Okay, Kiddies, It's Time to Learn! Here, You Will Find Some Neat Tricks for Your Furry Friend! :D
Can I Come Out?
Using a bell toy to teach your rat to tell you it wants out
Rats can tell someone if they want to come out, but be
warned, this trick can get annoying after a while (they'll
start using it to get attention after they've figured out
how this trick works).
Put a bell toy in Zipper's cage (I use bird toys with bells
on the end of them...). He may not place attention on it
now, but you wait and see! Each time you decide to let
Zipper out to play (or train for another trick), ring the
bell toy BEFORE grabbing him.
After a long while of ringing that bell, he will begin to
place his attention to that toy whenever he wants to come
out (I just started training my ratties to do this, and little
Athena is already using it to tell me she wants out most
of the time she does it when either Mysti, my piggy, or
the boys are out, but I take the time to grab her from
her cage immediately after she rings that bell, even if it is
just to give her attention--she's JUST STARTING to use it,
after a month of doing this...).
Remember, the key into allowing him to learn this move
is a FAST RESPONSE, as rats have a VERY SHORT
attention span. You'll end up starting all over again if
you react to the ringing too late, and I'll tell you, it is NO
FUN to do that!
I have heard, however, that this technique truly works!
After a while, you'll have a hoot taping Zipper as he
rings the bell, turns his attention to the door of his
house, and rings that bell again, until you let him
out! :D
Let's go for a walk!!
How to prepare your rat for a happy, stress-free Shoulder Surf
Before you can go on and rush your rat to sit quietly on
your shoulder as you walk outside, you need to ensure
your rat friend that she's safe to sit there.
Bathroom lessons can wait. The main goal is to relieve
stress from your furry friend before training the
remainder of the way. If you don't like urine on your
shirts, then you can't teach your rat how to go for walks,
as they need "potty breaks."
But, let's get us started, shall we? Place Fuzz Ball on
your shoulder and use your choice of a command word (I
prefer to use the word Stay, or Shoulder for my
ratties...). If she tries to climb down, grab her once
more and perform the same. If she sits quietly for more
than ten seconds, give her a treat (I like using hard-
boiled eggs, or goat cheese...) and lots of praise (Rats
can tell if they are doing right through the tone of your
voice. Be friendly when they do right, and they'll
understand that you're proud of their performance.).
Walk around the one room you started your training in,
still using your command word to make her sit there as
you walk in circles. If she stays there until you sit down,
praise her. If she tries to climb down, try moving slower
for her, so she can figure it out, as you place her back
into her position. Training is not complete until she stays
put until you sit down on the couch. Praise, then put her
away after an hour of couch playtime.
Repeat this until she understands the full aspect of
shoulder surfing. Remember, patience is, in fact, a good
virtue.
Right, then, let's say that Fuzz Ball figured it out, as you
walked around in circles. Let's see if she will stay put as
you walk from room to room. Retrieve your friend from
her home and place her on your shoulder with your
command word. This time, instead of walking in the
same room, walk in two rooms.
Remember, a rat likes to sniff around to see and smell
her surroundings. She's alright with checking her
surroundings. If she climbs down, however, place her
back up with your word as soon as you catch her and
walk around again, until she stays until you sit down on
the couch.
If you succeeded, it is now clear that your critter has
finally learned that as soon as you sit on that couch,
training is complete.
Each time she succeeds, your rat is ready for adding
another room, and another, until every room in your
house has been used for her training. Feel free to make
dinner for your family, or clean up the house with her
sitting there peacefully. She'll learn better this way.
By now, you can train Fuzz Ball to let you know when she
needs to go potty. I suggest carrying around a lid for an
old coffee can, or even a small, cardboard box, so that as
soon as she teaches you that she has to go, and you are
still in the house as this happens, you can place her in
the box, on the floor, and wait patiently until she goes
IN THAT BOX.
If she tries walking around, pick her back up, and wait
until she tells you again. Perform the same actions until
you see either a puddle in the box or lid, or even one
"gift" will do.
