5 tricks pet rats do, your dog can learn
Today, I feel like playing hooky from writing. Working on a new “Before” chapter for my Dog Leader Mysteries book, I have arrived at the challenge of revising. I wrote the first draft on Tuesday and want to keep my momentum going. But oh, the fun of finding a wonderful pet video.
Our girl trained a pet rat
My niece posted this darling fun example of positive clicker training with pet rats. Our kid had four different pet rats over about a five year span of time. Her favorite rat, Silky, learned to run across her electronic keyboard then jump on her head. Great entertainment and interaction for a seven year old who had suffered a broken arm. Within a day or two, she demonstrated cueing Silky when to run up her cast and perch on her shoulder. Of course, she trained her rat to run down from her head or shoulder, over the broken arm cast and jump off too.
See what positive training can do?
I will never know why people use force or intimidation to train pets, when positive training works so well. Yes, I have used clicker training with my dog and rabbit. Yes, both responded super fast and eagerly to clicker training. We reinforced basic and important safety behaviors like.
- Come when called
- Wait
- Jump objects
- Shake hands
- Fetch a ball or toy
Please share this post for positive and cruelty free training of pets.
Thank you for reading, Deborah Taylor-French
Wow. Now I need to get working with Farley. He doesn’t know half the tricks in the video. He is very good at sleeping on my keyboard, but I think that’s just to get my attention.
Hi Kristina, clicker training not only adds fun + brain exercise for dogs, it really makes our bonds stronger with our pets. Hope you try a few. I like that the trainer makes the rat wait. Wait is a lifesaver command/behavior. You know you have your dogs attention when he or she stops in the midst of an action he or she loves, like jumping in a pond to swim or chasing a critter.
Farley is good with the wait command, and it’s helped us quite a few times. I think he gets he doesn’t have to return, he just has to stop where he is for a moment. We use this when we are near a road and a car is coming. I’ve never tried clicker training, but it might work for Farley since he’s not a food motivated dog.
Excellent work (4 you & your dog). With clicker training you may use any type of reward your dog loves, toys, play, belly rubs, etc.