Most people know clicker training as a way to train dogs, but in fact it can also be used on smaller animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and mice.
All you need is a clicker, a target stick and the animal’s favourite treat to provide motivation.
Make sure the treats are healthy so the animal doesn’t become fat. The animals learn that they will receive a reward immediately after the click. The target stick is then introduced into the training as a kind of pointing stick. “The animal should learn to touch it in order to get a click noise and thus a reward,” says veterinarian Isabel Mueller, author of “Clicker Training for Rabbits, Guinea Pigs & Co.”
So how exactly does it work? First you hold the target stick in front of the animal, so that it has to stretch to touch the small ball. When it touches it, you click and reward your animal. Then you hold the stick a little further away so that the animal has to take a step forward to touch the stick.
It’s important to adapt the exercises to the animal’s species, age and possible restrictions. Since conventional clickers are mostly designed for dogs, some small animals can be frightened by the loud sound. “In this case it is advisable to purchase a clicker with an adjustable volume,” says Mueller. You can also reduce the noise by putting the clicker in your pocket.
It’s important never to use force and to pay attention to signals from the animal, says animal welfare expert Tasso Griep. If, for example, the animal seeks closeness to their owner as soon as they click, then it is interested.
“But if it turns away and tries to hide, it’s better to leave it alone and not stress it out,” says Griep. Animals shouldn’t be disturbed at times when they are usually resting, but rather when they are active anyway. “In addition, the environment in which you train should be safe,” emphasizes Griep. For example, the animals should not come into contact with electrical cables or poisonous plants.
“Clicker training can be a very positive experience for animals and their owners,” says Astrid Behr, spokeswoman for the Federal Association of Practising Veterinarians in Frankfurt am Main. For the training to be successful, it should be carried out playfully and above all regularly, ideally in a few 15-minute sessions a day. And the trainer should be relaxed. “If you are stressed, you’ll transfer this attitude to the animals as well”. – dpa
