Training hamsters: proven methods and a list of tricks

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17.07.2018

Animals that carry out various commands always arouse increased interest in humans. Not only cats and dogs can be trained, but also rodents. Many breeders do not know how to train a hamster. The training of the dzhungarik is based on the actions that he performs independently.

What tricks can a hamster do?

When planning a hamster's training schedule, you should not include the ability to give a paw, run after a stick, or jump over a barrier. A hamster's brain is much smaller than that of a dog, cat or guinea pig. It is unlikely that he will master skills that are so different from his usual activities.

You shouldn’t underestimate the intelligence of animals either. A well-known expert in the rules of training, Karen Pryor, even got chickens to dance movements at a certain signal. The method of positive reinforcement works with any creature, from humans to hamsters.

It’s not difficult to figure out how to train a Syrian or Djungarian hamster, the main thing is your own knowledge and discipline.

Peculiarities of raising different breeds

Dzungarian

Aggressive, biting rodent. The temper of the Djungarians can only be curbed at a young age. When purchasing, make sure that you are purchasing a young hamster, otherwise the training will not be successful. Before you treat your dwarf with your hands, wash them thoroughly and rub them with litter from the cage. A familiar smell will reduce aggression. This breed of rodent has poor eyesight. They use smell and touch to explore the world. The Dzhungarik may lightly claw its owner for informational purposes. Don't scold him for biting him like that.

How to achieve success in training?

1. Age. For successful training, the age when the animal is most receptive to learning new skills is important. You can start training when the hamster is two weeks old. The most favorable age for training is up to 3 months. After three months, the hamster develops a behavioral pattern. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Dzungarian or Syrian, he will perceive training as bullying.
2. The most suitable time for training is the evening, when the pet is most active, has had a good night's sleep and had a light snack. You need to wait until the hamster gets enough sleep, climbs out of the nest and starts wandering around the cage. A sleepy creature that is forcibly awakened will not be responsive to new demands. You need to be attentive to the state of the animal: during periods of ill health, mating games and pregnancy, the hamster can be nervous and show aggression.
3. The trainer must be clean. Unfamiliar smells can distract or frighten a tiny student. Hamsters' sense of smell is well developed; they can easily smell fish, bleach or perfume on the hands and body of the owner.

We train correctly

If you decide to train your hamster, do it right. For training to give results and you can demonstrate your rodent’s skills to others, understand simple rules:

• Training of hamsters begins no earlier than two weeks of age and continues up to 2.5 months. During this period, the baby absorbs everything like a sponge and is inquisitive;
• If you start training a Djungarian or Syrian later, it will not bring results, because the baby will have to change habits;
• You can only exercise with a healthy hamster that is active. During illness, mating or pregnancy, rodents have no time for your tricks and performances, so leave them alone;
• Exercise with your pet in the evenings, since this is the time of their activity, they perceive information well;
• Train your baby on a moderately full stomach, because hunger is not the best stimulant. Hands must be clean so that foreign odors do not distract the baby from activities. What kind of activities are there if your finger smells so delicious of sausage!

The right start

It is impossible to teach a hamster difficult tricks if he does not trust his owner. How can you train a hamster at home if it is scared and has nowhere to run? The first and most important thing is to tame your pet. He should not be afraid of the owner, break out, hide and bite.

Calm behavior, careful care, treats, a pleasant smell and a quiet voice will help a person gain trust, and pretty soon the hamster will be willing to be held.

Important: even a small and defenseless baby hamster should not be picked up by force. If an animal bites and runs away, it means it is panicking. Fear destroys contact with the owner. You need to start acquaintance by offering a treat.

Let the animal first come up and eat next to your hand, then steal the treat from the edge of your palm, and gradually climb onto your hand. A trusting relationship between the owner and the pet will be the best stimulant for the animal.

Errors

It is important to eliminate errors so that possible problems are avoided. If you get too carried away with upbringing, you can discourage the animal from wanting to learn and make contact. Training a hamster is possible only within the framework of mutual joyful communication, otherwise contact can be lost forever.

You shouldn't punish your hamster, it won't help. A long hunger strike, and even more so physical punishment, will scare away your pet.

Strangers, animals, and strong odors can frighten the hamster and distract him from his activities.

Raising your voice at an animal is unacceptable.

Feeding your hamster to capacity before training is a big mistake. The animal will become sleepy and lose incentive to work.

