# True shoulder rats!



## CourteesRatties

Okay guys so this might be a long one. Now im 21 years old and have owned or been around rats for the better part of my life. I have seen true shoulder rats before and right now i have one. My boy darwin is a true shoulder rat and very smart. He will scout around his surroundings never going to far and then as soon as hes done he puts his hands on me like a dog wanting attention or climbs up my clothes to my shoulders. He will never stay in a area alone if he sees me changing rooms he follows and if i take him in my backyard the only outside place i let him on the ground since i trust it he will go up a small tree thats growing or run around for a few scouting then it right back to mommy. I can take him to loud places or areas with noise and hes just fine. He has only ever bitten once and that was my sister who was feeding treats through the bars then stuck her finger in and he mistook it for another treat. Now if i do take him places hes on my shoulder or the modified shoulder/ purse dog carrier. I take him quite often to school because im a wildlife biology student in college and hes sometimes used as a visual. I know the dangers of shoulder rats i know the outside world is dangerous for rats I KNOW. But it upsets me when i see people who are like me and know all this but have a true shoulder rat and are ridiculed. Now i understand if its someone whose willy nilly taking their rat places just because. But those of use who know the danger and have done the research and know what we are doing, to be ridiculed it is hard. I know my boy like most people know every rat is different but the people own and who love them know what their rats are like. I know my boys limits i know when to draw the line but its hard to have people act like i dont like im not always on watch when my boy is not in his cage because i do and i am. He is a true shoulder rat and deserves to be treated like one!


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## Rat Daddy

When I started out on line on another web site I was told that true shoulder rats are a myth. And that my rat didn't exist. There was no "official" ban on TSR's but the topic was never the less taboo. In truth, very few people are willing to invest the time into training TSR's and very few rats can become really good at it and lastly it is a dangerous activity. That said, there is a lot to learn from TSR's that benefits every rat owner. TSR's do more, and learn more in a single outing than many normal rats experience in a lifetime. They encounter dangers and predators, lots of humans and experience different places and hear different sounds, smell different smells and see different sights and I suppose just do and experience more... So they evolve differently. It's like two brothers, one who stayed on the farm and the other who traveled the world and lived in different cultures. I'm not saying they are better or sweeter, they are just different, perhaps more mature? In any event it's hard to put a word on it. You know it when you see it. In fact, as their trainer and handler, you can feel a different kind of bond, they become more of a partner and less of a pet.

I think if we were talking about dogs, more people would get it. I used to have competent trained dogs too that I didn't walk on a leash, in fact we would let them out into the woods on their own much of the time and they evolved beyond most indoor or leash dogs too... but people would understand that. 

I took Fuzzy Rat to the circus and met the horse and elephant trainers, and they were impressed with how well trained she was... They were professionals, I was flattered, but they had never seen a trained rat before and I suppose never thought it was possible. I think they, better than anyone, understood what's involved with working with an animal in a crowd and how much of what you are doing is within your control and how much is not... Basically how much you have to rely on your animal to be making smart decisions all of the time.

Most people should not be taking their rats outdoors, but there's a lot to learn from those of us who do and the special rats that become TSR's... Everyone can learn how smart rats really are, they can learn how deeply they can bond with their humans, they can take cues from TSR trainers and handlers in methods for better handling and training their own rats without actually going outside and taking the risks for themselves... and most of all TSR's are a reminder and an example of how competent rats can really become. 

It's important to understand that lots of people still have a very narrow concept of what rats are and what they are capable of... they see rats as small primitive animals. They don't understand how rats can actually bond with humans and how much they can understand and communicate with us... When we take our rats outdoors, that special bond and that level of communication is critical to our success and our rat's survival. We actually have to rely on it when things go wrong and it's all we've got left. We need to trust and depend on our rat as much as it has to trust and depend on us. 

When someone's brain can't wrap around rats and humans having a special relationship and being able to communicate and depend on each other.... well the rest just doesn't make any sense.... In as much as some people can't comprehend what a TSR is, they can't possibly understand what we do... 

