# Any general rat training tricks and tips, dos and dont's, etc?



## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

I'm getting my first pair of rats soon from a nice rattery- I want to train them to spin, come to their names, get on my hand when prompted to, and go in their litter box if I can after I immerse them...


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## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

Also, are clickers necessary?


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## Batman (Sep 11, 2013)

It takes some time to train i trained rimmer to come to his name and i just used a clicking noise with my mouth and lots of treats he loved the baby puffs.


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

My rats are learning really
Quick. Clicker training does work bit I don't personally use it. I just reward with treats x


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## nagger (Aug 28, 2013)

Radigan has been a quick learner too. Litter training took him 2-3 days, he even pees in his box (after playing for a while I put him into his cage and he goes straight to the litter box and pees!). He is a polite boy  ! Teaching him to spin took him a week, with about 5 minute sessions. I would lead him/her into a spin with a cheerio, saying his/her name, and then saying "spin". When you are first starting to teach "spin", say "spin" the entire time you are leading them into the spin so that they can associate the command with the action. I then make a click noise with my mouth and reward him. We just started "roll over" the other night, and he is already responding well to it. Tomorrow I am picking up a siamese cage mate and we get to start the litter training and tricks all over again. I am excited though  .


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## Seiko (Sep 4, 2013)

Remember to use positive reinforcement only, and don't punish them for not doing what you want them to do!


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

A few tips:

1. Positive reinforcement is the only appropriate route. At a stretch, negative reinforcement can work for some things but punishment is a no no.

2. Clickers are useful. They can be a click your tongue, a pen, a jam jar with lid or a real clicker. Note, they are not convenient for all tricks.

3. Target training is a window to a host of tricks. By training your rat to move towards your finger/target stick, by extension, you can train them to spin, stand, walk on two legs, go up on hand, go up on shoulder, jump across platforms and guide them around agility courses, all with your finger.

4. Debbie Ducommun's book, The Complete Guide to Rat Training, is very useful.

5. Rats are individuals. Not all your rats will be equally good at all tricks. 

6. Ten-15 minute sessions are enough.

7. Always end on a good note.

8. Rats will do anything for a lick of malt paste or any of the tubed salmon or liver pates. They are perfect for training. Depending on your rats tastes, some treats will have high reward value, others low value. Mix and match to keep your rat motivated. Treat in small quantities during the session, but spoil them at the end.


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## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

Hephaestion said:


> 3. Target training is a window to a host of tricks. By training your rat to move towards your finger/target stick, by extension, you can train them to spin, stand, walk on two legs, go up on hand, go up on shoulder, jump across platforms and guide them around agility courses, all with your finger.


How exactly would you teach them to follow your finger? Just their natural curiosity or should you hold a treat?


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## Seiko (Sep 4, 2013)

I actually have the book The Complete Guide to Rat Training (found it at PetCo and it was an instant buy), and this is what it has to say about target training:



> The final training method, targeting, uses a combination of shaping and leading, but in this case, you don't use food to lead the animal -- you use an object called a target. Targeting is used extensively in training marine mammals; the target is usually a ball on the end of a long pole. To start, the target is gently touched to the animal's nose (rostrum). Next, the animal is rewarded with a secondary reinforcer, or bridge, and given a primary reward. Once the animal understands that he will be rewarded when the target touches his nose, the target is positioned a few inches (several cm) from his nose. In most cases the animal moves to touch the target with his nose. The trainer then moves the target farther and farther away until the animal will approach and touch the target from any distance.
> 
> Once the animal understands the principle behind the target, it can then be used to guide his movements. This is how a dolphin is taught to leap out of the water. The target is positioned a few feet (about a meter) above the water and the dolphin is rewarded for touching it. The target is then gradually raised higher and higher until the dolphin is leaping out of the water to touch the target far above the surface of the pool.


So basically, use treats to teach your rats to follow your finger. Once they know to follow your finger on command, you can use that trick to help teach them new tricks.


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## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

Oh, cool! That's really informative, thank you.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I train shoulder rats to deal with life or death situations. And therefore I don't like clickers, if you forget or lose your clicker and your rat gets killed it's a small mistake with a big down side. Voice commands are safer as you won't misplace your voice. 

Rats also learn to respond to the tone and volume of your voice, this can give the same command different levels of meaning. Depending on how you say it, "come" can be either a suggestion or an imperative. Again the nuance can be critical when working in a dangerous environment.

But if all you intend to do is teach a few simple tricks in a safe environment then a clicker should work fine.


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

I think rats will respond to either voice or clicker. The clicker simply allows you to reinforce behaviour instantaneously, I.e., it bridges the wait between action and reward. Research on clicker training suggests that when using it correctly, behaviours are learned faster and generalise better. As part of clicker training, you can introduce a cue, like a voice command. Once the rat is doing the behaviour, introduce the command and only treat when it responds on command. You do not always need your clicker with you. It is a tool to teach new behaviours that once learned will no longer require a click (although top up sessions can be beneficial).


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

The clicker has an advantage, it has no nuance. So basically it's exactly the same tone meaning exactly the same thing every time. It's easy to learn.

The clicker has a disadvantage, it has no nuance. So if I used it to mean come. So when I click COME! as in to keep my rat from walking into the stove burner, it would sound the same as come for a treat. Rats do understand nuance.


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## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

That all makes sense. Maybe I'll use a clicker for things like spinning but just click with my mouth for come or more important things?

(Most likely I just won't use a clicker, though)


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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

You aren't supposed to use the clicker in place of a verbal command.. It's a marker so they know when they've offered you the behavior you desire. You use the voice command, say come, and when they have come to you, then you click and treat. So your voice tone can change to relay urgency, delight, or frustration, whatever you want. The clicker doesn't eliminate that. I personally use hand signals, voice commands, clicker, and verbal praise as a package deal, I've found the combination to work best.


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