You should not demand a higher education diploma from your furry pet. If you use training elements for pleasant communication with the animal, listen to its mood and do not frighten it, the hamster will probably master several tricks. Trained pets bring a lot of positive emotions, so it's worth exploring the talents of your furry friend.

Simple tricks

Simple tricks are available to almost every animal, the main thing is patience and regular practice.

1. Knowing your nickname. One of the most important skills is to recognize your name. If an animal comes when called, it is easy to find. Hamsters often run away and hide, so it is convenient if a hungry traveler crawls out of his hiding place to his owner in the hope of a snack. The hamster's name should be simple and short, easy to remember. You need to pronounce the chosen name as often as possible in a calm voice, especially in moments when the hamster is happy. If they pet him, feed him, and communicate with him, it is much easier for him to remember an unfamiliar word. If you say a name every time food is offered, the smart animal will remember it and will come out when called.
2. Run. A hamster can be taught to run in a circle if you offer it food and carefully move a piece of your favorite treat over the hungry animal. After two or three laps, be sure to give him a tasty treat, so he will gradually learn to run laps before feeding again.
3. Stand. Hamsters have the ability to stand on their hind legs, so simply teaching them to stand up on command is enough. To do this, you need to hold the treat over the animal. After waiting for him to get up to get his dinner, you need to say the command “Stop!” several times. After several trainings, the hamster will understand what they want from him. It is very important to reinforce successes with treats and praise the animal.

Learning more complex commands

More complex tricks include the commands “Ugh!”, “Find!”, “Jump!”.

To teach your pet to jump on command, you need to smoothly raise and lower the treat over his head, repeating the word.

When your pet does the wrong thing, bites or hisses, repeat the command “Ugh!” This trick needs to be constantly practiced.

To teach the command “Find!” we need a labyrinth. Place your rodent's favorite treat in it and send him looking for food. The command must be repeated constantly.

You can teach your pet to go through an obstacle course. Place ladders, cubes, and various pipes on his way. Move your hand with a piece of food in front of the hamster, and it will move along the desired trajectory. Over time, add obstacles, making it more difficult to pass the lane.

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Another interesting trick is lifting the barbell. It can be made from a straw, placing carrot pieces on the sides. The appetizing smell and your command will make your pet lift the barbell with his mouth.

A hamster can be taught to sit on your shoulder if it can sit on your palm. Bend one arm at the elbow, placing your favorite jungarik delicacy in the other. Place a piece on your shoulder and entice the rodent. He will climb up your hand to eat the treat. When the pet quickly performs this action, lure it with food, but do not leave it on your shoulder.

Some breeds of hamsters are very jumpy, so they can be trained to jump through hoops. It is better to use a hoop with a diameter of 7–10 cm, placing it a centimeter from the floor. The ring should separate the animal and the piece of food. This trick must be repeated daily.

If your pet easily performs tricks, combine them into one performance.

A trained hamster is quite a funny sight, but it takes a lot of time to train. Training must be done daily, repeating tricks periodically. Don't forget to praise your rodent, encourage him with kind words and encourage him with his favorite treat. Only by being patient can you achieve results.

Advanced tricks

In some cases, it is possible to teach a hamster more complex actions, but a significant part of lazy and cunning animals may refuse to learn.

In this case, there is no need to insist so as not to end up with an aggressive and biting pet.

1. Jump! Training for this command is similar to the previous one. By making your hamster jump for a treat, you can gradually accustom him to the “Jump” command. This funny skill can be beneficial for an animal prone to weight gain, but you should still not overuse jumping on command.
2. Ugh! Knowing this command can be useful for the hamster. If he doesn’t listen, tries to eat something harmful or climb into something he shouldn’t, he needs to say “Ugh!” and limit his actions.
3. Sit on your shoulder. You need to start with shoulder feeding. The owner must remain still and calm at this time. The hamster needs to be placed on your shoulder and held with your hand so that the animal feels safe while it eats. If the animal is uncomfortable, gets nervous and tries to get off, you need to immediately return it to the nest, as the most comfortable place for it. Over time, the hamster will begin to willingly climb onto your shoulder.
4. Coup. If you put a flat slice of apple on the animal’s back, it will first have to roll over onto its back and then stand up on its paws. Sometimes it is possible to consolidate this trick with an animal.
5. Hoop and barrier. A jumping jungarik can be taught to jump through a hoop. A hamster jumping circle approximately 5 cm in diameter is secured in front of the desired treat. The height should be about one cm, otherwise the cunning animal will simply crawl under the hoop. In the same way, you can teach the animal to jump over a small obstacle with the command “Barrier”. The Syrian hamster jumps low. If he does not show a tendency to jump, it is better to offer him another activity.

