How-To: Teaching Herbert to Stand

Herbert learning Stand

The first trick I decided to teach Herbert is Stand. It's probably one of the easiest tricks to teach your hamster, since it is a common behavior that they do often. Herbert is constantly standing at the edge of his cage asking to come out to play once he wakes up or standing at the edge of his playpen when he hears my voice nearby.

Once you have gathered your training supplies, which consist of your clicker, treats, a secure location for your hamster to train (a playpen, bin, or cage), and your hamster, you can begin.

Here are the steps to teach your hamster to Stand.

1. Pick a level and stable surface to have your hamster stand on.
2. Have a treat in your hand. Show it to your hamster.
3. Lift the treat above your hamsters head.
4. When your hamster's front paws come off the floor and he is standing, click and then give him the treat while he is still standing.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until your hamster will do it without you having to have a treat in your hand.
6. Practice Stand on different surfaces.

Herbert learning Stand on different surfaces.

Notes:
*Make sure there isn't anything around your hamster that he can use to cheat by placing his front paws onto to help him balance.
*Keep your training sessions short, 10 minutes tops. Hamsters have short attention spans. It might take several sessions until your hamster is standing without a treat in your hand.
*Only add your command when you are 100% sure that you can get your hamster to stand. Your command will come before you give your hamster your hand signal (lifting your hand above his head).

My New Wodent Wheel by Herbert

Hey Guys!

My owner bought me a new wheel the other day even though I don't spend much time running on my current wheel. She thought that it could be because it's too small for me, but the truth is that I'm so old I just like to sleep the day and night away. However, I couldn't have been more excited when my new wheel finally arrived last night!

She got me a Wodent Wheel from www.transoniq.com, more specifically www.toandfrogliders.com. They have a bunch of different colors, but she chose the Navy track with Icy Blue panels. She hasn't put it in my cage yet because she wants to make sure I don't exhaust myself, but I did get to play on it while I was playing in my playpen. It was fun. She even put some treats in there so I'd go check it out on my own.

My owner said that the next time she cleans my cage she'll figure out a way to set up my new wheel so I can use it whenever I want. I think she's going to remove my old wheel and replace it with the Wodent Wheel. Hopefully it will fit without taking up too much space.

Byes!
Herbert the Hammie

How-To: Training Hamsters 101

Training your hamster should be relatively easy once you know the basics. He will respond best to positive reward based training. What does that mean? When he does something you like, give him a treat. Don't harm him. Hamsters often scare easily and harming him in any way will hurt your relationship with your new friend.

Herbert eating a carrot

First thing you will need to do is find out what kind of treats your hamster likes best. These will be the treats you use to reward him for doing the behaviors you want and like. It will also sometimes be the treats you use to get him to do the behaviors you want. Each hamster is different so take the time to try different foods and find out exactly what are your hamster's favorites. Also, keep in mind that your new friend is very small. You will need to make your treats small too. You might need to break up your raisin or peanut into 8-10 pieces so you can get the most out of your training treat.

Herbert getting ready to train

Next you will need a clicker. A clicker marks the good behavior and is always followed by a treat. Often it helps training progress faster. Use something that is soft sounding, not loud. A loud noise might scare your hamster. I am currently using a click pen as a clicker. Every time I click the pen Herbert gets a treat. He loves it!

Lastly you will need a place to train your hamster. You can train him in his cage or in a training arena or playpen. I would start in his cage and once he is comfortable with playing in his playpen start training there as well. Once he knows how to do his tricks in those two places start to practice in even more places!

So there you have it. The basics for training. Now you can get started.

How-To: Making a Training Arena

Herbert on his Flying Saucer

When training with a hamster it is important to have a place to train them outside of their cage. I'd like to call this a training arena, but most people will call it a playpen so I'll stick with that. I currently have two places to train with Herbert, a bin and a homemade playpen. You can use also use a store bought playpen or your bathtub. Here are some pros and cons of each.

A new store bought playpen will cost you somewhere around $15 though you might be able to find a cheaper used one at a garage sale, in the local classifieds, or on a website. I originally searched  for one of these, but they are hard to come by in my area and I don't want to buy a new one. I searched Craigslist which is great because you can search your local area and Ebay which is great because if you can't find it local many people will ship it to you. Store bought playpens are nice because they are chew proof. However, there's no bottom so you will probably want a cloth or tarp to go underneath in case your hamster has an accident. Also, I've heard that some hamsters learn how to climb over the walls.

A bin is an alternative playpen that's relatively cheap, about $10. You can pick one up at Target or Walmart or anywhere that sells storage bins. I'd go for something 60qt or larger. What I like about bins is that you can use them to store you hamster toys in once you are done playing. A playpen and storage unit in one! Also, you don't need a tarp because everything is enclosed and you can add bedding so your hamster can burrow while he plays. Downside, if you have a really strong chewer or you put something tall near the edges you can end up with a hamster escapee.

