Anyone Tried Clicker Training?

[Kessaria]

Here's a link to an article about clicker training rats:

http://www.feycat.net/blue-velvet/clicker_training_rats.html

I have two new 4-6ish week old girlies that I plan to clicker train as soon as I get them to properly trust me.   One is very trusting and inquisitive but the other is quite shy.  I bought a little keychain clicker from petco that I'll be using.  Basically, I want to journal my experiences and progress.  I was wondering if anyone else had tips or would like to try this on their own!  

What cute things would you like to see your rattie do on command?  

[Alex M.]

My rats are clicker-trained to come to the tsk-tsk sound made with teeth and tongue.  Of course we trained them/rewarded them with food and reinforced it by alternating food and petting once they got the hang of it.  The response is dramtic, and even the shyest will come running.

We've not trained them to do many other "tricks" although Jacob and Jupp used to push a big ball up a ramp in the old apartment, and Minnie has a great jumping trick he does.  I've read lots about rats putting balls into baskets and choosing the correct door out of several and ringing bells and such things, all would be very cute, if not very practical.  Best of all, IMO rats, like dogs, love the interaction of being "worked with" and will really get alot out of your training.

My two suggestions would be make sure your clicker is not too loud (IMO dog clickers are) and use only tiny bits of treat for rewards so they don't fill up or get distracted.  You probably want to start small and work up so no one (you or the rats) gets discouraged.

Keeping a journal is a great idea, be sure to take lots of pictures and keep the board updated, too.

[EaglesEye Rattery]

I have trained soem of my rats but havn't used a clicker (Like what is used for dogs and other animals).  Personally these are too loud to be used to anmals and verbalpraise works just as well!

I teach them commands by showing them what I want them to do then praise and treat them  (Give them a small treat).  I'm a dog trainer so I train rats how I train dogs and it has worked just fine!!!

                                   Em~

[knuckles]

not officially, but......

when I started using a clicker to train the dog, the rats quickly learned that the sound of the clicker meant dog treats.  And if they looked really cute, they got treats too.

And the dog learned really fast that when I "chirped" at the rats, they got treats.  So if he behaved himself and sat nicely, I would give him a treat too.  (good thing they all like the same things, like carrots, grapes, brocilli, dog food etc)

So my son did his science fair project on training rats how to run a maze.   We did us a modified clicker technique of "chirping" when they were going to right direction.  Whether it speed up the learning process or not, I don't know, but it sure seemed to.  hmmmm.....maybe that could be another experiment.

Oh, I have heard that there are little bitty clickers that you can get that aren't as loud for little rattie ears.