[New research] How to train a rat at home: what you can teach it, education and training it to commands

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06/12/2019 Owners of decorative rats who are engaged in training can demonstrate how their smart pets carry out complex commands. They climb a rope, overcome obstacles, and throw tiny balls into hoops. Such tricks cause genuine admiration. This article is for those who want to learn how to train a rat at home.

Where to start training?

Training any animal begins with the process of observing habits and habits, which will be useful in the future in order to find the right approach to the trainee. The rat performs many different actions on its own, which can be taken at first glance as the result of training:

she may suddenly stand on her hind legs and even walk in this position;
sometimes she wants to walk down an inclined plane upside down and climb up again;
she can run in circles for several minutes;
carries light objects in the teeth;
can jump over obstacles;
for some reason it squeezes through narrow openings;
loves to sit on the head or shoulder of the owner, demonstrating courage and the basics of circus art.

If you watch longer, you will notice a lot of similar tricks. All that remains is to teach the rodent to do these things at the request of the owner.

Before starting training, you need to go through an important familiarization stage.

What can you teach a pet rat?

Rats are very smart animals, so they can be taught many tricks that other rodents cannot do. They can learn to find a way out of a maze, climb through a pipe, jump into a hoop, walk on a tightrope, go through an obstacle course, jump from stool to stool, walk on their hind legs and spin in place.

Needless to say, teaching a rat to eat from your hand and respond to its name is as easy as shelling pears. They can handle even more complex tricks: rats can be taught to fetch and carry certain things or select things from a variety based on some characteristic.

Getting to know each other

Half the success of training depends on how successful the acquaintance with the pet is. To do this, you need to do two important things:

accustom the rat to its name;
earn the unconditional trust of the rodent.

The acquaintance will be considered valid only if these two important conditions are met.

How to get used to a name?

Rats perceive sounds differently than humans. They have their own concepts and preferences in this matter. For the ears of these rodents, the most pleasant sounds are hissing and clicking sounds that do not contain long vowels. Taking this into account, the names of the animals are selected. They will not like Malvina, Violetta and Marquise. But Chucha, Chunya, Tsitsa, Mouse, Frosya and Charlie are easy to remember and raising a rat will be much easier.

It is interesting that if you call a rat a name that contains combinations that are unpleasant to the ear, it will not respond to it. Uninformed owners may think that their pet is simply unable to remember its name.

If you each time affectionately and clearly address your pet by name, which contains an understandable set of sounds, eventually the rat will begin to respond. Success must be reinforced every time with a tasty treat.

The animal's name is pronounced every time:

food is placed in the feeder;
picks up the pet;
give him a treat;
scratch the back, cheeks and other places pleasant for the rodent.

The rat has very sensitive hearing; it will quickly learn that this is its name. There is no need to confuse your pet by changing nicknames or calling it by its full name and then by its pet name. There must be one nickname. If this is Fenya, then there is no need to call her Fenichka. An animal should only be addressed with this name under favorable circumstances. If the animal did something wrong and the owner is dissatisfied, there is no need to associate the dissatisfaction with the pet’s name.

When for some reason it is not possible to accustom your pet to a name, you can accompany the call by tapping your fingers or clicking your tongue. Perhaps this form will strike a chord in the heart of a stubborn rodent.

How to earn your pet's trust?

The animal should not be afraid of the hands of its owner. Without this, training will not work. Taming will not work without accustoming to the name and without well-deserved trust on the part of the pet.

Once you've completed these steps, you can keep the cage open so your pet can leave whenever he wants.

It will take at least a month until the rat is finally convinced that running up to the owner when he calls is not only possible, but also necessary. She will appreciate the opportunity to move freely outside the cage. And he will perceive the cage as his favorite apartment for eating, relaxing and solitude.

The trust of an animal can be earned if you methodically, day after day, prove your affection to it and confirm this with a gentle voice, treats and stroking that is pleasant for the animal.

Next, you can start training the rat. To do this, you need to be patient and... love for your mustachioed pet.

Accustoming to a name

The most important trick with which a pet’s training often begins. It is recommended not to give the animal long names, even if it is very beautiful, since the rodent will not appreciate it anyway, but it will be much more difficult for him to remember it and navigate when playing it.

The name should be short, and also have hissing sounds, to which the rodent reacts. Training occurs as follows: you need to take a treat and, holding it in your hand, call it by name at a short distance from the rat.

When the animal runs up and eats the treat, pick it up, praise it and let it go. After the rat has received the treat, the training ends; it should last no more than 20 minutes. Before training, you need to clearly define the name and not change it during training, since this will only lead to the animal being knocked down.