Herbert playing in his new playpen

A homemade playpen is basically free. I love that with homemade playpens you can make them as big and tall as you want. I made my playpen 1ft tall. Most homemade playpens are made from cardboard so you will need to be diligent about watching your hamster as it is possible that they can chew through or possibly squeeze under walls if place on certain surfaces. Also, you will probably want a cloth or tarp underneath in case your hamster has an accident just like a store bought playpen. However, if you want to sit inside the playpen to tame your hamster, not a problem, just add more walls of cardboard!

Here's a video on how to make a homemade playpen.


Video by ChocolateColors26.

Your bathtub can also be used as a great playpen and it's also free. When using your bathtub make sure it is hamster safe. Is it clean? Did you plug the drain? Are all chemicals and products safely out of your hamster's reach? You can also use a cloth to help your hamster get traction as he climbs around and a pillow if you are planning to practice taming so he has something soft to land on in case he falls or jumps from your hands.

Well, that's it for training arena ideas. Hope you can use, make, or find some of these in your area and give your hamster play time and training time outside of his cage.

Training Difficulties by Herbert

Filtered pic of Herbert

Hey Guys!

My new owner and I have been practicing different behaviors every night. I've been trying my hardest and it has been a lot of fun. She gives me sunflower seeds, seeds from my mix, and even dog biscuit pieces. I'm hoping she starts using even better treats, but for now I'll work for the basics. She gives me the better treats for free anyways.

I'm sure my new owner will start to post about all the different behaviors I'm learning soon. I think she's waiting until I get a little better at them so I can demonstrate and she can take pictures. It looks very difficult to take pictures and tell me which behavior to do at the same time. She tried the other night and all I could think was, please don't drop the camera on me!

Anyways, usually my new owner waits until I awake on my own, usually between 9:30 and 10:30pm, then we start our training. Unfortunately tonight I woke up later than usual, at midnight actually. My new owner was in bed. I missed our training class. Oops. I guess I'll just run on my wheel a bit and chew on this new loofa she gave me. I'll try to wake up earlier tomorrow too.

Bye!
Herbert the Hammie

How-To: Taming Your Hamster

The first part of training your hamster is taming him. You can't teach your hamster anything if he's too scared of you to come get a treat from you. So to start you should be just working on gaining your hamster's trust. Every hamster becomes comfortable in it's own time span. Some take days, some take weeks, some take months. The taming process usually goes faster with younger hamsters rather than older hamsters that have never been handled before. Just remember let your hamster control the pace and don't be surprised if it takes a little longer than expected. I once had a baby hamster that took about a month to be completely comfortable with me and have heard of owners that have had it take even longer.

Herbert's original home

Now we have to remember that Herbert is a 2 year old hamster, he already trusts humans and knows that we are not going to hurt him from his previous owners, and when Herbert came to live with me, his previous owner actually gave me his current cage. So to start I left him alone for a little over 24 hours. After that, since he was eager to come out and play, I used his ball to move him from his cage to his playpen only if he decided to get into the ball on his own. If he wanted to stay in his cage, I left him alone. Usually a few hours later he would decide he wanted to come out and play.

On day 4 I cleaned Herbert's cage and by day 5 he seemed right at home. He was grooming, stretching, and not acting stressed at all. Currently I pick up Herbert for short time spans. Usually to move him from one place to another. I still try to let Herbert decide when he wants to come out of his cage and if he does I'll hold him a little while he's in his playpen or before he goes to run in his ball for a bit. I believe having Herbert stay in his original cage that he has lived in most of his life drastically reduced the amount of time it took him to start to feel comfortable in his new home.

So, how do you tame your hamster? Here's a break down for you that will take about 2 weeks.

First, you want to give your hamster time to get used to his new environment. Smells, noises, it's all new to him. So start by putting things in his cage that smells like you. Take some toilet paper or bedding and get your scent on it (maybe put it in your shirt for a little bit). Then put it in the cage. Do this for a few days (3-4). Don't try to touch him, don't try to pet him, don't try to pick him up. Just let him smell you by putting things in the cage that have your scent on him and let him get used to the new sounds of the house, your room, and your voice and family's voices from a distance.

Next, sit by the cage and talk to him softly so that he can get used to your voice up close. Don't scare him. Don't make sudden movements. Go slow. Watch and speak softly and continue with the scent stuff above. I would do this for another few days (3-4).

If you think your hamster seems settled you can move onto the next step. Make sure to wash your hands before you do this step. You don't want your hamster to mistake you for the food. Also make sure you move slowly and are quiet. You can talk softly, but remember we do not want to frighten your hamster.