Most rats are actually more limited by their human's mind set than they are by their own abilities... But I understand that. I started out just like most people, I thought I knew everything about rats, as a former psychology major I thought I knew everything there was to know about rat behavior and how they would respond to stimulus etc... But then I actually started working with a brilliant TSR... every day she challenged my preconceptions... Every day she did something totally unexpected. She pack bonded with us, and played with humans just like we were rats... she learned to pick up on our communications, both verbal and physical, she learned to read our emotions and even the stress levels in our voice and I could see exactly what she was thinking and about to do before she did it... It was a lot less like a trainer/animal relationship, but more of a dance where the lead changes from time to time. And I had to go back to the drawing board several times to readjust my model of what a rat was to fit the reality of what I was seeing and doing or rather as she was evolving beyond my preconceptions.

We limit what we allow our rats to do and be by our own preconceptions. If we assume a rat can't do something, we aren't going to give it a chance to try. Which is the whole theory behind safe site training... It's a place for people to experiment without getting their rat killed. To really see what a particular rat can and can't do and to build that special bond under stress. To let the rat test it's limits and to let the handler let his or her guard down a little and see what's actually possible, again, without getting a rat killed in the process.

Well... TSR's do exist. We currently have 3 and we have had 6 total. They aren't created equal as some are better than others and they all have their own quirks and limits. I think most people get it once they see a photo or a TSR in person, but some folks would rather be right than open minded. I know where they are coming form, they aren't haters, they just aren't believers.

I think a lot of people are trying to be helpful and don't want to see you kill your rat, other people are resisting their preconceptions being challenged and some are afraid that TSR trainers are going to mislead other people into taking their rats outdoors to get them lost or killed.


To people who are concerned abut the welfare of my rats... I appreciate their concern, I know what I'm doing is dangerous, and I work hard to manage the risks... It's what humans and rats do... we take risks to achieve rewards, we manage the risks and hopefully we win more than we lose... Sometimes things go terribly wrong and airliners crash into buildings... Everyone who gets into an airplane or lives on earth knows that and has to live with that managed risk. We can't just say on the ground.... Same with driving on the freeway, you buy a safe car, wear your seat belts and suddenly a truck loses it's breaks behind you on a steep hill... If someone doesn't understand the risks, they really should keep their rats indoors... If they realize how dangerous what they are doing it, and they are willing to put in the time and to learn how to manage the risks they can keep the odds in their favor most of the time... and that's just about as good as it gets.

As to people who don't understand how competent a rat can be... well I can only ask them to keep an open mind. Just because they can't understand something doesn't make it wrong. 

Lastly as to people who think shoulder ratters are going to inspire other people to take their rats outside and get them killed.... That concerns me too... Shoulder rats are amazing. And it's terrific fun to work with one. There's just nothing like it in the fancy... it's a natural high to entertain kids or to walk your rat through the park at heel. And there's a special feeling you get when you experience things together for the first time with your little furry friend. 

BUT!!!!!

When I post pics like these...

Bunny Rat and Spotty Rat (and Emily)








Cloudy Rat








Cloudy Rat with Misty Rat








Maxie Rat








And of course the truly amazing Fuzzy Rat















(and I conclude with this comment) *Taking rats outside is very dangerous, it's the best way to get your rat killed or lost.* The rats in the above photos are special and are highly trained and experienced, and we have worked with shoulder rats for a long time and know how to manage the risks. Enjoy the pictures and the stories but please don't try this with your rats, unless you are willing to invest the time and learn to do it more safely.

I also posted a thread on how to train shoulder rats for those people who are interested in reading about it and so they know what's involved in doing it right.

And I think for the most part people are smart enough to understand. Just because lots of people watch high wire performers at the circus very few get inspired to walk off a building and onto a rope or hang by their teeth from a string above a tiger act going on below. 

Overall TSR's are rare animals, and there are very few of us who own, train and handle them... and there is a very good reason for it.

