How to Train Hamsters to Do Tricks
Hamsters are small rodents that are common household pets. In the wild, hamsters live in vast networks of tunnels and are very active and busy creatures, so it can be boring for them to be kept in a cage all day. You can teach your hamster some basic tricks to vary his day and provide an interesting distraction. A combination of clicker training, patience and plenty of treats can help you to successfully teach your hamster some tricks.
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Instructions
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1
Handle your hamster regularly so that he is comfortable with you and trusts you. If you do not already have a good bond with your hamster, it will be harder to train him.
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2
Choose a trick you want to teach your hamster. Some good choices would be "up," where your hamster stands on his hind legs; "come," where he comes to you from a short distance; and "spin," where your hamster spins in a circle.
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3
Encourage your pet to perform the action you have chosen using a treat, and give a verbal command. For instance, if you want to teach the "up" trick, hold the treat above your hamster's head and say "up." Your hamster should go up on his back legs to try to reach the treat.
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4
Give your hamster the treat and simultaneously click the clicker when your hamster has performed the trick. The sound of the clicker "marks" the trick as what got the hamster his reward.
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5
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 often so that your hamster will learn to associate the verbal command for the trick with the trick itself. Once you have done this, you will not need to encourage your pet using the treat. You should just be able to say the command and have your hamster do the trick you have taught him.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to find a food your hamster really loves and use it as a treat during training. This will motivate your hamster to learn the tricks. It is best better to use a healthy treat where possible.
Hamsters have a short attention span, so try to keep training sessions to five minutes at a time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit hamster image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com
