What Can I Train My Rat to Do?

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 Simple Tricks

  • Responding to name- use your pets name often, whenever you hold then and give them affection. When you walk over to their cage and they come to the door use their name in a greeting and give them a treat. When you start to train your rat to respond to their name give them treats when the react to the name.
  • Standing on back legs when commanded- say stand and lift your hand up with rat treats only just out of reach of your rat. They will stand on their hind legs to try and reach the treat. At that point give them the treat. Then when your rat is accustomed to this try it without a treat. Then start saying "stand" without the hand motion.
  • Litter training-Find the corner of the cage where your rats tend to go to the bathroom. Now put a small rodent litter box with rodent litter inside. Multiple times a day pick up the pieces they have left around the cage and place it back in the litter box. At the end of the day empty it and put one or two pieces of poop in the litter so that they still know to go there.
  • Shaking a paw with your hand/finger-Lift a treat up similar to the position for standing and when they go up on their hind legs put a finger below one of your rats paws. Do this multiple times. Now try it by just putting your finger out. If they go and put a paw up reward them.
  • Jumping through hoops-Put a hoop on the ground and lure your rat through with a treat. Gradually take away the treat. Begin to raise the hoop, if your rat does not continue to jump through the hoop reintegrate the treats.
  • Rats can learn to return to the cage-Similar to teaching your rat to respond to its name, you will call your rats name when you are at its cage. If your rat comes reward them.
  • Stay-when it comes to training your rat to stay a clicker as well as treats can be useful. Put them on your shoulder when you are sitting on your bed or a couch-somewhere soft. When your rat stays for a second or two click the clicker while giving your rat a treat. Repeat this multiple times until they can do it with just the clicker. 
  • Ride on shoulder-Place them on your shoulder and use the stay command you have taught them!


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