# Hedgehog Training



## zookeep (May 8, 2012)

As a zookeeper I know it can be both useful and enriching to train animals and hedgehogs are no exception. I'm setting up a plan for Arya, my 9 week old hedgie. I'm mostly hoping for target training as well as climbing on and staying on the scale. I've already started with clicker training, using tiny bits of crushed up kibble as rewards, which works for now, I'll switch to bits of chopped up mealies later (slimy but they go farther that way). Just this morning I introduced the target and she's already picking up on it a little which is super exciting. Has anyone else done any training other than litter box training (she's got that down pat)? If so what behaviors and rewards did you use? I'm just curious to see how other people have approached this.


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## Isismommy (Nov 16, 2011)

I know that it can be done. I talked to a couple of girls that have trained the hedgies at the Point Defience Zoo in Tacoma, WA. They said that they started target training the hedgies there and that they were doing well with it. I haven't heard anything since though. I just happen to run into them almost a year ago at a fair. If I find out any new info I will post it on this thread. You may be able to try other things too like blueberries or corn. I know my girls like cooked corn. Anyhow, please keep us updated. It would be nice to know how it goes and what works and doesn't work.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Is your hedgie not scared of the clicking noise?


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## zookeep (May 8, 2012)

Thanks, I'll look into different things for treats for her in the future. Right now we're still transitiong food so I'm gonna wait on that for the moment. In regards to the clicking, at first she jumped a little because it was new and close, but since I spent the first 3 days of training just bridge building (associating the noise of the clicker with good stuff), I keep the clicker further from her and she's stopped jumping and started looking for food when she hears it. Usually if an animal is scared of a noise I won't use it as a bridge, but being a young indiviudal of a prey species I figured I'd give her some time to be accustomed to it and she's doing fine. If anyone has any training questions, I'm more than willing to offer what info and advice I can. I've worked with several species on training, just none quite as small as a hedgie before.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

Agility... training... hedgehogs. :lol:


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## zookeep (May 8, 2012)

:lol: I love it! I do have a tunnel I can expand and twist for her. That's too funny a thought. I now have images of little courses set up and hedgehog agility tournaments. Too CUTE!


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I think the A frame we use for Adrian would work for a hedgie


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## Isismommy (Nov 16, 2011)

zookeep said:


> I've worked with several species on training, just none quite as small as a hedgie before.


I haven't tried training my own hedgies yet but I have had experience with clicker training rats and a rabbit. It was quite fun and interesting to see what they can do and how fast they learn. I may just try training my girls now too. :lol:


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## hedgiegirl1214 (Jan 14, 2011)

Christemo said:


> Agility... training... hedgehogs. :lol:


That would be too cute!!!! I love it!

I have wanted to try to train Holly to come when her name i called. She knows what it is, but she doesn't come.


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## kittyeats (Nov 23, 2011)

Sounds like a good idea! But, it might not work for some hedgehogs. The click sound might make the hedgehog think there is another hedgehog there, but I don't know how well hedgehogs can hear differnt sounds.  Maybe walking through a hoop? Not a big one, and it could be a centimeter on the ground. It would be really really cute. :lol:


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## zookeep (May 8, 2012)

Training all depends on the individual. And any positive or neutral noise can be used in place of the clicker. I just happened to have one and she now gets excited when she hears it because she knows she's gonna get something yummy. 

Training Update: I took a couple steps back with her and am just "bridge building" (establishing that the clicker means food is on it's way) for now. I mostly do this in the evenings when she's hungry because sessions last longer than way. I'll reintroduce the target later after we've established a little bit better connection. 

If anyone has any questions about training hedgehogs or other animals, whether it be about how to train a behavior, what to train, why, or anything else, I'll be happy to offer any advice I can. Just shoot me a message or comment on here. =]


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I saw a video, I think it was from YouTube, a long eared Egyptian hedgie would go up a teeter totter & come down the other side, then go up to his owner & get a treat. He did it over & over. Was very cute & made me think they could be trained well if we wanted to work with them
I'd love to hear how you progress.


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## mkm125 (Jun 20, 2011)

Can you teach me how to get a "hedgie splat" from my girl???!!!! Please keep us posted on how the training goes. I am currently training my five month old Siberian Husky puppy--I can't imagine training XiaoXiao.


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## zookeep (May 8, 2012)

I can certainly offer advice and give you a general plan to work off of, but there isn't an exact training formula, it's more an art than a science, at least for me. From what I've read I'm assuming that a "splat" is laying down spread out instead of curled up. If I'm wrong please let me know. Is this something she does on her own or are you trying to get her to do it because she doesn't do it on her own? It's hard to come up with a training plan without a good idea of exactly what the behavior is and what her history with said behavior is.


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## drowngoldfish (Jun 22, 2012)

How's the training going? 
Did she end up doing good with the bridge building? What's some of the target behaviors that you're going to go for?


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## tiffcbrown (Aug 10, 2012)

How did you litter train yours? Tater is still young, but I can not get to use it for anything.


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## zookeep (May 8, 2012)

I'm still bridge building with her because I went on vacation for 2 weeks this summer and we took a few steps back. In the past week I reintroduced the target and we're reestablishing that it's a good thing-she doesn't like anything unfamiliar. My problem is that I can only give her so many mealies in a day. I've been cutting them up, but that also only goes so far. She also has a bit of a short attention span, which can be frustrating. 

As for litterbox training. Put a litterbox under his/her wheel. It catches all the stuff that falls off the wheel, which helps them identify it as their place to "go". If your hedgie is young it make take a while for him/her to gain control of when they eliminate. Arya pooped EVERYWHERE when I first got her and she eventually started going closer and closer to her litterbox. Now she only goes in her litterbox. Some hedgies are just messy too, it just depends on the individual. If s/he goes outside the box, put it in the box to show them where to go. Keeping the LB clean is important too, bc if it's gross, they'll go somewhere else. I change her paper towels everyday and wash her box out once a week. There can be two or three poops in there, but try not to let it get much worse than that if you can.


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