Fetch The Mail
Step 1:
Begin by training your rat to fetch the letter. Practice several times, until they will bring you the letter without hesitation each time.
Begin by training your rat to fetch the letter. Practice several times, until they will bring you the letter without hesitation each time.
Step 2:
Now slowly begin to transition to having them fetch the letter directly from the open mail box. Some rats get this immediately, while others may be a bit confused and will benefit from you rubbing a treat onto the letter to help alert them to its position.
Now slowly begin to transition to having them fetch the letter directly from the open mail box. Some rats get this immediately, while others may be a bit confused and will benefit from you rubbing a treat onto the letter to help alert them to its position.
Step 3:
Practice having your rat fetch the letter from inside the open mail box several times, until they will do so without any hesitation.
Practice having your rat fetch the letter from inside the open mail box several times, until they will do so without any hesitation.
Step 4:
Gradually begin to close the mail box, each time making sue your rat can fetch you the mail from inside it without any help before moving on.
Gradually begin to close the mail box, each time making sue your rat can fetch you the mail from inside it without any help before moving on.
Step 5:
All that's left is to fade out your hand. You can do this by making less and less obvious motions towards the closed mail box, until just pointing at it cues your rat to fetch you the mail inside.
All that's left is to fade out your hand. You can do this by making less and less obvious motions towards the closed mail box, until just pointing at it cues your rat to fetch you the mail inside.
Video Tutorial:
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