For anyone reading along, TSR trainers aren't so much taking risks as we are managing them. Just like the guy in the lion cage, it looks easy but there's a lot going on and a lot that went into that act before you bought your ticket. When what we do looks easy, it's because we are working with a really great rat and we've done it many times before. And even then, people who have watched us training our rats at the safe site can tell you lots of funny stories about when things went pear shaped... Like my daughter climbing a thorny tree to get a rat down or me taking my car apart to get a rat out in the rain... Lots of things go wrong... but by managing the risks our mistakes aren't lethal or disastrous.

And yes, those pics above are real... we test our TSR's under real fireworks at night in public, often in a crowd before we call them TSRs.


CourteesRatties, I'm certainly pleased to welcome you to our small fraternity, I look forward to seeing some pics of your adventures together and as always...

Play safe and best luck.


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## CourteesRatties

He was great on the 4th he was surprised by the first few fireworks like any animal would be but then relaxed but he hated the sparklers cause of the smoke that i tried to keep him as far away from but the **** wind kept changing.


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## Rat Daddy

It really sounds like Darwin is the perfect TSR type rat and I can tell you take your responsibility seriously. You guys sound like you are having a lot of safe(r) fun together, you really shouldn't let people who don't understand get you down.

I'd like to think TSR's are actually important to our community... they are living proof of what's possible and that rats aren't pocket pets. The inspire people who don't take their rats outdoors to want more from their rat relationships and to do more with their rats. Since TSR's came out of the closet, people started talking about bonding with their rats and not just taming them. There used to be a handful of freaky rat whisperers and rat trainers... now everyone actually expects to have a special furry friend. And TSR's like Fuzzy Rat and Darwin had a lot to do with that change in the popular attitude. I suppose we are indulged by the community in general here, but I think we give back too.

After the big town show... we launched bottle rockets at the beach from the sand... and Fuzzy Rat was fascinated by the hissing fuses.. and then spooked back when they went up... We tried to keep her back at first but she was very fast when she was young... She almost got her whiskers singed off a couple of times... But she actually wasn't stupid enough to get that close... She stayed about 3 feet back and would leap back and look surprised when the rocket went up... She didn't got tired of the rockets and it never got old... In retrospect, there really might have been something wrong with her fear response. I mean people can get addicted to danger, and risk taking... Most normal rats would have been afraid of the second rocket after they saw the first one go up and she was mostly concerned with how close she could get without getting fried... She didn't get burned and we all had a great time watching her, staying close at hand in case she got too brave, which thankfully she didn't. She really couldn't have gotten killed, but she could have gotten hurt... There's a very fine lite between fun and crazy... and that was squarely on it. But I had a lot of trust in that rat... based on a lot of experience with her never pushing things over the edge.... or doing things she couldn't pull off... 

But yes, aside from Fuzzy Rat who liked fireworks, fireworks is a very tough test for most rats... It's loud and it's dark outside and they can't see all that well and there are lots of people around and that's going to push their stress level through the roof. They are going to want to panic and run away. Which makes it a dangerous test.

What people don't see in the first firework photo, is that the fireworks were being launched over a pond... I was right under the fireworks so 180 degrees of Max's route was being blocked by water and my daughter was on the other side of me to intercept her if she bolted while my wife snapped the pick. And most of all we knew when the fireworks were coming... With Fuzzy Rat's test we backed up near a building wall to limit the escape route options, which was actually a bad idea, because the fireworks echoed off the wall and made them twice as loud, and with Bunny and Spot we chose a more open space with grass and no sewer or storm grates... And yes, as things were going so well my daughter who usually is my backup even got into the pics. The pics may look like we are nuts, but timing, and terrain are under our control. That's a lot more control than you get in the real world when a truck tire blows out for example or a car backfires and you aren't expecting anything to happen...

Yeah, rats aren't big on smoke... but it sounds like Darwin did great. I know it sounds like a cruel test to some folks, but you have to know how a TSR is going to react under sudden stress. In the 'real world' every day out is life or death for a rat. TSR's are just amazing animals and it's a real privilege to work with one. You can learn more about rats than some people can in a lifetime of only working with caged animals... And it's great fun, but it's no joke. Most people don't get what goes into a TSR... 

