Where does rat training begin?
From the understanding that the rat is not trained at all in the generally accepted concept of “training”. What is the difference? – Training (simplified) is the development and consolidation in an animal of the skills necessary for the animal to perform any task. Training necessarily includes the “carrot and stick principle”; in relation to a rat, the only possible method of motivation is stimulating the animal to perform certain, well-known, natural actions for a piece of delicacy - reinforcement.
This method will be closer not to training, but to various ways of TEACHING a pet animal to perform actions characteristic of it by its rat nature, receiving in return a treat and by mutual agreement of the parties.
Having understood this, you can move on.
Keep a routine
In many ways, rats are like children; a clear schedule makes rats feel safe. It is the plan and routine that establishes trust and opens up new opportunities. Decide what time you will train your rat and come at the same time every day just to chat with your pet, and only when communication has become a habitual ritual, you can start training at the same time.
Let's study each other
To teach (train) a pet rat you need to start with 2 things:
- accustoming oneself to oneself and one’s name (nickname);
- receiving a “vote of parliamentary confidence” from the animal.
Accustoming to a name
The perception of sounds in a rat is very different from that of a human; the rat brain “hears” many sounds differently from how a person would hear them.
Rat ears are most pleased with clicking and hissing sounds, without long vowel connections. For example, the name Abraham is unlikely to please her brain, but Sonya, Klaus, Anfisa, Charlik or Tsatsa may well be suitable.
If a combination of sounds is unpleasant for decorative rats, then they will simply ignore them. Perhaps because of this misunderstanding with an unsuccessfully chosen name, many believe that a rat cannot be taught to respond to its own nickname.
It’s easy to accustom a rat to a name if the animal’s nickname is clear, and each approach to a certain set of sounds is accompanied by a “cute” treat.
Use this name when:
- put food in;
- take it in your arms;
- give something tasty;
- scratch the back and cheeks (favorite places for rats).
The rat, with its sensitive hearing, quickly remembers the combination of sounds of its name, and if today you called it Pusey, and tomorrow Tiny, then the little rat’s brain will be confused. There must be one nickname! And it should only be spoken out with pleasant associations!
If something doesn't go according to plan with the name, get into the habit of tapping or snapping your fingers, clicking your tongue, or whistling softly. The rat will quickly get used to such an unusual (for you) nickname and will respond to it.
Receiving a “vote of confidence”
Accustoming the animal to hands is the first stage from which the raising of the rat and further training begin.
The second stage will be the ability to leave the cage when the rat wants to. The second stage is difficult to implement without:
- taming to hands;
- accustoming to a name.
When the glorious animal learns to easily run up to you when called and return to the cage on its own, without coercion, you can begin to teach it to perform a number of simple tricks. The rat must be absolutely tame!
How to accustom a rat to you
For starters, don't worry. After all, the pet found itself in a new place so quickly that it may simply have a banal fright or even “stress.”
In fact, the rat is an incredibly smart, dexterous and sociable animal; you just need to let it get used to it a little. Give the rodent a little time for this - as much as necessary. And then gradually begin to accustom your pet to your smell.
Let her crawl all over you, get acquainted with the smell of your hands and understand that she is not in danger. After all, this is how a rodent begins to “remember” its owner.
This is the first stage of accustoming your pet to you.
IMPORTANT Do not try to quickly start playing with the rat as soon as you have it. The pet has poor eyesight and purely physiologically cannot see the owner’s face. But these animals have an excellent sense of smell. Therefore, to establish a rat-owner bond, simply let the rodent become better acquainted with your body odor.
Where to begin?
From observation. Watch your pet and you will see that the rat naturally performs a number of different actions - natural habits, which an inattentive person may well attribute to circus tricks obtained as a result of targeted training:
- easily stands on its hind legs and can even run on them;
- runs up and down on a vertical surface or on a rope;
- enjoys “cutting” circles;
- carries small objects in his teeth;
- effortlessly jumps from one support point to another across an open distance;
- manages to squeeze through any narrow object;
- demonstrates the wonders of acrobatics and even vaulting, sitting on your shoulder or head.
And this is far from a complete list of rat skills! All that remains is to consolidate these skills so that your animal can perform these tricks at your request. To do this, you need to train the rat.
Team requirements
Teaching your rat commands will take time and patience. On average, the animal remembers your requirements (necessarily reinforced by treats and scratching!) for the 20th to 200th time.
This does not mean that after repeating a task 200 times, the rat will perform it like clockwork!
Perhaps she will refuse to perform some tricks altogether, or perhaps 5-7 repetitions will be enough for her to remember your requirements.
The neural connections in the rat brain and central nervous system responsible for the formation of memory and conditioned reflexes are very different from similar connections in the brains of humans and other animals.
A trained rat is not at all a trained dog or a well-trained person - remember this, and be sure to take into account the individual characteristics of your pet!
A little advice for beginners:
- It is easier to teach one young animal (baby) than two or three of the same age at the same time.
- The rat is an animal no less gregarious than humans and does not tolerate loneliness and closed spaces well. The jogging wheel does not solve the problem of the required amount of movement at all.
- In need of live contact, the young rat will make contact more easily and quickly, choosing as his friend someone who is patient and affectionate - that is, you.
- And no loud shouts with threatening intonation! – Just a gentle voice and patient waiting until the animal “understands” that the repetition of the action is followed by a piece of treat, and then he himself will do the trick, begging for a tasty treat.
Training rules
Successful training depends not only on your patience and the level of your pet's abilities. You need to raise a rat by adhering to the basic rules:
Important! The signal is given exactly at the moment when the animal performs the action, and not when everything has already been done or not done at all. A treat, unlike a signal, is given upon completion of the action.
How to train a rat at home
Is it easy to train rats?
Rodents constantly communicate with each other, sharing information about where food is in the house, how to get there and how to get a tasty morsel. At the genetic level, they have a desire to build logical chains to achieve the desired goal. Otherwise, the animals simply would not survive. Therefore, if you understand the animals and direct their energy in the right direction, you can teach them tricks and commands.
Is it possible to teach a rat to fetch objects or choose one from many others?
Rats cope well with all tasks - they themselves enjoy spending time with their owner and performing various tasks. All tricks are easy for them, thanks to their natural dexterity and intelligence. White animals cope with tasks a little worse than colored ones due to weaker eyesight, but they can also learn to fetch a ball or some other object.
To do this you need:
The bait should be out of reach of the animal, but the ball itself should be easily moved by the rat using its paws.
When the animal is interested in the ball, take it away and immediately give it a treat.
Make it more difficult. Now the rat can get a treat only by rolling the ball (at least pushing it) in your direction. Don’t forget to give the signal in time and immediately reward with a treat.
As soon as the animal realizes that in order to get the treat you need to roll the ball towards you, slowly increase the distance between you and the ball.
Attention! The distance should not increase very gradually, literally by 10-15 cm!
When the rat rolls the ball toward you without any problems, you can surprise those present by “selecting an object.”
To do this, mix a lot of balls, one of which will contain a piece of treat, and invite the animal to find the “hidden” one. The rat will easily perform the usual trick.
How long do rats live and how long can they survive without water and food?
Rats live 2-3 years, but some rare individuals can live for 5 years. Like all living things on the planet, rats are very dependent on water. Do not leave them without water for more than 3 days. Juicy vegetables and fruits can serve as a replacement for water. On the 3rd day, the animal also feels severe hunger, but can hold out for a couple more days, which, however, can lead to serious health problems.