We accustom the fluffy to hands

It is very exciting and touching when a pet comes into your arms for the first time. It even brings tears to the eyes of the owners! Sometimes you come across amazingly sociable and friendly hamsters, who themselves jump on your palm on the very first day (they are more common among Syrian and Caucasian hamsters). But the vast majority of Djungarian hamsters remain wild for a long time.

Here are detailed instructions that will help you learn how to accustom your dzhungarik and other breeds of fluffies to your hands.

Treat your pet with something tasty

At first, this should be done when the animal is in a cage. Invite your furball to take treats from your hand on its own. Take a nut, dried fruit, or grain with your thumb and forefinger, and fold the rest into a fist. Put your hand into the cage slowly. If a treat smells good and is not part of your hamster's daily diet, he will be tempted and snatch the treat right from your fingers with his tiny paws!

This stage needs to be consolidated. You should offer your home goodies every day, preferably at the same time - this will make it easier to tame the animal. If the hamster quite willingly takes food from your hands, you can move on to the next stage of training.

Feed your hamster outside the cage

By the time it “goes out into the world” the hamster will already be convinced of the safety of its cage. But what awaits beyond its borders? Your task is to convince the pet that it is also calm outside, there are goodies and the gentle hands of the owner.

The homa should be removed from the cage carefully. At first, you can get the animal sitting in the house. This option is ideal for those who have a cage with only a top door. The main thing is to cover the entrance to the shelter and the windows so that the hamster does not jump out and hurt himself. Many owners are interested in the question: is it possible to grab a hamster by the scruff of the neck when taking it out of the cage? In fact, the tiny creature will not like such treatment; it will hurt him. He will squeak and try to bite the offender. It’s better to put your palms together into a boat and calmly get the animal.

To tame your hamster, stock up on treats. Ideal for:

• banana chips;
• biscuits and drying;
• nuts;
• dried apples;
• dog-rose fruit;
• raisin.

Attention! Never give your animal shortbread or waffles. Fatty and overly sweet foods are harmful to their health.

The treat must be divided into small pieces so that the animal can hold them in its tiny paws. You can train your hamster to take food from your hands in the following way: place your furry pet on a bed or table, and place your palm with a treat next to it. Since the animal is already accustomed to you, it will willingly take the treat and eat it.

Teach you to eat from your hand

At first, the homa will take food from his palm, walk away a little and eat. In this case, you need to increase the portion: the pet, knowing that the treat is still left, will soon eat near your hand. Therefore, the next stage in your relationship is complete taming.

To tame your hamster, place the treat not in the center of your hand, as before, but on the edge, which is further away from the fluffy one. The pet will have to climb into your palm to pick up the treat. At first, the funny animal will repeat the trick of running away. But then he realizes that the owner’s palm is a warm and safe place. As a result, he will start eating right from your hands!

Soon after this, you can hug your pet, lightly covering his back with your hand, gently stroking his fur. This manipulation must be carried out on a bed or while sitting at a table (the distance from the palm on which the animal is sitting to the floor or other surface should be minimal) - this is a kind of safety technique. To prevent the animal from getting scared, bring your covering hand from the back.

Over time, the fluffy will express a desire to sit on the handle even in the absence of treats. From this moment on, you can consider that you have tamed the hamster - and you can slowly begin training.

Basic rules of training

When answering the question of how to train a Syrian or Djungarian hamster at home, experts ask to take into account a number of factors.

Physical condition of the animal

If the hamster has health problems that cause discomfort to the animal, then the exercises are likely to end in failure. Also, learning abilities decrease during estrus or mating of animals.

Times of Day

Hamsters are nocturnal animals, so the best time for training is in the evening . As soon as the pet begins to crawl out of its bed and lazily stroll around the enclosure, you can safely start working with it.

Satiety

Before training, make sure that the hamster is not hungry, otherwise foreign odors will distract him. Beware of overfeeding, because as you know, “a full belly is deaf to learning!”

Confidence

If the hamster has only recently come into the family and is not yet accustomed to the hands and new owners, then attempts to teach it new commands will be in vain. Before the training process, you need to build a trusting relationship with the animal and educate it. Contact is best established through hand feeding.

Age

The appropriate age for training a hamster is considered to be 1 - 3 months , because a young animal learns and retains information better than an adult.