Teach your dog to pay attention to you before you introduce him to your rat. Always reinforce good behavior.
ALL PETS CAN LEARN TO GET ALONG AND LIVE TOGETHER within a peaceable household kingdom, but harmony depends totally on you, your training of each animal, your diligent observation, and your understanding of each animal’s unique acclimation time. If you choose to own a menagerie, take the time to first prepare each member and then maintain the simple rules of management.
Let’s begin with preparing your other pets, the dog and the cat, to live harmoniously with your rat. Only when you’re certain that those larger animals won’t make lunch out of Ben should you introduce him to them (and some of you may never feel certain). Your naturally curious and cautious rodent will quickly accept your other animals provided he doesn’t receive any threatening vibes. But no matter what your level of comfort is, never allow your animals to interact without close supervision.
This cat hardly notices his more curious rat companion.
Most dogs will easily learn to accept rats as housemates as long as they don’t have any bad experiences. However, you will need to teach your dog to behave with this added distraction. The focus of this book permits only a brief description of the training your dog should get—at the very least, you should teach Fido to remain in a sit or down-stay even in the event that a scurrying creature shoots up his leg and perches on top of his head. Until you can count on that obedient response, Fido could react by sending Brer Rat flying with a forceful toss of his head. Not a great way to start a relationship!
You will begin by luring your dog into position; then, click and reward when he does what you wish and work on shaping the behavior into a faster and stronger response.
Show your dog a treat. When he goes for it, click or say “Good dog!” and give him the treat. Repeat this four or five times.
Hold the treat between Fido’s eyes, and lure him into looking upward. As he looks up, his rear end will go down. Praise, or click and give him a treat. Repeat this four or five times, then add the cue “Fido, sit.” When he does so, praise and reward.
Gradually increase the amount of time he must remain sitting prior to praising or clicking. This will help teach Fido patience as well as how to stay in the sitting position. The increments should be 3–5 seconds. Dogs don’t require the same split-second timing that a rat requires.
When Fido can remain in a sit for at least 10 seconds, add the cue “Fido, stay.” Gradually increase each stay time. If he should get up before you’ve rewarded him, lure him back into position, and greatly shorten the amount of time you make him stay. Then gradually lengthen it again.
Your dog should be reliable for at least 1 minute of sit and stay before you introduce him to Ben and Ira. It’s also a good idea to put Fido on a leash during these initial greetings. You need some way to control Fido when you present him with something he might consider a moving meal.
Once you have taught Fido to sit and stay, he’s ready to learn how to lie down and stay. This is a very important behavior, since dogs can maintain a longer stay in the down position, and it’s harder for dogs to scramble to their feet when they are lying down than when they are sitting.
Again, prior to introducing Ben and Ira, make certain Fido is comfortable with maintaining a down-stay for a couple of minutes. Use a leash in case of an emergency, such as “I can’t possibly stay here a moment longer with that little rascal cavorting all over my body.”
It will take some time for Fido to fully accept Ben and Ira. Don’t rush things. Begin with small increments, and build on the success of these instead of leaving anything to chance.
This is potentially the more difficult situation because cats are notorious, natural rodent exterminators. Telling a cat to hold still when a meal on wheels is nearby simply might be too much to demand of any self-respecting cat. Few cats can learn to ignore such fair game—that would be tantamount to asking a teenager to ignore a hand-held gaming system loaded with the latest shoot-’em-up.
The best tack to take with cats and rats is separation. Don’t leave them together—especially not loose—when you aren’t present. If Fluffy manages to get into the rat room, at least Ben and Ira will be safe in their cages. A proper rat cage won’t allow Fluffy to penetrate it with more than a claw, and as your rats may be curious about that claw, Fluffy might learn that intruding claws receive protruding teeth, a valuable lesson.
If you insist on trying to make friends out of Fluffy and Ben, you will need to place some form of restraint on your cat. A body harness would be best. However, keep in mind that a harness won’t stop Fluffy from reaching out with those quick, clawed paws. In the case of rats and cats, precaution is best.
Be extra alert when introducing your rat to your cat. Note that kittens are generally more accepting of rats than are older felines.
As with any interaction among animals, there is always a risk of conflict resulting in possible injury. Many reliable sources do not recommend interactions between birds and rats, but in my years of training, I have had few if any problems. They generally steer clear of each other. Then again, Petey the rat might be great stimulation for Tweety the bird. After all, they like to play with the same kinds of toys. Additionally, unless Tweety is a hawk, owl, or other meat-eating bird, neither animal will wish to make lunch of the other. As both pets require a lot of stimulation, they can offer each other great companionship. Should Tweety be a talking bird, he will most likely learn rat lingo in no time.