Training process

Training is carried out only when the owner and the animal are in a good mood and both are not in a hurry.

How to teach jumping on command?

The simplest technique to teach a rat to jump over some distance or obstacle is to sit it on one of your knees and put a treat on the other. The animal must jump over an improvised “cliff” between its knees. During the jump you need to say “Jump, Frosya!” and be sure to give away the well-deserved treat obtained in such a difficult way.

Time will pass, and the rat will jump without a treat. But she will still need to be encouraged by at least stroking her cheeks.

How to teach a rat to understand the word “No”?

It is not difficult to prevent an animal from chewing wires or a plastic cup. This is done as follows:

when a pet is caught doing something unseemly as a rat, you need to spray it with water from a spray bottle;
at the same time clearly pronounce the word “No!”

There is no need to be angry with your pet. Two or three such movements are enough for him to learn the lesson.

How to teach using a tray?

Teaching a rat to use a litter box is not the most impressive training. However, as a result, caring for the animal will be much easier. There are a lot of advantages here:

money is saved on the contractor;
the rat will live in a clean cage;
Cleaning will be much easier.

First you need to choose a suitable container that will serve as a tray. This could be a small plastic tray, an old unnecessary baking dish, or a shoe box lid.

They put a little filler in the tray, the droppings that are in the cage, and put the tray in a place that the animal has already chosen for delicate matters. Then you need to place the pet in the tray. Let him sniff everything and stop being afraid of the new object. Perhaps he will immediately understand what they want from him. It may take some time. You have to be persistent. Rats are very clean animals and are interested in keeping their cages clean, so they will quickly appreciate the benefits of a litter tray.

Age features of training

At different ages, puppies, like children, go through certain periods of growing up. When training, it is necessary to take into account age characteristics and give the child a load that he can handle.

1 month

At the age of 1 to 2 months, each puppy goes through the formation stage. During this period, babies actively communicate with their mother, their brothers and sisters and people. They remember everything new very quickly, and it is at this stage that they become more independent.

At this age, babies need constant communication. Any mistakes in parenting, even minor ones, can lead to serious behavioral problems in the future.

2-3 months

At the age of 2-3 months, the pet enters the socialization phase. During this period, the animal learns to live in society, and it is this time that is considered the best for establishing proper contact and mutual understanding between the dog and the owner.

Most puppies at this age are already in a new home, so the owner must take on the responsibilities of the bitch and explain to the baby what can and cannot be done. At this stage, the small pet begins to be taught the commands “Come”, “Fu”, “Sit”, “Lie down”.

4-6 months

At 4-6 months, the puppy actively walks and communicates with strangers and animals. At this age, the pet can try to win a higher place in the hierarchy, but it has not yet encroached on the place of the leader.

At this stage, the puppy is taught the commands “Come to me”, “Place”, “Walk”, a set of three commands (“Sit”, “Lie down”, “Stand”), “Fetch”, “Nearby”. The pet is also introduced to booms, stairs, and low barriers.

Executing commands

Some rats need to give the command 15–20 times, others – 100–200 times for it to remember. He will definitely remember it, there is no doubt about it.

The animals are quite capricious and stubborn by nature. Therefore, it is not a fact that after repeating the trick 50 times, she will not refuse to do it again.

Some tips for beginners:

It is easier to train one rat than two or three at once.
The Rat has a hard time with loneliness; it needs communication and movement. We need to remember this. A depressed animal will never make contact.
The younger the pet, the faster it learns to follow commands.
You should never raise your voice at a rodent or speak to it in an irritated tone. They do not understand words, but they sense the owner’s mood well.

To teach a rat commands, you need to be patient and know the features of the central nervous system and neural connections in the rat brain, which are responsible for the formation of memory and the development of conditioned reflexes. They are different from humans and from most animals that people are used to seeing nearby as a pet.

The better to encourage

As a reward for performing various tricks, the decorative rat should be given a variety of delicacies. This is the best motivator for work.

Important! Cheese can be used as a reward, but very rarely. The fat content of the product should not exceed 17% so as not to harm the health of the pet.

The list of rodent’s favorite treats includes:

boiled chicken;
boiled rice;
walnut kernels;
sunflower or pumpkin seeds (without peel);
milk;
sour cream.

In addition to treats, decorative rats love scratching and stroking their cheeks. In any case, food still comes first as a reward for work.

