Selecting an Agility Rat
Starting with a keen and fun-loving rat is a must. Not all rats show interest in agility and this can make it difficult and frustrating to try to train one. Both males and females can be good at agility, though females tend to be more active and may learn a little quicker. An agility rat should be able to come when called at least most of the time, and it helps if they know how to follow your finger. They also must be bold enough to take food from your hand in a strange place (some rats will not take food if they don't feel perfectly safe) so they can be rewarded for their behaviour. Agility rats should be healthy and should not be pregnant.
Beginning Training
Select an area of your house to train, and keep it the same every time so your rat can get used to it and not be frightened or distracted. A table with a cloth draped over it works well, and if you have a special table just for agility, even better. Try to work away from distractions such as food other than the treat reward, loud sounds, and other people or animals. If your rat is distracted he will not perform as well and it can make training frustrating for you as well as the rat.
The first thing your rat must learn is to follow your hand or finger. Most agility trainers use the finger tap method, where they tap their index finger where they want the rat to go and the rat will walk or climb to get there. If your rat is gentle enough, you can train this by putting some baby food on your finger and tapping until the rat comes to it, then letting him lick it off (just a few licks, or he will fill up too fast). Some rats will bite a finger if this is done, even if they are normally very nice rats. For those rats you can use a spoon. Keep the spoon out of reach of the rats, where they can't see it, and tap with your other hand. When they come to your finger, offer them the spoon for a lick or two of the baby food. It's a good idea to have a sound or command to associate with coming to your finger, though the tapping alone may be enough.
Obstacles
Once they have learned to come to your finger, you can use this to get them to perform each obstacle by tapping on the other side of it, or on top of it. Each obstacle is taught in a different way, and those are explained below. To get the rats used to the obstacles, place them all out on your agility table and just allow the rats to crawl around on them for 30 minutes to an hour. This way they will explore the obstacles on their own accord and will not be as afraid when you introduce them for the purposes of agility. Do watch them while they are doing this, and see which obstacles they like most or which they do not like. It is best to start training with the obstacle they like the most. Here is a list of the most common obstacles.
The A-frame is a good starter obstacle, as rats instinctively love to climb. Most A-frames are fitted with a rope or chain that can be extended or tightened, raising or flattening the obstacle to make it easier or more difficult.
Teaching the A-Frame
Teaching this obstacle is easy if your rat will follow your finger. Start with it set very low and lead him across it, giving him a treat when he has completed the obstacle. As he builds confidence, raise the A-frame higher. Click here to see a video of a rat learning the A-frame.
Building an A-Frame
A-frames can be simply built out of two boards approximately 12" long and 4" wide, using a hinge to hold them together at the top, dowels for grips, and a rope or chain across the middle of the inside to raise or lower it.
Also called a fence or a hurdle, the jump is another simple obstacle to teach. Rats won't actually jump it, however, they will most likely crawl over it.
Teaching the Jump
Have your rat follow your finger towards the jump, then overtop of it. He should easily be able to climb over it, reward him with a treat when he does.
Jumps can take many forms, some are solid, some have bars as the one shown here. They can be made with wood and dowel rods as the one in the picture or out of two pieces of cardboard and a few pencils or chopsticks. Make sure it is stable enough that if it is stood upon it will not break or tip over, and that it doesn't wobble when climbed over as this may frighten the rat.
Often the tunnel is a rat's favorite obstacle. Rats love to hide in tunnels and will usually go in easily. Getting them to come out the other side is a different story!
Teaching the Tunnel
If you can, start with a very short tunnel so the rat can see your finger and the treat on the other side easily. This should entice him to come out. Once he goes through quickly to get the treat, start using a longer tunnel. If your rat has trouble going in, dab some baby food in the middle of the inside and show him where it is. Once he knows there is food inside he should rush in quickly.
The easiest way to build a tunnel is to buy a 3.5" or 5" PVC pipe and cut it to the desired length. For mine I cut off a 2" section to use for training, an 8" section for the next step, and the rest (14") is used when the rat can go through the smaller tunnels quickly without stopping in the middle. Since they are round and can roll easily on a hard surface it is a good idea to build a stand out of wood or cardboard so they cannot roll while the rat is inside them.
This section is still under construction, more obstacles to come as I build them and train my rats to do them!