# It's Springtime for Shoulder Rats! Time to start getting prepared for Summer.



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

That's right boys and girls, those of you who rode your true shoulder rats hard and put them away wet last fall... And you have only had them out of the house a few times all winter.... and you're about to pick up where you left off..... STOP!

5 months down time is a very long time for a trained rat to stay in peak form. We're starting to bring Max out and she's reminding us that she's been living under the furniture all winter and hasn't seen a crowd or hardly any other humans since Halloween when we took her to the town event and then trick or treating... She's been in stores a few times but overall she's all twisted up and awkward... This is of course normal and even Fuzzy Rat took a few trips outside before she got her form back. Don't worry too much, it might seem disappointing at first, but a rat that had the skills, will get them back pretty fast.

So we've taken Max for a few runs and her body is getting hard again and today she gave two people kissies and she's starting to remember her commands... But the other day she had us chasing her around through the water and under the parked cars as she tried to go back to the car because there were too many people at the park and she isn't used to crowds any more... Last year she didn't much like water, now she just splashes through the drainage ditch without even slowing down. Last year she figured out where the parking lot is, and now she goes looking for the car on her own. Rats don't forget everything, but they do seem to have selective memories. Last year she followed commands and stayed with us, this year she's much more independent. And that's going to take a little work to iron the kinks out of.

So remember, when you take your shoulder rats out of mothballs to expect a few hiccups and be prepared to have to work with them to bring them back into form. A session or two at the safe site would be a good idea.

Max is only 8 months old so she's been on downtime for about half her life, I know winter goes by pretty fast for us, but not so for rats... Take it a little bit slow and let your true shoulder rat shake off the rust before you pick up where you left off or you might get intro trouble... 

And for people who plan to start training a true shoulder rat this year... you should have your safe site already scoped out and inspected for safety so you can get your rat into peak form for summer when you will want to be going places and not sitting around at the safe site in 100 degree weather misting him or her with a spray bottle. And you want to be finished training before the parks are full of screaming kids and bicycles and cars, etc... And keep in mind if your first shoulder rat washes out you will need time to start with another.

Remember, it's all about bringing our fuzzy friends home alive. Spring it the best time for training and re-training so you can make the most out of summer and fall... A rats life is so short you only get one or maybe two really good seasons out of them so don't waste any time. Be smart and be careful, but get your rats prepared beforehand and you're much less likely to get them killed later on.

Best Luck


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

Once the snow melts I'll take Miss Lilly back to our safe site and work with her. I'm trying to get my other three trained but I'm afraid they're not cut out for it.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Hey-Fay

When you are working with the right rat, it feels so easy and so natural it's like every rat should be able to be a shoulder rat, then when you take out the wrong rat, it's painfully clear why so few rats can be true shoulder rats.

Some rats just have what it takes to be a true shoulder rat and most others make great indoor friends for your shoulder rat.


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

This inspired me thanks I'm
Going to get willow out today xx 


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

Rat Daddy said:


> Hey-FayWhen you are working with the right rat, it feels so easy and so natural it's like every rat should be able to be a shoulder rat, then when you take out the wrong rat, it's painfully clear why so few rats can be true shoulder rats.Some rats just have what it takes to be a true shoulder rat and most others make great indoor friends for your shoulder rat.


I wish Ruby and Thistle could be shoulder rats like their mum but they have selective hearing as it it's and I'm afraid they'd go completely deaf if I were to take them outside. Matilda has potential but we've got to keep working on commands. She's also mildly skittish so that has to be taken into account too. For now we'll dust the rust off Lilly and get her back in the swing of things


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Yup, as true shoulder rats get more confident and competent their hearing does get more selective... No doubt about that. When they are all afraid of everything they listen to each and every command and stick to you like glue... 

Then when they get all relaxed and comfortable in a place they start exploring and doing what they like to do and if they really are well trained and competent that's just fine, if not things get interesting fast. It's not that Fuzzy Rat didn't explore, or that we always knew where she was, it's just that we knew she was coming back that mattered and that she had skills to stay out of trouble. I'm thinking that Fuzzy Rat was the only rat I ever worked with outdoors where I didn't freak out when I didn't see her... If I don't have eyes on Max, I get really uncomfortable really fast, even though Max has run off and come back on multiple occasions. I don't know if I'll ever have the same confidence I had with Fuzzy Rat with any other rat...

Still almost any rat can have fun at a safe site and knowing which rats can go further and which rats can't is the best way from getting your rats killed. It's a big decision and one you take seriously... Just consider yourself lucky to have Miss Lilly and get her back to peak form for summer and I'm sure you'll have a great season ahead.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Crezzard,

Glad to hear Willow is up to another season. I'll bet she'll be happy to see the great big world again.

Best luck


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## Zepp94 (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm a new rat owner and just about to start training my rats, and I really want to have one of them be true shoulder rats, but I had a few questions about it. What do true shoulder rats need to know command wise? What is a true shoulder rat? What would be considered a safe site? And how do I know if she's ready for a run as a true shoulder rat? I love my girls so much and really want to be able to go the park for a walk and be able to take my girls with me!