Next, take a treat your hamster really likes and slowly put your hand into the cage. Pick one spot on the bottom of the cage and stay there. I would recommend a spot on the opposite side of the cage than he is. Do not try to follow him around the cage with your hand and the food. Let him approach you. If he doesn't the first few times you try this that's fine. He's still getting used to you. Just having your hand in the cage is a plus. If he does approach you don't make any sudden movements. He should go for the treat and not your hand, unless he is not hungry. Let him climb on you, walk around, and don't move your hand. Just let him explore and get treats. If he does go to bite your hand slowly pull it away without saying anything. I would do this for a few days (3-4).

Last, start to move your hand when your hamster is on it. Remember, go slowly and if he wants to jump off just let him (unless of course he is too high and will get hurt from the fall). I would start by slowly lifting my hand an inch off the ground and moving it from side to side. Then I would proceed to higher lifts as he feels comfortable. I might slowly bring my other hand in with a treat as well. So he will be getting treats as he sits on your hand and your other hand slowly comes closer to him. By the time you are finished with this step, you should be able to pick up your hamster without any problems. Remember to hold him securely, like he's in a little cup. Also, remember that we do not want to chase the hamster around the cage when we pick him up. We are waiting for him to approach us.

Herbert asking to come out and play

Take things slowly and if there are any problems at any point you can always take a step back to the previous step. There's nothing wrong with taking a little extra time to get your hamster accustomed to you. We want to teach our hamster to trust us. We want them to be comfortable with us holding them, but some need more time than others.

FYI -You will most likely need to clean your hamster's cage during the taming process. I would recommend using a plastic cup or something to help you pick up your hamster and placing him into a safe enclosed area. Also, never reprimand your hamster for trying to bite or biting you. Doing this will likely scare your hamster and harm your relationship with him.

So there you have it. Good Luck Taming!

Training a Hamster Necessities

Training Your Pet Hamster Book

So, before we start training I thought maybe some of you would like to participate in this experiment too, so here is a short list of some of the items you will need to keep your hamster friend happy followed by training needs.

THINGS YOU NEED FOR A SYRIAN HAMSTER
Habitat with lots of floor space. Skip on the multiple levels unless they are enclosed. Hamsters can fall off levels and hurt themselves.
Hamster food
Bedding to burrow and nest with
Water bottle
Wheel. I recommend the Jr. Wodent Wheel. May others are too loud or too small. (Currently Herbert is using a Silent Spinner. It is a tad small for him. I plan on getting him his own Wodent Wheel soon.)
Hidey. A house to nest in.
Toys to chew and play on. These can be wood chews, treat chews, toilet paper rolls, or anything else hamster safe.
Veterinary. You never know when you might need a veterinary. Make sure you have one you like before you get your hamster.
Spare time to play with your hamster.

THINGS YOU NEED TO TRAIN YOUR HAMSTER
Good hamster book for extra knowledge on hamsters, how to train them, and what they are capable of doing. I really like Training Your Pet Hamster by Gerry Bucsis and Barbara Somerville.
Playpen or place to practice your tricks.
Extra toys to teach your hamster how to use.
Clicker. Make sure it's not too loud. You don't want to scare your hamster. I am going to use a click pen.

Herbert the Hammie's Welcome Letter

Herbert saying "Hi!"

Hey Guys!

Welcome! Thanks for joining me and my new owner on this exciting journey.

When my new owner asked me about participating in this blog I was thrilled. My previous owner had gotten too busy for me and I am eager to start learning some new behaviors. Doing training and playing with my new owner is sure going to beat running in a ball around on the floor all by myself. Not that I don't like to run in my ball, I do! But since I can't see very far and the ball makes my vision blurry crashing into walls is quite an issue, which I'm glad to leave behind for the most part.

My owner is currently setting up a little playground to practice my tricks in. At the moment it has a stand, flying saucer, hidey, hamster walk, and a teeter totter. I can't wait to explore what she's putting together. It's going to be so much fun!

Well, I gotta go eat some food so I have energy to train later tonight!

Bye!
Herbert the Hammie

Meet Herbert & The Hammie Experiment!

Herbert in his home

I recently got a new Syrian Hamster. Ok, he's not new, he's actually pretty old. 2 years old to be exact. Syrian hamsters live for about 2-3 years and Herbert is definitely moving a lot slower than my previous hamsters were when I got them, but they were both 1 month old when they arrived.
Herbert spent most of his life surrounded by college students. As soon as his previous owners could move out of the dorms they adopted him and some chick friends. Where he was for the first 8 months of his life I don't know, but living with those students for the past 16 months must have been fun. They were probably up all night and Herbert was there to enjoy all the parties and crazy antics. Well, at least that's what I like to think.
I've decided that I am going to try to train Herbert different behaviors during this final chapter of his life. I am going to post as we go. We will start with the basics, stand and spin, and move onto harder behaviors such as agility and mazes.
So join me on this journey and let's see how smart hamsters really are!