Both Tweety and Petey can learn to perform all sorts of new behaviors in much the same way—using positive reinforcement and shaping techniques. For each behavior you wish to teach, break the ultimate goal into smaller, discrete, achievable steps. As your pet accomplishes each minor goal, begin to string them together using behavior chaining. This means that you require your pet to perform more than one behavior in order to earn the click and reward. With consistency and patience, you will reach your goals with both pets.
As you have learned, rats fit into almost any household. Even if you have cats, there are ways to ensure the safety of the animals while enjoying their company. You must take the time to acclimate the animals to each other with caution and constant observation. Make certain that those animals that might harm Ben and Ira are harnessed and controlled before you expose them to your rats. The meeting should be a positive experience. Follow the steps I’ve outlined below to help teach the animals that the presence of the other brings great rewards—from you.
You can also use the same procedures with a cat or bird. However, understand that cats (and terrier-breed dogs) have very powerful prey drives against rodents. Begin the introduction from a distance at which the presence of the rat doesn’t trigger a strong reaction. As your larger pet learns to not react to Ira’s presence, bring him a step closer. With each increment, continually praise and reward your larger pet. Your rat will probably not react to the other animal until he is very close. If Ben hasn’t had a bad experience with Fido, he will not react fearfully when introduced—unless he sees big teeth chomping in his direction.
The moment you see your larger pet show a bit of interest in Ben, observe the reaction carefully. Does Fido look back to you for reinforcement? Or is Ben a more reinforcing reward? Make certain that you are offering Fido a higher-value choice. If a bit of kibble isn’t more interesting than rat meat, try using cheese or freeze-dried liver. If your pet shows too much interest in Ben, have the person holding the rat back up a few steps to the point at which your larger pet showed more interest in you than in a rat chase. Work at this distance for a while until Fido or Fluffy would rather pay attention to you.
You will need to spend several training sessions of about a half hour each to gradually acclimate Fido to Ben and Fluffy to Ira. If you are working with Tweety and Petey, it may not require as much acclimation time, especially if you keep their cages in visual proximity to each other.
Even when you have successfully brought larger pets close enough to your rat to fully see and smell each other, you still need to continually monitor the larger animal’s behavior while in the presence of the rodent. When you see your dog or cat turn his attention away from your rat and back to you, click and reward every time. You are in the process of conditioning Fido and Fluffy to come to you for rewards instead of seeking the self-rewarding behavior of making a meal of Ben. Instinctive behavior is very difficult to redirect, so you must be diligent and consistent. Even the slightest turn of the head in your direction should be rewarded.
Now we get to some fun things to do with Fido and Ben. Don’t try these things with Fluffy and the rat. Cats are very fast, and unless you are a professional trainer with quick reflexes, it is far too risky to work the animals together.
Now that Fido and Ben are friends, you can work with them together and teach them some fun tricks. Fido can learn to lie still with Ben walking on him, and Ben can learn to ride around on Fido (provided Fido is not racing around the yard). In fact, Ben can learn to ride around on anything; a dog is just another means of transportation, the rodent version of an extreme sport.
Place the cloth in a secure area of the remote-controlled vehicle.
Allow your rat to investigate the new toy.
Let’s begin with teaching Ben to “drive.” Now, one must have a license to ride the big wheels. We’ll begin with earning the learner’s permit with a small wagon. Once your rat has earned his permit, we’ll give him the experience he needs to ride in the driver’s seat. When he’s very good at remaining in his seat as the vehicle is moving, he’ll be ready to learn to ride the elephant (Fido).
You’ll need a small wagon for this training exercise. A manually operated wheeled vehicle is best in the beginning. You can control the movement and speed while keeping an eye on Ben. Line the bed of the wagon with a nonslip material that your rat can grip to prevent him from sliding around. Ben will not like riding around with you if he’s sliding all over his seat. In fact, he might become very frightened. Try using a bathtub mat or rubber-backed carpet. This will give your rat traction while offering him a soft seat.
Now for the easiest part of the game. Simply place your rat in the wagon and give him a little food. Pull him forward a few feet. Click and give him another morsel of food. Gradually increase the distance you pull between each click and reward. Now Ben has learned that riding around in a wagon is pretty fun and earns him lots of rewards.
