Friday Fun: 15 Incredible Rat Tricks

March 15, 2013

Friday Fun: 15 Incredible Rat Tricks

I LOVE this! Nami and Pepper are very lucky rats to have such a wonderful person, Abby, taking care of them. I wish all pets were so lucky! Abby has clicker trained them to do a bunch of tricks—some tricks are pretty lengthy or complex. The diving for peas trick is awesome. (Instead of a clicker, Abby, clucks her tongue to mark the behavior she wants from the rats.) I also love Abby’s DIY props for the different tricks—cute and clever.

Abby and her rats’ relationship is so much richer because of this training. Her rats have learned to pay closer attention to her and they have much more interesting & stimulating lives than if they just sat in a cage all the time. And I’m sure Abby has a deeper understanding of her rats since she’s had to think about what they’re capable of and how to communicate with them. So cool!

http://youtu.be/1A07gDVLe14

December 5, 2012

Outstanding Cat Agility Video!

Oh, hell yeah! I. Love. This. Kid! Puff, Cashmere, and Flicker are 3 of the luckiest cats to have Daniel as their person. He has done an incredible job clicker training them and as a result, is keeping their brains sharp & their bodies fit. I love the effort he’s put into his equipment too. Daniel even has site with cat training tips called Cattrainingtips. What a neat young man!

March 23, 2012

Friday Fun: Cat Tricks, Bouncy Yorkie, Great Slide

Moogly the Bengal cat shows off his mad skilz. Clicker training rawks!

Must. See. Hamster.

Very patient Great Dane. Very cute Basenji.

September 23, 2011

Friday Fun: Who’s Smarter–Dog Or Sheep?

Great illustration of what’s possible with clicker training! I am impressed!!

March 9, 2011March 9, 2011

Training Tip: Preparing Your Dog for Veterinary Visits

Great, great advice on how to help your dog have a better visit to your vet! Alena Van Arendonk from Canines In Action in Indianapolis has an excellent post on what you can do to make visits to the vet less frightening for your dog.(thanks Margaret!) I really like her description of being a training opportunist—taking advantage of a situation to teach your dog. Teaching your dog to get on and off something will make it so much easier to get them on a scale or a low exam table. Can you imagine what it’s like for vet techs to wrestle 50+ lbs. dogs onto the scale all day long? Teach your dog to do it herself and your vet tech will love you—so will your dog!

Some of Alena’s suggestions include training while you’re waiting for the vet and training before you ever get there. The idea of short visits to the vet’s office when you don’t have an appointment is also great. You can just go into the lobby, get your dog to sit, lie down, etc. and give treats. If the scale is accessible, work on on & off. It’ll help for your dog to have more positive associations with the vet.

Saffron became terrified of the scale at our vet’s office. The furnace turned on while she was on it and air suddenly blew out of the vent right into her face. That was enough to scare her so badly that it was almost impossible to get her on the scale ever again. So, I started randomly visiting our vet and if they weren’t too busy, Saffron & I would work on her fear of the scale. It took a while, but she got over it and now when we get to the vet, she walks right over to the scale and plunks her butt down. Help your dog cope better with a trip to the vet and do some training ahead of time!