General rules of training

By adhering to the basic rules of training, you can teach a rat tricks much faster and more effectively:

Before starting classes, the animal should not be very hungry or too full. A hungry person will not make contact; a well-fed person will not be interested in motivating treats.
Training should take place in a place that is familiar to the pet, where he feels completely safe and there are no distractions.
You should not raise an animal that is locked in a cage. This way you can only develop a feeling of fear of the owner and circumstances.
If some object is used during the training process (ball, stick, ring), then the pet needs an opportunity to get to know it.
The amount of treat should be “for one bite”. Otherwise, the rodent will take him to a secluded place and he will no longer have the desire to play.
Contrary to established stereotypes, cheese is contraindicated for rats. They are not offered any salted or smoked products.
It is best to practice in the afternoon and devote 20-30 minutes to training in 2-3 sessions.
You cannot force a rodent to perform tricks using physical force (clinging to a rope, pushing into a tunnel). The animal must not be put in danger.
Under no circumstances should you punish an animal if something doesn’t work out for it. This way you can only ensure that she stops responding to commands altogether.
Each subsequent trick is taught only after the previous one has been fully mastered.
Before starting to teach a new command, previous skills are consolidated.
From the moment you decide to start training a rat, it should receive treats only for correctly performed tricks.
In addition to the treat, you need to say encouraging words (Yes! Well done! Smart girl! Yes! Good!)

The command is given exactly at the moment when the rat does the trick, and not before or after. The treat is given immediately after the trick is successfully performed.

Team requirements

There is nothing complicated about them, the main thing is to do everything correctly. The command should be short and clear; in other words, you shouldn’t say whole sentences to the rat, it won’t understand them anyway.

When training, a clicker, sound stimulators are used, and you can also use certain gestures. These gestures should be performed with your free hand, not the one holding the treat. Also remember that the gesture should be clear, short and uncomplicated.

Do not overload your pet; training should be an interesting, fun and exciting experience for him. The lesson should not last more than 30 minutes; during this period the rat will not get tired and will be able to learn new things.

Will a rat be able to fetch objects and distinguish between them?

Rats themselves like to perform tricks and demonstrate to their owner such natural qualities as intelligence, dexterity and agility. White rats learn more slowly than colored rats.

Any rodent can bring a certain object on command if it is trained to do so. How to do this step by step:

Roll a small ball in front of your pet's nose. It should interest the rodent. To do this, you can lightly rub it with something “yummy”, for example, boiled shrimp.
As soon as the animal begins to roll the ball with interest, you need to quickly take it away and give the pet a piece of shrimp (another treat that the ball smells of).
Return the ball. Repeat this trick several times.
It is necessary to ensure that the rat receives a treat only when the ball rolls towards the owner. Success is reinforced not only with a treat, but also with an encouraging sound signal, which the rat is familiar with from previous tricks.
As the lesson is learned, the distance between the ball and the animal is increased by 10–15 cm.

In order for the animal to begin to recognize “its” ball, it is subsequently offered several balls of different colors to choose from. A trained rat will have no problem guessing the right one.

Method of taming a rodent

Taming a hamster requires patience, attention and systematicity.

It is important to learn to understand your pet’s signals and earn his trust. If you rush, you will get a rodent that bites and runs away because it is afraid of you

As long as the baby is afraid of you, you will not be able to make friends with him. Follow the procedure described below and before moving on to the next step, make sure that the pet has not received stress in the current step.

Give your baby the opportunity to get comfortable in the cage, watch how he eats, drinks, and plays in your presence. Talk to your baby near the cage in a calm voice. Don't know what to say? Sing a song or tell us about your day. Place a seed on your palm (be sure to read which seeds can be given to a hamster) or a piece of cookies or dried fruit. Offer treats through the bars or cage door first. If he shows interest, stick your hand into the cage, but do not touch the hamster. If he runs away, you should never catch him so that he can smell the treats. Just place them in your palm and wait. Don't stop offering your baby treats, but you still shouldn't pet the hamster. Position your palm so that your baby puts his paws on your hand and reaches for the treat. Place the seed so that the baby can take it only after he climbs onto your hand. After he boldly does this, try to carefully pick up the hamster in your arms. Most likely the baby will jump right away, but be persistent and careful. Over time, the baby will realize that your hands do not pose a danger to him.

You already know how to accustom a dwarf to your hands, but how long will it take? It all depends on the individual characteristics and age of the animal. He can get used to the hands of an adult in a few days, but sometimes it takes about a month.

According to the scheme given above, you can tame the Djungarian and the Syrian. You just need to take into account that the Djungarian hamster loves to bite. Representatives of the Syrian breed are calmer.