The next step is to teach Ben to remain at a specific spot while riding around. This is called staying on a mark. The mark can be a piece of cloth or a piece of tape that is a different color from the overall surface. Whatever the material, make certain it stands out from the surrounding area in both color and texture.
We need to shape your rat into remaining in this one spot, or staying on the mark, on your cue. This must be done very gradually and will be far more time consuming than just riding around. But the training is worthwhile because of what you will have to look forward to: once Ben understand stay on the mark, you can have him do this anywhere. Remember how we went over this in order to have your rat ride safely on your shoulder? It’s the same concept, only the rat is not on you but on a vehicle that you control.
Ben will soon learn to go to the mark for his reward. He might even go there without your giving the specific cue of tapping the spot. When he does so, it is time to teach him to remain in that spot for a short period. On his arrival, make him wait a couple seconds, then click and give him his treat. Gradually increase the amount of time he is to wait for his click and reward.
Move the mark to the seat of a remote-controlled vehicle. I’d suggest a truck so that there’s plenty of space for Ben to sit safely. Teach your rat to go to the driver’s seat when you tap the surface. As he is already familiar with the tap, meaning to come, and the mark as the destination he is to reach, the transition should be fairly easy.
Now that your rat knows how to sit still in the driver’s seat, it’s time to get moving. At first, stay very close to the remote-controlled vehicle in case your rat decides that he doesn’t much care for motoring down the hallway. If he shows signs of stress or tries to dismount, you must be there to either lure him back onto his mark or redirect him into another behavior. Otherwise, the rat will develop a very negative attitude toward driving and run in the opposite direction when he sees those wheels.
Begin any movement manually until your rat acclimates to the motion. Remain close and offer lots of reinforcement during the initial test drives.
We’re now ready for the truck rally.
When Ben is staying comfortably in his spot, manually move the little car forward about 6 inches. If he remains on board, click and give him a reward. Repeat this step until Ben is riding along as though he were born to drive. Then manually move the vehicle about a foot at a time. Try to maintain a smooth motion as your rat is sure to dislike jerky stops and starts. He won’t look forward to training sessions filled with whiplash.
Now that Ben is comfortable riding around a couple feet at a time, you can begin using the remote control from a great distance. Be certain to follow along, however, so that you can click and reward often. If Ben doesn’t feel that the ride is worth the rewards, he’ll promptly exit the vehicle. I also suggest that you maintain a very slow speed. Your rat isn’t wearing a helmet and safety goggles, nor is he strapped in with a seat belt. Be safe. Be courteous, and watch where you steer. All it takes is one mishap, and you may never get your rat to drive again.
Ben can easily make the transition from riding on a remote-controlled vehicle to riding on Fido (as long as all possible safety precautions are employed). The main focus of your training in this exercise will be Fido. Will he accept walking around with Ben on his head or shoulders? You might want to try this with a small stuffed toy first. This will give your dog a chance to acclimate to carrying something while he moves around. Once he accepts this, the rat will not be much of an issue, especially if Fido gets lots of clicks and treats.
You can initially use a toy or cloth marker to get Fido used to having something on his back. The cloth will also teach your rat to remain in place.
Begin by putting Ben’s movable mark on your dog. You might need to anchor it at Fido’s collar so that the mark is attached and available for Ben to cling to while Fido is ambling about. Rats have a very good grip, so this shouldn’t be an issue, especially if the mark is made of cloth. Instead of allowing Ben to crawl to his mark on Fido, you should place him in position, then click and reward as he settles in.
Begin with the simple click and reward as Ben remains on Fido, on his mark. Gradually increase the amount of time between the clicks, teaching Ben to remain in place for longer and longer periods. When he is staying for more than two minutes, it’s time to begin walking Fido around a bit.
Once everyone is ready, it’s time to go for a (slow) ride.
Keep your dog on a leash during these beginning stages. Closely monitor the situation, and be ready to take hold of Ben before he falls or tries to leave his seat while Fido’s still in motion. Again, your rat’s not wearing a seat belt, so you must be there to help. You’ll also want to keep Fido at a slow pace at first. Both Fido and Ben are still acclimating to the situation and each other.
As Fido and Ben get to know each other and enjoy each other’s company, there’s no end to the adventures. I’m certain that with a little imagination you can come up with some new ideas for all of your pets.