How to Train Pet Rats

Rats are intelligent creatures

Rats are some of the most intelligent animals that are a breeze to train. You can train pet rats with a little patience, a couple of props and plenty of treats. The key to training a rat is repetition. Once the rat learns a certain behavior will merit him a reward, he’ll be willing to perform that behavior again and again. You can train pet rats with a few simple steps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Small bell
• Treats

1. Get a small bell that you ring every time you want the rat to do something. At first the rat will most likely hear the bell and just sit there. You may luck out with a curious chap who will actually come out to see what the bell’s about, in which case half your work is done.

2. Ring the bell and give your rat a treat. Each time you treat your rat, ring the bell so he associates the bell ringing with movement and a positive reward.

3. Ring the bell, wait for the rat to emerge and come to you, then give your rat a treat. At this point you want him to understand the bell means to perform some type of action. Coming to you for a treat is a very simple action that can be expanded upon for more elaborate tricks.

4. Ring the bell as you say the rat’s name. Make sure to enunciate the name clearly, repeat it in a sing-song way or somehow make it stand out from other words your rat may hear. Once the rat starts responding to his name, you can use his name as another cue without the bell. Now you have two methods to get your rat to come to you or entice him into some type of action.

5. Expand to other tricks. These tips offer very simple training techniques and ones that can be used for a variety of other tricks. Once your rat learns that the bell means action and he comes when called, you can train him to bring you items in his mouth, walk from one arm to another, run across the room when called or whatever else you’d like to try.

Tips & Warnings

• Train your rat from his cage until he has both the bell and his name down pat. Then expand it to other environments.

• Good treats for rats include very small pieces of cheese, corn, banana, broken dog biscuits or other treats you would normally feed canines.

• Rats also love mazes. You can construct your own out of wood or even tall cardboard and guide him through it by ringing the bell down the corridors you want him to run through.

• Rolly balls are good fun for rats and, once he’s inside it, you can have him running from one end to the room to the other by calling his name.

• Clapping your hands is another good cue to use for training pet rats.

• Don't use rolly balls near staircases.

• Steer clear of meat chunks as treats. Your finger resembles a meat chunk and you don’t need him to start noshing on your fingertip thinking it a tasty morsel.