Easy Step-by-Step Guide
Step One – Hold the treat (I use dried meal worms!) in your
fingers and show your rat that you have it! Clear the area of any distractions, no other
rats or anything that can change the direction of your rat’s attention!
By breaking down this trick into two steps, it makes it much easier for your Rat to follow!
Step Two – 180 Spin - Whilst your rat is paying attention,
because they know you have treats, run the treat around the back of the rat (
they should follow your fingers with the treat ) and stop when they are facing
the other way!
Make sure you are giving some kind of command and your rat
will learn that this noise or word means treat and eventually you will not
have to use the treat to initiate the spin!
Repeat step 2 multiple times, you may have to just do this
step over the course of a week depending on how long it takes your rat to pick
up on it! Eventually you should notice your rat spinning around before you have
even lead them with the treat! This is when you can move onto step 3!
Step Three - 360 Spin – Once you have taught your rat the 180
spin, you are going to want to teach them the full 360 spin! When you pull the
treat around the back of the rat, keep going all the way back around to the
front.
Your rat may be slightly confused and only stop half way (which
is hilarious!) and you will need to prompt them to turn the full circle! Again,
you may notice they are performing the spin before you have even said the
command, they are very smart!
Step Four - Remove the treat all together and just use the
command to initiate the trick but do not forget to reward them with a treat
after they have done the trick, you will no longer need the treat to initiate
the spin, but you should always reward them at the end.
If you are planning to use this trick daily as enrichment,
change the treat to something much healthier so your rat does not end up obese
in the long run!
Once you have figured out what your command or initiating
movement is, you can practice it without the treat and eventually you will have
a spinning rat!
Tip: Whilst teaching your rat to spin, start by leading the
treat low to the ground around the rat, and over time turn it into a small
spinning hand movement and you will not even need a command!
Please feel free to contact me if this step-by-step guide
works for you!
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Small Furries 2019 Extended Diploma In Animal Management
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