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## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

This is an inspiring post 

At what temperature is it okay to take a rat outdoors?


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

Willow was fabulous as usual, she did some tree climbing.... Visited the frogs by the pond.... Climbed my washing that was on the line. Can't wait till tomorrow to do the same again!! 


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Crezzard, that's great to hear... I'll bet the frogs were surprised to see Willow! There's nothing more fun or rewarding than seeing a true shoulder rat in it's natural environment just having fun, exploring and processing all of the sensory input. Max was just getting into top form when winter hit... she was only about 3 months old when she got mothballed. Only 3 quick visits outside and she's already asking to go into and come out of the car, and she's giving kissies to strangers again... She's still a little uncomfortable around too many people and a little hard of hearing her commands... We've started running with her and she's getting firmer already, she's still not comfy being outdoors again and crowds bother her, but that's what shaking off the rust is all about. One step at a time.


Ratbag, it's not quite 50 degrees here and I'm keeping the outdoor trips short and letting Max go under my coat. Ideally you want better than 55 to 60 degrees. But as public spaces aren't too crowded yet and it might take some time to get your true shoulder rat into form for spring and summer, it's a good time to start training. Shoulder rat season is actually very short, you lose winter and mid-summer when the temperature goes over 82 degrees. So you want to shake off the rust before the season begins. Depending on when your rat was born it is only going to have one to two summers in it's lifetime. Fuzzy Rat was born in April and had a great summer as a strong young rat, another summer as a declining rat taking it much slower and she died in July of her third summer, but honestly she was more tumor than rat and spent her time outdoors just lying in the clovers, munching weeds and sniffing the air. She had to be carried around most of the time... Max was born in July and adopted in August. She barely hit peak competence when winter hit. She should have this summer and next year is likely to be her last assuming her health holds up. So if we want her to be sharp this spring - summer, we have to start working with her now.

Zepp94... True shoulder rats are the rarest of rats. They have a special ability to keep their cool and never panic where even wild rats wont go... wide open spaces, during broad daylight. Generally, they need to obey the "come" command when their life depends on it. No rats follow commands every time, but true shoulder rats tend to know when you are serious. Moreover as a shoulder rat handler, you really have to have a super solid bond with your rat and you have to be extremely skilled at predicting how your rat will react and staying a few steps ahead of him or her. You also need to be expert at danger assessment and management. 

The most important thing to remember is that when you screw up and your rat breaks training it's dead. Taking your rat outdoors is the easiest way to lose or kill your rat...

Shoulder rat trainers with true shoulder rats are kind of an elite club, no dues, no extensive CV required, just a live true shoulder rat... But it's no easy trick to get into or stay in the club, you have to NOT get your rat killed. And with a whole world practically designed for killing rats, membership has it's hazards as well as it's rewards.

Yes, it's cool to walk into places with your rat on your shoulder or to walk your rat at heel through the park. True shoulder rats attract crowds of people and they can become local celebrities in their own right. Many locals still remember Fuzzy Rat fondly and now know Max. Our rats are welcome places where dogs are not permitted. They even dine in restaurants. But all of this only matters if you don't get your rat killed first. Being new to rats doesn't preclude you from owning a true shoulder rat, but it isn't an inspiring combination of factors either...

I wrote a long thread on shoulder rats and all outdoor activities, if you are even thinking about taking your rat outdoors you need to read that thread first. Second you need to find a safe site to train your rat and learn the skills you will need to even attempt to start working with a true shoulder rat in the real world.

I don't want to sound like a snob or a hard arse, but I don't want you to kill your rat. If you are lucky enough to have the right rat and you really work on your rat handling skills and you practice at a safe site until you master basic control in a safe outdoor environment, you have a decent chance of success. But even those of us who are good at what we do and have the very best rats tempt fate every day, we manage risks and we try to bring our rats home alive. When you are good at what you do and you have a competent rat, you tend to succeed the first time you screw up, you might have a very bad day. There's a fast and hard learning curve. 

If you find a really good safe site, you can take almost any rat there, even being new to rats... but taking the next step is something you really need to be certain about. Don't rush into anything. Take your time, work with your rat at the safe site, before proceeding at your own risk. At any given time... there are hundreds of thousands of pet rats in the world and very likely less than a few hundred true shoulder rats... Most people never see one much less own one or train one... It's always nice to have new members in the fraternity, but if you don't go into shoulder rats with a healthy fear, you won't stay in it very long.

To be perfectly clear this is what a true shoulder rat looks like...


Fuzzy Rat:

up in a tree...









meeting and greeting people








walking at heel after swimming








hiking back to the car (she's the white dot next to the black trash can)









Max:

passing he final true shoulder rat test under the fireworks...










making new friends after dark









And this is our safe site... 40 acres of small trees, shrubs and short lawns surrounded by deep water on 3 sides.. (Amelia who failed out at the safe sight might be hiding up in the tree, as I recall) Fuzzy Rat is on the ground.









True shoulder rats are both amazing and wonderful... it's the most fun you can have with your rat. But if you get him or her killed, the fun is over fast.

