# Too much psychology studying + Hedgehog =....



## emeko (Nov 28, 2009)

Operantly trained hedgie! Bwaha.

I really needed a break from midterm study, so I took a couple of hours and decided to put my psychology class to work. The result? Positive reinforcement on a constant schedule to give me a hedgie that comes when called and runs into the palm of my hand.

Tee hee. Who would have thought school could have an actual use?


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## kyararahl (Mar 15, 2010)

That is so cool. We need a video to see.


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## mel2626 (Sep 28, 2009)

kyararahl said:


> That is so cool. We need a video to see.


 :lol: Agreed!!!


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Smart hedgie! It trained you to give a treat every day on schedule? Don't tell Riley, he already has me trained to pick him up when he chirps. Regardless if I'm gaming, watching a show, cleaning, that little boy chirps and I'm there with a snuggly blanket and warm body to cuddle.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

krbshappy71 said:


> Smart hedgie! It trained you to give a treat every day on schedule? Don't tell Riley, he already has me trained to pick him up when he chirps. Regardless if I'm gaming, watching a show, cleaning, that little boy chirps and I'm there with a snuggly blanket and warm body to cuddle.


LOL Riley is so cute!

Quigley is not trained to do anything except be cute.  However my mice and budgies have me trained. The birds taught me how to whistle and catch the ball they like to throw and the mice taught me how to give them treats when they beg.


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## mel2626 (Sep 28, 2009)

krbshappy71 said:


> Smart hedgie! It trained you to give a treat every day on schedule?



lol Too funny! Maybe hedgie was peaking at your books while you were studying! :lol:


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## j0i (Jan 12, 2010)

Hah! I just started doing this! I get a treat and i tap the ground until Zissou comes over and he finds me holding it. I'm going to keep this up until he comes to me tapping and whistling...could take awhile but I might as well try.
Any success so far? How long do you think it'll take?
GO SCIENCE!


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## emeko (Nov 28, 2009)

I've been doing it a little bit each day with Beck for about a week. First of all, I wanted him to wake up and come out when I call him/am around his cage. So I'd open up his peanut butter (his most favourite, and most aromatic treat), which he could smell easily (so he knew there was a good reason to come out) and start talking to him. When he came out, he got a little taste of it. He figured that out pretty quick-- he darts out as soon as he hears me in the room now lol.

Then, to get him to run into my hand I'd put my flattened palm down in front of him and lead him with a treat in the other hand to walk him up my hand, and when he was all the way in, he got the treat. That one's a work in progress, but it is coming along. 

I want to try chain training him (teaching him a sequence of rewarded behaviours and eventually putting them all together to make him do something that seems really spectacular), but I need to figure out what. Any suggestions?


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