Cash The Rat

The first time I taught him how to "paw shake" was the day before we recorded this video. After running around in the garden, he came into the house freezing cold as it is winter here right now. He got up on the sofa and jumped onto his favorite spot in the house, the windowsill. The heater just below it provides him warmth. I served him his water and food, making sure he sits first before starting.

After awhile, I came back to him and offered him a treat. I showed him a dog treat and told him "ta en bit," which means "take a bite." I put the dog bone treat on the side of his mouth and he bit a piece. Then, I asked him to sit, and he did. First, I said "tass" several times with the bone treat in front of him. He could not focus as the smell of the treat was distracting him, but I continued on. I said "tass" for the fourth time, this time holding his paw and shaking it. I let him take another bite. I repeated the process of holding the dog treat in front of his nose every time I said "tass", shook his paw, and letting him bite at the treat afterwards.

Before we finished the entire bone treat, he was able to raise his paw slightly and put it back down. I said "Bra, Cash!" That means, "Good, Cash!" in English. Even though he was not able to fully comply with the command, I raised his paw again, said "tass", and made him bite from the dog treat.

He was able to get the command when I went back to get another bone treat, and that was what I did the night before we recorded this video. He is a bit faster at doing it now, so there is indeed progress. It helps to refresh their memory of teaching them the trick before eating. This morning, I told him "tass" instead of "sit" before eating and it worked perfectly. I know that he was hungry so before all that, I asked him to "sit" and gave him a treat first. I guess you can call it an appetizer :)