Best luck.


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## Zepp94 (Mar 9, 2014)

Okay thanks so much for the advice, defenitly spending a whole bunch of time with my girls seeing if either of them are capable of being true shoulder rats. Thanks so much for the response =)


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Best luck Zepp94... remember only try shoulder ratting at a good safe site. Things always go wrong when first you start out, without a safe site you can wind up with a dead rat before you even get shot at being successful. If your rat washes out at the safe site, no harm no foul.


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## Zepp94 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks going to need it, right now my girls are still little skittish even around me, tried working with my PEW(Darla) and let her have a little free roam around a area i set up for immersion, and if I was on my knees she constatnly jumped up onto my lap and made her way to my shoulder, but if I was standing she ran off into a corner. She is starting to get her name down, she doesn't respond really well to it, but its only at the point of where her ears perk up, she doesn't look my way quite yet. but for an hour it seemed promising at least having a indoor shoulder rat =)I want a true shoulder rat, but even if she just loves me and I'm perfectly fine if she ends up being an indoor rat.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've only ever heard of one pink eyed true shoulder rat, There's an unwritten rule in the animal kingdom that there is an exception to every rule... 

Most pink eyed rats have poor eyesight, and this makes them much more nervous in wide open spaces. For example if you were vision impaired in your living room, you would most likely learn to get around pretty well... Now being blind at an airport would be a much more stressful matter for a human. And the same goes for pink or red eyed rats. They see lots of movement everywhere, but with no clear idea of what's going on around them they are more prone to freak out.

Also, pink eyed rats are best kept out of direct sunlight to protect their eyes from damage. Fuzzy Rat had remarkable eyesight and Max can definitely make out very large objects from up to and possibly over 50 feet away. Both have natural color eyes. Brown eyed rats may have low resolution vision, but with lots of practice they seem to learn to make out distant shapes.

The big killer for true shoulder rats is panic. Your rat may not always follow commands but will be predictable. As you can predict what your rat will do and when, you can learn to control him or her or know what situations to avoid or what your rat will do when you are in a certain situation. When a rat panics it becomes erratic and will run helter skelter and dive for any cover and may freeze up there... As in bolt into traffic and dive down a sewer grate and freeze up somewhere in the darkness and not come back. Max prefers cover to open space, so I know she'll gravitate to a protected location under something, but she will also come back out when recalled. She's doing what comes naturally, but not panicking. As you can tell by the beach photos, because of her good eyesight, on bright days Fuzzy Rat had no problems with being right in the middle of the action on a wide open beach. Of note as she got older and he night vision started failing she would head to the car at twilight or if it got too overcast. When she couldn't see she was just like every other rat in that she got out of wide open spaces. 

So, if you have a rat with natural color eyes, that's your better shoulder rat candidate. Like I said there was one notable exception to the rule, but even then... I'd keep a pink eyed rat off a beach on a sunny day just to protect the vision it has.

And yes, very poor vision might be why your rat gets uncomfortable when you stand up.


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## Zepp94 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks again Rat Daddy, really appreciate the advice, definetly going to keep her inside then. I'll try working with my hooded girl then for true shoulder ratness, she seems to be better on eye sight, but is still very skittish around people because I got her as an older rat from a PetCo. So I think she has a little more experience with being ignored and not handled by humans :/ might also just have to wait till my next girls and try to get the training down with these girls.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Try not to set your limits in your mind.... train and observe... and let your rats tell you their limits... This way you don't push one rat too far and hold another back. 


That's what makes the safe site concept so important... Before safe sites when you screwed up you lost a rat, so trying new things outdoors was just to dangerous. With the advent of the safe site, you really can get hands on experience with minimal risk. You'll find that some rats you are so sure of indoors with wash out immediately and others you wouldn't think of as potential stars will shine.


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## franjf (Dec 13, 2012)

Oh this makes me miss Bella! I'd love to take her out and about again, she did love the outdoors! I may try it with my boy Ollie this summer, see how he works out


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Franjf

I know how you feel about Bella, summer's coming and Fuzzy Rat won't be there either... At least we have Max... She's not Fuzzy Rat, but she's a very good girl and has really good qualities of her own. It's hard, but I suppose you can't compare one rat to another. Each one is special and deserves to be loved for who she is.

Rats have such short lives and humans have such long memories... doubly unfair.

And yes, you should give Ollie a fair chance...


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## kjgannon09 (Oct 16, 2013)

Cady girl hasn't been feeling well, so I have been working with Ivy because I thought she showed promise as a shoulder rat. She has figured out how to escape her cage no matter what I do, so now she basically has the run of the apartment. The only thing she hasn't squeezed or chewed out of is the aquarium that I put her in at night so I can have peace of mind that she's safe while I sleep.

Anyway, she's been doing great so I took her to Walmart last night. I was really proud of her; she was very well-behaved. She seemed to get anxious with the length of time that we were out though, so I need to be careful with that.

Cady is very eager to get out, but she will have to be content with sitting on the porch with me for a few minutes until it warms up some more.


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