle, and after some time after the empty palm. Don’t forget to treat your pet, it’s not in vain that he tries!

Almost somersault

When little animals tumble, it looks very cute. But how to teach a hamster to roll over? For this you will need aromatic seeds or halves of peanuts.

The pet must be placed on a flat surface, allowed to smell the bait, and then placed on the animal’s back. The animal, wanting to get a treat, will sooner or later roll over onto its back, then back onto its paws. The exercise requires long-term consolidation. To make it consolidate faster, you can, as a preliminary preparation, give the hamster a ride in a gymnastic ball.

How to achieve success in training?

1. Age. For successful training, the age when the animal is most receptive to learning new skills is important. You can start training when the hamster is two weeks old. The most favorable age for training is up to 3 months. After three months, the hamster develops a behavioral pattern. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Dzungarian or Syrian, he will perceive training as bullying.
2. The most suitable time for training is the evening, when the pet is most active, has had a good night's sleep and had a light snack. You need to wait until the hamster gets enough sleep, climbs out of the nest and starts wandering around the cage. A sleepy creature that is forcibly awakened will not be responsive to new demands. You need to be attentive to the state of the animal: during periods of ill health, mating games and pregnancy, the hamster can be nervous and show aggression.
3. The trainer must be clean. Unfamiliar smells can distract or frighten a tiny student. Hamsters' sense of smell is well developed; they can easily smell fish, bleach or perfume on the hands and body of the owner.

Advanced tricks

If your furry creature quickly masters the simplest commands, you can try to teach the hamster more complex tricks, and then combine them into a small concert program that will delight your children and guests.

Pirate and parrot

Everyone has seen films about pirates and their feathered companions sitting on their shoulders. We suggest playing this game with a hamster, entrusting your pet with the role of a parrot. The surroundings should be appropriate: a long-sleeved shirt or turtleneck (it will be comfortable for your pet to climb on them). If you have a child training the Homa, make a pirate hat out of cardboard!

To work through this number, you must perform the following steps:

1. Invite your pet to sit on your palm.
2. Bend your arm slightly at the elbow and move it away from your body so that the rise is not too steep.
3. Lure the rodent to your shoulder with treats held in your other hand.
4. Place fragrant food on your shoulder and let your pet eat it.
5. All previous steps must be practiced many times.
6. When the homa has already begun to understand what they want from him, stop luring him with food, just let him sniff and immediately put him on your shoulder. This stage needs to be repeated daily.

As a result, the funny animal will willingly come to the owner even in the absence of goodies on his shoulder.

Obstacle course

The principle of the trick is based on luring the animal. Various obstacles should be installed on the track: pipes, labyrinths, double-sided ladders. At first, you need to “lead” your pet after the bait, and when he has studied the path well, leave a treat at the end of the route.

The sequence and number of obstacles may vary. Gradually, the act can be complicated and introduced into the circus program.

Weight lifting

Naturally, small rodents should not lift heavy objects. But you can make fake sports equipment that your pet will really like the taste of. Make a barbell for your cute animal using the following products:

• a crossbar made from a thin piece of carrot, pancakes made from young zucchini;
• cookies and straws.

You can show your imagination and invent an exclusive barbell by involving your baby in the process. If you have several rodents living with you, they will be happy to engage in collective “sport”.

Jump through the circle

Some dwarfs are quite jumpy and like to jump up and down impatiently. But is it possible to teach an animal to jump over obstacles? The answer is yes. A small hoop is best suited for this purpose.

The diameter of the circle must be at least 7 cm so that the furry miracle does not get stuck in the projectile. The circle is placed between the homa and a piece of food; the distance from the floor should be minimal (1 cm), otherwise the cunning animal will not jump, but will simply crawl under the hoop.

What tricks can a hamster do?

When planning a hamster's training schedule, you should not include the ability to give a paw, run after a stick, or jump over a barrier. A hamster's brain is much smaller than that of a dog, cat or guinea pig. It is unlikely that he will master skills that are so different from his usual activities.