Fuzzy Rat had hundreds of hours of outdoor experience before she jumped into the lake on her own and I shot this footage of her swimming with the kids...

https://vid.me/3edL

It looks easy, and in fact it was easy... but it's supposed to look easy... when you are doing it right... and you are goofing off from your rat handling and filming your rat being silly and having fun... People aren't supposed to see the anxious moments you go through when things go wrong and you are scrambling in three directions at once... because something bazaar and unexpected happened or know all of the nightmare what if, scenarios that are running through your mind while you look all calm and relaxed. The longer you work with rats in dangerous situations, the less you get surprised and the more controlled your outings become, you can even get lazy and careless, and that's when things go wrong... but the more practice and experience you and your rat has the more quickly you bring things back under control....

I think it's normal for people not to understand. I think it's normal for people to be concerned. But normal can be flexible.... 

Spot and Lucky's brother was adopted out to someone who also wanted a rat to train as a TSR, and as our breeder's strain had already produced two Blue, one of our pups became the perfect candidate for someone else's program... So when we took Spot with us into the local big box pet shop no one seemed surprised to see him... It turns out Blue had been there before us and the staff was rapidly becoming accustomed to TSR's... Now that was a weird experience. Ho-hum, it's just another TSR.... Really, there are less than a hundred or a couple hundred TSR's in the world and the novelty is already wearing off? LOL...

It's actually never going to happen... and that's a good thing. Although I'd love to see more rats going to safe sites, where they can have some fun with their humans under controlled conditions. But I know that most people are going to get rats that shouldn't be TSR's killed or lost. It's a dangerous "hobby" for the right rat and the right person and an awful idea for most people. 

Lastly, for people that really don't understand... Some rats are just special... like Fuzzy Rat was... they are different. They need more stimulation and they enjoy higher stress levels, yes Fuzzy Rat almost got killed on a daily basis, but imagine if she wasted her life in a cage. She was a terror indoors in the winter, cutting wires, and shredding papers and carpet and she would wait by the door to go outside... A couple of years ago, I worked with another trainer who had an out of control boy who was destroying her house too, I suggested she try a safe site experience, she did and that boy became a very happy TSR... and mostly he stopped destroying the house. It was kind of an odd experience working with this young lady, because she didn't want a TSR, nor did she want to become a trainer or handler, she just wanted her rat to stop destroying her house... but in the end, they were very happy together doing wonderful things outdoors together... TSR training is the right thing for certain rats and certain people... it's the natural thing and it's a very organic process, just like it's the worst thing for most rats and most rat owners... There's just no way to explain it so everyone is going to understand.

Yes, tiger trainers sometimes get eaten, and horse riders sometimes break their necks, and high wire artists sometimes fall and sometimes SR's get killed or lost... it's the real world and bad things happen, but it still beats keeping a 'special' rat in a cage or a play pen all of it's miserable life.


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## CourteesRatties

Some rats are just born to be more than a rat who lives indoors 24/7 and need more stimulation. From watching him i can tell that when hes cooped up to long he just gets miserable. I think my other boy tesla is watching and learning because hes starting to emulate darwin, When i call he sees darwin responding so he responds so i think i might get lucky and have another SR on my hands where as einstein is just a lazy little ball of fur.


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## Rat Daddy

One of the hard lessons we learned is that it's several times harder to work with two rats than it is with one... They tend to split your focus... and while one is doing something either stupid or cute, poof the other one is gone or in trouble... Which sometimes isn't too bad because SR's typically come back on their own. Still bad things happen like stepping on one or closing a door on one while the other distracts you... 

Lastly, shoulder rats are of different temperaments so they behave differently, once you get used to one, you expect the other to be similar, which isn't usually the case.... We're working with 3 and ground and tree training a 4th... It's fun in a way, but every sentence starts out with "Have you seen, or Where is?" 

