# Clicker training for hedgehogs?



## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Do you guys think this would be possible?

I've just started clicker training my cats, and I was amazed at how fast they caught on! I thought maybe I could try training Kashi.. but I'm not sure.

Has anyone tried yet?


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## Nicole753 (Dec 16, 2011)

Sorry for asking, but what is clicker training? :lol:


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I kind of doubt it. It wouldn't hurt to try, but cats and dogs are definitely more trainable than hedgehogs. If anything, the click might get a negative reaction; I know Archimedes can get kind of huffy at certain sounds that are similar to that, like the click of our bedroom door when it closes.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

It's impossible to really know if cats and dogs are more easily trained than hedgehogs. I have never seen anything about anyone actually attempting to train a hedgehog (other than potty training) here. And from what I've seen of my hog, she's pretty darn intelligent.

Shae, I say go for it! Eventually Kashi would get used to the clicking noise, the same way our hogs get used to our breathing, clearing our throats, the TV, etc.  Not to mention the fact that I'm sure you'd be one of the first people to attempt something like this.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

hanhan27 said:


> It's impossible to really know if cats and dogs are more easily trained than hedgehogs. I have never seen anything about anyone actually attempting to train a hedgehog (other than potty training) here. And from what I've seen of my hog, she's pretty darn intelligent.


Sorry, but I have to disagree. :] Hedgehogs are definitely smart little critters in their own right, but not on the same level as dogs and cats. While this hasn't been proven specifically in comparison between dogs/cats vs. hedgehogs, it is an established fact in terms of dogs/cats vs. small animals in general. Depending on the species/personality, various small animals can learn basic tricks; typically it's the more social/playful kinds (ferrets, rats, etc.) that are better at it, and even then, the best trained ferret doesn't compare to the capabilities of a highly trained dog.

Dogs and cats are very social animals; dogs especially take to training out of a willingness to please their owners. (Domestic cats are more social than their wild counterparts, but can also be very much loners depending on personality.) Since the minds of dogs and cats thrive on stimulation and learning, they can be very successful with basic obedience and also more complicated associations between behaviors, commands, and rewards. (Cats tend to be more interested in direct reward, whereas dogs can more easily be trained initially using reward and then continue the desired behavior without the reward being supplied.) Because dogs and cats have been domesticated for thousands of years, they are naturally more attentive to social interactions and cues (in terms of both humans and other animals), whereas the domestication of hedgehogs is comparatively very recent. Dogs and cats have essentially been 'engineered' to be able to be trained, similar to how domestic horses have been engineered to be able to be ridden. (Compare a domestic horse's ability to be trained/ridden to that of a wild equine species, i.e. zebra or the never-domesticated Mongolian wild horse - then consider that our pet hedgehogs, though domesticated to the point of being unable to survive in the wild, are still very much wild and instinct-driven in terms of behavior.)

Small mammals can be taught simple tricks for rewards, and I have no doubt that hedgehogs would be capable of this as well, but hedgehogs - like other small mammals - are most likely not going to be able to understand more complicated associations than would be required for more than very basic training. We also know that hedgehogs can have relatively difficult personalities, which is also related to the fact that they are not, by nature, a social animal. For instance, even for the most pleasant hedgehogs, litter training is almost never entirely accomplished. They can figure out fairly well to do their business in a specific place (but that doesn't always mean they'll want to do it there, haha), and even then they won't 'hold it in' if you're holding them when they have to go. My breeder has her hedgehogs trained with the command 'no move'; she'll roll one of them onto its back in her hands and say 'no move', with a fingertip touching the chest if necessary to reiterate the command, and they will lay sprawled on their back, not curled up, with their limbs sticking out so she (the breeder) can inspect the feet, stomach, ears, face, etc. We've continued to practice this trick with Archimedes since he got home, though for us (and for the breeder), this particular trick hasn't been taught with treats as a reward - it's more about making him comfortable and secure enough with us to splay out belly-up in our hands. Training a hedgehog is possible, and my own hedgehog is an example of that. However, no, they are not as trainable as cats or dogs.

I question whether they would be able to take to clicker training well (or at all) because it's a more indirect and complicated kind of reward training. Clicker training involves using the clicker to acknowledge/praise the wanted behavior right when it happens, which then is followed up by a treat in reward. This type of training is ideal for cats and dogs, which have the proven ability to understand more complicated associations, because the 'click' right when they do the wanted behavior helps them know exactly what it is that you're praising. Hedgehogs are more limited in their ability to understand complicated associations (even moreso than some other small animals, I would think, because that kind of understanding is linked with social interactions), and I think they would be the most responsive to direct reward. If I remember correctly, ferrets are able to take to clicker training with some success - though the extent of what they can be trained to do is still more limited than cats and dogs - but ferrets are also a social animal, which works in their favor because they make the clicker training into a kind of 'game'. For this reason, if you have a particularly outgoing and playful/inquisitive hedgehog, your chances would be better as well. (It's also possible that it might work to combat negative behaviors, i.e. biting, which I've heard being tried for rabbits. I'm not sure whether focusing on an unwanted behavior would be a more simple thing to try than teaching a trick.)

