Rat Training

Book excerpt: The ultimate survivors that have flourished in the most difficult of circumstances, rats have a long history of being the smartest rodent in the room! Rats are growing more and more popular as pets for adults and children alike. Having raised and trained rats for over forty years, Miriam Fields-Babineau, in her book Rat Training, teaches rat owners to harness that intelligence through a reward and clicker system of training. An avid proponent of reward-based positive-training techniques, the author explains how to create a successful learning environment for your rat as you teach him how to come on command, jump through a hoop, walk on a leash, stand on his hind legs, and much more. Illustrated with color photographs by Evan Cohen and Virginia Broitman, Rat Training includes tips on what to look for when buying a rat, how to care for your new pet, and how to acclimate your rat to other household pets. In the chapter called "Rat Manner," the author describes how rats think and their social organizations and behavior. Fields-Babineau has trained rats for various purposes, including working in movies, and her chapter called "The Great Rat Race" describes the demands of rat shows and acting careers for rats. The chapter called "Scurry and Hurry" is devoted to agility training and trick training (such as shoulder riding). Resources and glossary included.