How to Shoulder Train a Pet Rat

It might surprise you, but rats are good pets. Not only are they fairly easy to take care of, but they're intelligent animals who learn quickly. One easy trick is to train your rat to sit on your shoulder as you walk around.

Things You'll Need

• Clicker
• Treats

Instructions

1. Buy a clicker. You can find these at the pet store, or you can use the lid from a Snapple bottle. Clicker training is the easiest, but you can do it without a clicker.

2. Have your rat's favorite treats handy for some positive reinforcement.

3. Place your rat on one of your shoulders. If you're right-handed, you may want to put your rat on your left shoulder so your pet is easier to grab in case it starts to move.

4. Leave the rat on your shoulder. If it stays, click the clicker and give your pet a treat. If the rat tries to get down, say "no" and put it back on your shoulder.

5. Try walking with your rat on your shoulder if your pet has done well staying in one place. Have someone walk behind you the first couple of times you do this in case your rat tries to jump down.

6. Build the time your rat spends on your shoulder. Remove the rat yourself. Don't let your pet get down from your shoulder on its own, or it will think it can climb down whenever it wants.

7. Practice this a couple of times with your rat and it will soon be shoulder trained.

Tips & Warnings

• The first couple of times you put your rat on your shoulder, keep one hand close in case the rat tries to jump or climb down. You don't want your pet to fall.

• You can train your pet rat with just the clicker or just treats, but using both together tells the rat that it's doing the right thing.

• Some rats take longer than others to catch on to shoulder training. Be patient and keep practicing.