Actually working with multiple rats gets harder as you go... You start out with three rats on your shoulder afraid to explore, then as they get more confident you wind up with two rats exploring in two different directions, while the third heads back to the car on it's own... 

You should try and do as much one on one training, it's a lot safer... But, in all reality you won't want to leave your best TSR home, so you are going to take both out together.... that's when the real fun starts... 

I usually bring my daughter along if I have more than one rat out at a time, but the Times Square Rat Cowboy supposedly works alone with 3... so it can be done, but it's a whole 'nother level of crazy.


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## CourteesRatties

Oh i wouldnt take them both at once ive been around shoulder rats long enough to know if its just me thats a no no. Darwin is tree trained with trees mostly smaller like dogwood and peach trees. Im going to start taking tesla into my backyard which is the only place i take darwin and work with him.


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## CourteesRatties

If i did take them both they would either be in my backyard or id take their carrier and switch them on and off being out.


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## Rat Daddy

For most people I tend to discourage back yards because the humans feel too comfortable there and don't see obvious dangers, like crawl spaces under the house, chain link fences etc...

On the other hand I worked with a new trainer who had a 40 acre front yard of manicured lawn... and yes that one was fine... it really depends on the yard, but still remember, you naturally feel comfortable in your own yard and what's perfectly safe for you may not be for rats... always be extra critical of working in places that feel too comfortable.


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## CourteesRatties

My back yard was at one time just gravel and a walnut tree its still mostly gravel but there is a few patches of pure grass. Theses are where i take him we just redid our deck foundation because a corner was sagging so theres no way to get underneath and theres only 1 crawl space entrance and its not in the back yard. The peach tree and dog wood are in out front yard which is about 4 or 5 acres. He only goes out there to climb the trees. My grandfather built the house and was big on landscaping and so am i so i know every inch of our yards there is a strict portion behind my shed that is a no go zone because theres red ants living in a tree.


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## Tiffany13

where is the forum on how to train shoulder rats?


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## Rat Daddy

I once worked with someone who wanted to use their front yard to train their shoulder rat in... It turned out that their front yard was 40 acres of neatly manicured lawn with a small or rather not so small natural pond and a few decorative shrubs... Not just a good place, but a perfect place... Some yards are absolutely great safe sites, but most rats get lost or killed in their owners yard, which sounds pretty counter intuitive... because that should be the safest place.

First of all the yard is convenient, and convenience sometimes trumps good reasoning. And second I suspect that people are so comfortable and confident there they just don't take the time to look around and look for danger there, until it's too late. Kind of like you noticed the red ant nest... as red ants don't pose much of a risk to an average healthy person, some people might overlook it. They would notice if if they were scoping out a safe site, but if they thought their yard was a safe place... why bother to look. Other hazards are chain link fences with dogs on the other side... The dog can't get through the fence and the person isn't going to climb over, but a rat can pop right through... There's no danger in this situation to the human, but it can be a death trap to a rat that takes one step beyond the fence it isn't even going to notice. 

Some front yards aren't inherently dangerous places, but overconfidence kills rats everywhere.

Here's the thread you are looking for:

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?51718-Shoulder-Rats-and-all-out-of-home-rat-activities


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## Jordibird

Until I joined this forum (have been a member on another) I thought shoulder riding was something that came naturally to rats (silly me). The reason being was my Bobby who I took on when my sister and kids got bored with him having bought him from a pet shop. I knew nothing at all about pet rats but Google helped out and he got a huge cage and 2 more pals after careful introductions and an embarrassing visit to the vet...my sister told me Bobby was female and with me handling my little furball all the time I was very concerned at the large tumours she developed....I gave the vet a laugh the day I took her? in to be told it's not cancer and she's a he they're his cojones. Anyway Bobby just loved sitting on my shoulder just sitting while I moved around the house doing the polishing washing up and that. He would be perched there while I hung the washing outside and one day went with me to the local shop, by accident because I forgot he was on my shoulder. I used to have to check my bag before going to work as he'd sneek in there as well. I honestly never trained him at all, his 2 pals Robson and Korky would sit for 2 seconds and want off but not my Bobby. Now I know he was definately one in a million, the 2 Rascals I have now would rather head ride albeit for 10 seconds haha.