You shouldn’t underestimate the intelligence of animals either. A well-known expert in the rules of training, Karen Pryor, even got chickens to dance movements at a certain signal. The method of positive reinforcement works with any creature, from humans to hamsters.

It’s not difficult to figure out how to train a Syrian or Djungarian hamster, the main thing is your own knowledge and discipline.

Errors

It is important to eliminate errors so that possible problems are avoided. If you get too carried away with upbringing, you can discourage the animal from wanting to learn and make contact. Training a hamster is possible only within the framework of mutual joyful communication, otherwise contact can be lost forever.

You shouldn't punish your hamster, it won't help. A long hunger strike, and even more so physical punishment, will scare away your pet.

Strangers, animals, and strong odors can frighten the hamster and distract him from his activities.

Raising your voice at an animal is unacceptable.

Feeding your hamster to capacity before training is a big mistake. The animal will become sleepy and lose incentive to work.

You should not demand a higher education diploma from your furry pet. If you use training elements for pleasant communication with the animal, listen to its mood and do not frighten it, the hamster will probably master several tricks. Trained pets bring a lot of positive emotions, so it's worth exploring the talents of your furry friend.

How to train a hamster

Many people mistakenly believe that a hamster is a lazy small animal that can only run around in its wheel and does not understand humans at all. Others still wonder: how to train a hamster? These small animals can be trained, and although not like rats, they can be taught a lot. Hamsters, like most animals, develop reflexes.

During the training process you should:

• speak in a calm voice;
• do not make sudden movements;
• prepare a treat for encouragement.

What can you teach a hamster

You can teach this animal a number of simple commands and even some more complex ones. This is the ability to leave the cage on command, stand at attention, do somersaults, draw figures, respond to your nickname and much more.

If you managed to find an approach to your pet and now you want to continue, combining some tricks, then you should familiarize yourself with this material. Choose tricks that are not particularly difficult and will not tire your baby. You can make the following program:

• To begin with, the hamster climbs out of the cage using a ladder, so you need to work this out with him separately in advance.
• Overcomes a small barrier.
• Makes a couple of circles or several figures.
• Climbs onto your shoulder.

If the animal manages to complete such a program, your child will be delighted with the result. Don't forget to reward your rodent with his favorite treat.

Is your hamster a good conversationalist?

Some are the owners of these cute animals. trying to teach them to talk. No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to do this. Nature did not give them this ability and it is also impossible to teach them.

It's important how you talk. If you conduct a conversation in a calm and affectionate voice and address him by name, the rodent will see you not only as an owner, but also as a friend. It is very important.

Simple tricks that a rodent can master

The hamster's intelligence allows it to master such a simple trick as knowing its name. This is a very useful skill, especially if the baby is lost. Teaching a hamster to respond to a name is both difficult and simple. You need to choose a name that is short and easy so that the baby remembers it faster. The difficulty is to remember to repeat the hamster’s name every time you feed it, pet it, or address it.

I wonder: do hamsters understand their names? Yes, they understand if you repeat it regularly.

Screaming is not permissible, even if the baby does not react - he hears you perfectly well, and screaming will only scare the animal. At the initial stage, pronounce the nickname every time you offer your baby a treat - he will develop a strong reflex. Over time, he will begin to respond to approach the owner for a treat.

Some owners claim that a trained hamster is able to carry out the simplest commands: “sleep”, “walk”, “eat”. But this is only possible if you come across a very gifted and intelligent hamster, and you have a natural talent as a trainer.

But even an ordinary “average” rodent can be trained to run in a circle. To do this, you need to pick up a tasty treat and slowly move your hand in a circle a few centimeters from your pet’s nose. The baby will run in a circle to reach the treat. It is important not to tire the animal; a few laps are enough.

Remember: if the baby is full, the treat may not arouse the desired interest in him.

Now you know how to teach your hamster tricks. This is not difficult, the main thing is not to overdo it and not discourage your child from learning new things.

What can you teach a hamster besides knowing its name and running in a circle? Teach him the “stay” command. To do this, you need to hold the treat over the baby's head and wait until he stands on his hind legs. At the same time, repeat “stand” and treat him with a tasty treat. Repeat this exercise regularly and praise your pet.