Fetch From A Purse
Props:
Setup: Place the weight inside the purse to prevent it from sliding around. Next, tie the string piece onto the purse zipper. This will give your rat more leverage when pulling and help ease the training of this trick. Pre-Requisite: Your rat must already know how to fetch before training this trick. If you would like help training your rat to fetch, you can click on the button below to be transported to my fetch tutorial: |
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Step 1:
To start, you want to train your rat to unzip the purse. Initially you want to reward your rat for any interest in the zipper (you can rub a treat on it to get them interested). Work up to them mouthing and biting the zipper for a treat, then to them fully unzipping the purse for a treat.
To start, you want to train your rat to unzip the purse. Initially you want to reward your rat for any interest in the zipper (you can rub a treat on it to get them interested). Work up to them mouthing and biting the zipper for a treat, then to them fully unzipping the purse for a treat.
Step 2:
Switch to training the fetch part of this trick. To start, you want to train your rat to fetch you the money from your open wallet. Since your rat should already know how to fetch, simply placing the money onto the open wallet and pointing at it should cue your rat to bring it over. Practice this until your rat will immediately fetch you the money from the open wallet as soon as you point at it.
Switch to training the fetch part of this trick. To start, you want to train your rat to fetch you the money from your open wallet. Since your rat should already know how to fetch, simply placing the money onto the open wallet and pointing at it should cue your rat to bring it over. Practice this until your rat will immediately fetch you the money from the open wallet as soon as you point at it.
Step 3:
Gradually begin to close the wallet. Each time, make sure your rat can fetch you the money inside without any help before closing it further.
Gradually begin to close the wallet. Each time, make sure your rat can fetch you the money inside without any help before closing it further.
Step 4:
Once your rat can fetch you the money from the closed wallet, its time to move on to the last step (training your rat to remove the wallet from the purse itself).
Start by placing the wallet (with money inside) into your purse. Keep the purse entirely open and unzipped - all you are working on right now is training your rat to remove the wallet. Rub a treat onto the wallet, then reward your rat for any interest they show towards it.
Once your rat can fetch you the money from the closed wallet, its time to move on to the last step (training your rat to remove the wallet from the purse itself).
Start by placing the wallet (with money inside) into your purse. Keep the purse entirely open and unzipped - all you are working on right now is training your rat to remove the wallet. Rub a treat onto the wallet, then reward your rat for any interest they show towards it.
Step 5:
As your rat gets the idea, begin to gradually raise the criteria. At first sniffing the wallet might net them a treat, but over time you want to build up to your rat biting and even pulling on the wallet before your reward them. Work up to them pulling out the entire wallet each time before rewarding them with a treat.
As your rat gets the idea, begin to gradually raise the criteria. At first sniffing the wallet might net them a treat, but over time you want to build up to your rat biting and even pulling on the wallet before your reward them. Work up to them pulling out the entire wallet each time before rewarding them with a treat.
Step 6:
Once your rat is pulling out the entire wallet each time, its time to back-chain all 3 steps together. Start by practicing having your rat take out the wallet for one treat, then fetch you the money inside it for another. Begin to only reward in-between each step sometimes, and other times only reward after they bring you the money. After a few tries, fade out the first treat entirely so that you are only rewarding once your rat has both removed the wallet and fetched you the money inside.
Once your rat is pulling out the entire wallet each time, its time to back-chain all 3 steps together. Start by practicing having your rat take out the wallet for one treat, then fetch you the money inside it for another. Begin to only reward in-between each step sometimes, and other times only reward after they bring you the money. After a few tries, fade out the first treat entirely so that you are only rewarding once your rat has both removed the wallet and fetched you the money inside.
Step 7:
Now we add in the last step - that being unzipping the purse. Start by rewarding your rat for unzipping the purse, then rewarding them again once they have both taken out the wallet and brought you the money. After a few tries, begin to fade out the first treat until the only time you are rewarding your rat is once they have completed the entire trick (ie. unzipping the purse, removing the wallet, and finally fetching you the money inside the wallet.)
Now we add in the last step - that being unzipping the purse. Start by rewarding your rat for unzipping the purse, then rewarding them again once they have both taken out the wallet and brought you the money. After a few tries, begin to fade out the first treat until the only time you are rewarding your rat is once they have completed the entire trick (ie. unzipping the purse, removing the wallet, and finally fetching you the money inside the wallet.)
Video Tutorial:
Disclosure: Esther (and her site rattrix.weebly.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com