Like I already said, it wouldn't hurt to try. I'd love to know how your attempts turn out, Shae. I haven't ever heard of it being tried for a hedgehog. Maybe you'll find that they're able to take to it like ferrets (and your cats), which would be great - and even if not, or if the training isn't really able to stick, I imagine the attempt (and the treats!) would make for some nice stimulation/enrichment for a hedgehog. My only advice in making the attempt would be to be very patient with it - pretty much the golden rule for everything having to do with hedgehogs. Good luck! :]


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## CrazyDogLady (Oct 21, 2011)

Bob Bailey, a renowned animal trainer, holds clicker training camps where they clicker train chickens. Chickens! Dog trainers often attend these camps and seminars to hone their timing. Clicker training is actually an extremely clear and direct way to train. The clicker is classically conditioned, and thus forms and extremely powerful association for the animal. Once the clicker is conditioned, the animal only has to work out the association between behaviors that produce a click (and thus a reward) and behaviors that don't. That all comes down to how timely and clear the trainer is. Hedgies might be startled by the sound of the clicker at first, but if the unconditioned reinforcer (food reward) the clicker is paired with is valuable enough, they will associate the sound of the click with good things happening, especially if the sound of the click is introduced gradually. There are many other options to use as a marker rather than a click. Marine animal trainers use a whistle, some deaf dog trainers opt for a light or a hand motion.

Here's a video of Bob Bailey and his clicker trained chickens.


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## jerseymike1126 (Jan 20, 2011)

hedgehogs are smart critters? i think i got a dumb one then.for as much as i love my little buddy pokey he is def not the brightest animal


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I don't mean offense to anyone or their hedgehogs, but I don't think hedgehogs would be smart enough for this. Even "litter training" isn't training, it's just getting them in the habit of pooping in the same place as we wan them to. I have never heard of an instance where a hedgehog has been commanded something (clicker, vocally, or otherwise) and they've actually done it. The best I think we can hope for is habits, like learning that treats come when the door opens, so to wake up and stand by the dish. I wouldn't consider getting an animal to come eat its food, training.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Give it a try what could it hurt.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I'm not sure how well it would work, but it wouldn't hurt to try. 

Some hedgehogs are far smarter than others and often their shy independent nature leads people to think they aren't smart. They are smart in subtle ways and often its us humans that can't figure them out. 

Some hedgehogs seemingly don't even know their own name. Others know it, but ignore it. And others will respond to their names. My Jake, always responds to his name with a huff. Doesn't matter what else I am saying, Jake = Huff.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

LizardGirl said:


> Even "litter training" isn't training, it's just getting them in the habit of pooping in the same place as we wan them to.


I think my Annabell is litter 'trained.' She came to me from the breeder litter trained. There's a litter box in her cage. If I move it, she will still find it. She also has one on the living room floor that when she first came home looked for it. Over the summer we were living in a different house, & she would still look for & go to the litter box on the living room floor when she was out playing.


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## JustOnePost (Dec 27, 2011)

Indeed I have a female who runs all the time, well one time to my dismay I didn't tighten the nut on the bucket wheel enough and in the morning it was off the post and I immediately reconnected it and checked out my girl.

I set her back down and she immediately went and inspected the bolt on the front and on the back side throughly before deciding to run, she has done other little things to show a great deal of intelligence that my other hedgehogs have not, so I'd concur it varies on the hedgehog however I don't think clicker training would work for a hedgehog.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Anything is possible.

I would be afraid it would take so many mealworms as rewards, Nara would get fat. LOL 

I could also see that about the only thing I could train her to do is huff and she's already pretty good at that.  

She is litter trained and she hasn't had an "accident" in MONTHS. And yes she does hold it in until she gets put in her cage or her playpen.
She maybe one of the grumpiest unfriendly hedgehogs around, but she's potty trained. :lol: 

They are kind of like cats, you don't know if they are just ignoring you or don't know what you just said ... :roll: 

I think I read once that training is just convincing them to do what they would normally do when you wanted them to do it.

Good luck and let us know if you decide to try. 

ML


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Nicole753 said:


> Sorry for asking, but what is clicker training? :lol:


Clicker training is just a fancy word for positive reenforcement/classical conditioning  You basically create a "common language" that both you and your pet can understand. By that, I mean, they learn that click = good behavior/reward.

Thanks everyone for the input! I am quite skeptical about whether this will work or not... and I have to find some smaller mealies to try to do this (so that he doesn't get full, and can eat the treat fast). I'll experiment tonight and see if it works  I'm not sure how exactly to go about it... just because Kashi usually wants to sleep XD and also I don't think targeting will work since hedgehogs have such poor vision... but it will be an interesting experiment ;D


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## CrazyDogLady (Oct 21, 2011)

You might try a little taste of baby food or wet cat food at a time as a reward. Just a bite or two, and then take away the food. You could also cut up one to three mealies (yuck) and end your training session when you run out of mealie segments. I think targeting would be a possibility if you find the right object, like maybe a bright white disc that is rather large. One training session with a hedgie would probably need to be quite short.

I think it's quite possible to clicker train a hedgie. All animals learn by association, and that's all this really is. The process of classically conditioning the clicker, or whatever marker you choose, would probably be quite easy. It's the operant conditioning process that will probably take a bit of time. Getting the hedgie to associate the right behavior with the click might take a while, depending on the hedgie and the behavior being taught. Some hedgies will take to it better than others, but you are using a natural learning process that all animals follow. They can and do learn this way. Pigeons get trained to target for food rewards. Chickens get clicker trained to do all sorts of things well beyond simple targeting. Goldfish can be taught simple behaviors this way. Hedgies can certainly learn too.


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