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## Rat Daddy

Yup, there are absolutely just a few in a million born true shoulder rats... Kind of like Mozart. Kids that can play piano without lessons... There's something in their personality that prevents them from fearing open spaces like most rats do and something that keeps them from freaking out... ever. I used to call it a Thorazine personality. But it's a lot more than just that... Still if you want to keep them alive training helps as does learning to be a good rat trainer.

Some other rats can be trained to become true shoulder rats, but really they aren't the same. They are pretty much stretching to do what a born shoulder rat actually enjoys doing naturally. Fuzzy Rat actually enjoyed watching fireworks, most of our other rats can tolerate them but would prefer to be farther away or not around them at all... And very likely most rats would freak out and tear off at the first bomb burst and that would pretty much end the joint adventure.

I've coached several shoulder rat trainers, I'd say, so far I've known about 5 naturals.... Over several years, and in a world full of rats... one in a million or at least one in several thousand sounds about right.

As much as the term shoulder rat implies that shoulder rats spend a lot of time on your shoulder, the naturals don't really shine until they hit the ground...

https://vid.me/bYiW

or

https://vid.me/BzNQ 

or even hit the water

https://vid.me/3edL

You can't train that level of outdoor competence... We've trained 6 true shoulder rats... but there was only one Fuzzy Rat.


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## Jordibird

Wow that's absolutely amazing! Fuzzy Rat was a legend, a definate one in a million


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## Rat Daddy

She was very possibly the best dog I ever lived with, much less the most amazing rat... She would chase kids around the playground and get them to crash into each other and then pop up from under the kiddie pile up... She was actually even more amazing in real life and crowds of people would gather around her to meet her. The stuff she's doing in those vids is the stuff she did every day... You might get where I got kind of confused when people asked about free ranging their rats on a bed.... Free range for Fuzzy Rat involved jogging alongside us in the park, Free range and bed didn't fit into the same paragraph much less the same sentence with her...

We just got incredibly lucky she found us from in a feeder bin, but as you can imagine... I had to re-think everything I thought I knew about rats... Training her wasn't a matter of making her do something, it was more like letting her do something. It was more like getting out of her way, rather than pushing her along... And it was somewhere along the line I realized that much of what our rats do and can do is limited by our own imagination, not their ability or intelligence.

But yes... she was very special, there are very few naturals like her. Having a rat like her was a once in a lifetime experience... and that's why I love to work with other shoulder rat trainers who are similarly blessed. Where most people shouldn't take most rats outdoors... can you imagine what a tragedy it would be if a rat this gifted wasted her entire life in a cage? And having worked with 5 other true shoulder rats of our own since her, I learned that most rats are more gifted than most people realize... maybe not like Fuzzy Rat was... but a lot more amazing than most people realize. 

When I first introduced her on line, some "rat experts" told me that there was no such thing as a true shoulder rat... that they were a myth. So I took a few pics and shot a few vids for fun and for people who didn't believe... and yes, now I suppose she is legend... But our time with her still inspires us to make the lives of each of our rats since her as special as it can be.... 

And to be entirely honest... this was her very best "trick"...


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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To love us unconditionally... You might say that most rats do that... and yes, that would be their best trick too...


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## Jordibird

Thank you for sharing that it really struck a chord in me, and I am going to get to know my 2 Rascals much better now. Not that I don't bother with them (they are spoilt rotten and have their fun times in their playpen and with me. But from now on I will really get to know them (if that makes sense). Once again thanks for telling me about Fuzzy Rat and sharing the vids and pics, she's a one and only in my eyes as well.


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## Catsratz

In 30+ years of rat ownership I've found rats affectionate but not too cuddly. My "Oskar" tho - he'd perch on my shoulder for hours at a time and always be a gentleman. I'd take him for walks and different places...some pretty long drives...I called Osk my "Traveling Rat."


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