If your rat has passed the test, you can FINALLY take her
outside. Stand at the doorway as she sits still and
sniffs. Let her sniff for a good ten to twenty minutes and
then take a few steps down your driveway (if you live in
the country and you have a long driveway, walk about a
city driveway's away, if it were decently long enough.).
Let's say that Fuzz Ball keeps climbing down, and she
doesn't have to go potty. Regardless if she needs to, or
not, she needs to stay on your shoulders. That's the
rules.
Outside doesn't mean running around carelessly at your
feet. It means shoulder surfing while you walk. When
she has an accident, tell her it's okay, go back into the
house, and put her away. There is no couch time when
accidents happen. Train her outside again in about
twenty minutes, or whenever you have time to try again.
Okay, now your friend has learned to stay put outside.
Try walking around the yard. If she stays, use praise. If
she tries climbing down again, she goes home with no
couch time and no treats.
However, each time she climbs down DOESN'T MEAN that
she wants to play outside on her own. She MAY be
telling you that she has to go potty. WHENEVER she
climbs down, OFFER THE POTTY ASPECT! If you
remember to do this, you will have a rat that either
doesn't like to, or knows better than to make accidents
on your shoulders and back.
Fuzz Ball gets three strikes on the Potty Aspect. When
she fails to go potty on the every strike, she goes straight
home-no couch time, no treats-even if she behaved on
the shoulder aspect. She needs to know that the only
way she gets to go down, it is strictly for potty breaks
ONLY.
Once it's been suceeded that you can walk around with
no strikes, you can now walk around freely, wherever you
please.
Athena, my newest family member, chitters her teeth
contently on walks. It's almost constant, until she can
see our house again. I don't exactly call it "annoying,"
for she is happy to go out. I'm happy to see her happy.
Through this strict training, Fuzz Ball may end up doing
the same thing, causing you and her to have a happy,
healthy (well, on YOUR part...)walk.
Happy Trails!
Time to Play Dentist!
This trick is VERY easy. Simply place something sweet
on your lips to teach Snowball how to kiss you. If he
uses his teeth, instead of licking it off of your lips, tell
him "no" very strictly and gently grab his neck fluff, like
a mother rat would do to move him about. DO NOT
SHAKE HIM!! Just lift him straight up to your eye level
and look him in the eye very seriously.
Feel free to shake your finger in front of his nose in your
process of punishing him. The wind from the "angry
finger" doesn't exactly cause harm, but it acts as a
"threat" to watch it, or you might accidently get hit.
However, no matter what the consequences, DO NOT HIT
YOUR RAT!!! Hitting your rat causes fear towards the
hand, and it COULD lead to retraining that the hand is
trustworthy, as well as plenty of his re-learning, his
already-learned tricks. Rats may be social, but when one
turns ruff on another, they get agressive in order to feel
safe again.
The "angry finger" is only a slight fear toward your
friend, and in result, they can quickly notice that it means
that you are the boss, and you mean business. Moving
on to your kiss.
Keep trying to show Snowball that you are trying to make
him lick your lips. When he finally understands, give him
praise and lots of petting with one hand, as you smudge
the sweet treat all over your teeth.
This time, open your lips, but keep your teeth clenched.
It may feel weird, but he'll probably try to grab your
teeth with his at first, but then he'll realize that those
white things are not coming out, and he might as well go
back to the licking process.
After he learns that he can clean your teeth ONLY on your
command (so they don't turn into Athena's bad habit of
trying to "pry" her way into my mouth for nothing but the
plaque on my teeth...), Snowball can now work on the
tops and bottoms of your teeth, as well as the back
areas, where sometimes our toothbrushes cannot get to!
He has now learned to be the best back-tooth cleaner you
can ever own!
With a bit of patience and trust, he can also get to your
tongue, and start cleaning that up! Underneath, though,
they do not understand the use of the tissue underneath,
that connects the tongue to the bottom of our mouths,
and they end up nipping it. Don't punish them harshly,
but a tap of the finger will let your friend know that it
hurt you. Have a pleasent day of Dentistry! RACH