You already know how to tame a Djungarian hamster, so that this happens easier and faster, consider a few points. Before picking up the baby, you need to wash your hands with soap, because the animals’ sense of smell is better developed than their eyesight. If your palms smell like food, your hamster may bite.

A little history

Cute, affectionate and tame decorative rats are descended from ordinary wild gray rats, which cause a feeling of disgust in humans, as well as a certain fear. This is not at all surprising, since wild rats have gained notoriety not only for their behavior, but also for their ability to spread various viruses and infections.

The Chinese and Indians first became aware of wild rats several thousand years ago. In the 16th century, as maritime trade developed, rats spread throughout the world, moving from continent to continent. In the 19th century in England, these rodents began to be used in battles against dogs, after catching them. During the same period, some hobbyists began breeding rats, especially tame, white ones. Such tame rodents were shown at exhibitions; in addition, white rats took part in circus performances. Some pet lovers started keeping rodents in their homes because they did not pose any danger to humans.

Some of the individuals were used as experimental animals in various laboratories, which is still practiced today, and some of them moved into the homes of scientists. Scientists saw in rats animals that are quite intelligent and attached to humans. Thanks to the crossing of laboratory rats with wild animals, new species and breeds of domestic decorative rodents have appeared, which can still be found among various breeders.

Water attraction for pets

In the summer heat, you can arrange fun entertainment for decorative rats by inviting them to splash in a pool with peas. A wide metal basin, deep bowl or plastic tray with a convex bottom will work as a pool. The selected container is filled with warm water and frozen green peas (or corn kernels, if rats like them) are thrown into it.

Catching peas from the water will not only be a fun game for rodents, but will also help them cool down on a hot day. And to make this activity more exciting for them, you can lean ladders against the outer sides of the makeshift pool, along which the animals will climb to the water.

Bathing

The decorative white rat is an intelligent and clean creature that spends a lot of time cleaning its fur. But sometimes these pets still need additional help from their owners in bathing. Many rodents do not like water treatments. Albinos are afraid of water and can experience stress when in contact with it, which is why it is worth teaching the animal to bathe from a very early age. If the cage is cleaned constantly, then you won’t have to bathe the animal often.

There are people who argue that bathing rats at home is prohibited. But there is another opinion, which indicates the permissibility of infrequent water procedures if all safety conditions are met during the process.

It is necessary to bathe white rats in the following situations:

if the animal is stained with a harmful substance;
when staying in a dirty cage for a long period;
if a rat does not clean its own fur, that is, it is sick or unkempt;
when removing parasites;
several days before the exhibition.

When a domestic rodent does not like water, there is no need to bathe it unless absolutely necessary. If the animal is not too dirty, then you can wash it without using shampoo. During the procedure, it is worth talking to the rat to rid it of fear. It is necessary to refuse bathing if the animal has a cold, as washing can aggravate the disease.

The rat prefers to live in a clean environment; it does not shit where it eats and sleeps, so installing a toilet in the rodent’s cage will not be superfluous. Accordingly, if there are no unnecessary odors and debris in the house, the animal can be bathed less often.

When bathing a white rat, do not forget about such points as:

decorative rodents are prone to diseases of the ENT organs, so keeping the animal in a draft after bathing will lead to illness;
cold indoors, cool water, or undried rat fur can worsen the health of the animal;
if water gets into the ears of an ornamental pet, otitis media and deafness may occur;
the use of detergents can cause changes in the natural odor of the animal, disruption of the barrier function of its skin, and cause dryness and scabies.

It is better to buy a special product for bathing rodents, but if you don’t have one, then you should use shampoo for cats. According to experts, you can use baby detergent to bathe your rat, but it should not contain dyes or fragrances. For the procedure of washing a rodent, it is worth preparing several containers with warm water, shampoo, a towel and a piece of soft cloth that will replace a washcloth. Rats should not be washed under running water; before bathing, their ear canals should be covered.

Immersion of the animal in a container with liquid should be done slowly and carefully, while stroking it and distracting it with conversation. The fur should be carefully moistened with water, and then shampoo should be applied with massaging movements. The detergent should be rinsed off in two containers of water, and then dried with a towel or cloth.

The rat's tail should also be washed, as dirt and dead skin particles accumulate on it. The organ should be moistened with a cotton pad that has been previously soaked in a soap solution. After this, the tail is cleaned with a toothbrush, but gently and without pressing. Next, the organ is washed off with warm water, wiped and lubricated with odorless baby cream.