Tricks?? ;)

[PetLuver21257]

Can hamsters (preferably dwarves) learn how to do any tricks?! :D

I remember reading somewhere that they can respond to their name (if you teach them to), and something about learning tricks, but I am not sure if the trick part came from a person that knows a lot about hamsters... ;)

Well, I want to know because it would be TOTALLY WICKED (lol) if a hamster of mine knew how to "Shake Hands" or "Sit" or even "Jump"!! :p It would just look way cool! I highly doubt that hamsters can; because their memory isn't too good, and they don't live too long.... Whereas a dog remembers and they live for a good 15 or so years...

Well anyway, thanks for the replies! :)

[Doc Holiday]

I know you can teach rats tricks...hamsters though? Doubt it...unfortunetly.

[hamham20006]

i taught(maybe sp) muler that when he ran on his wheal(sp) that i would pet him it was so cute oh and to eat sunflower seeds on my bed;)

[Moosley]

hamsters dont do 'tricks' like dogs or anything.

they can be taught that certain behaviours mean food so if they feel like eating sunflower seeds they might jump into your hand when you put your hand in the cage etc...

associated behaviours... but not tricks....

[MouseyMari]

IMO, it would be a difficult task to teach hamsters to respond to their name. You could attempt to teach them, with treats, but they unfortunately don't have the intelligence of a rat. Please try, though, and see what happens!!

=)

[Chaos]

hamsters dont do 'tricks' like dogs or anything.

they can be taught that certain behaviours mean food so if they feel like eating sunflower seeds they might jump into your hand when you put your hand in the cage etc...

associated behaviours... but not tricks....

Dogs are exactly the same way, they're taught that responding to certain behaviours means food or praise.

My syrian Zero knows his name, and he comes to it about 75% of the time. But when he's running around on his own, forget it, I don't exist. No one, and I mean no one believed me, until they all saw for themselves. I'll have to post a video here of it sometime.

Hamsters are actually intelligent, but VERY independant animals, making it difficult to really teach them commands.

[PetLuver21257]

Oh, ok I see! Well, whenever I get my new hamster (soon I hope), I will try to teach it to respond to its name and maybe teach it to jump onto my hand or something! :)

Kiba didn't really have a "treat" that I could give her. I mean I gave her yogurt drops, but she only took a bite or two out of that. And cheerios, she only ate half of one if not all. And carrots, well, only a couple bites! :) Is there anything else that I could give them that they would love to eat?

[CANic]

Well, my girlfriends ham will stand if it is out of it cage in a sort of free roam to stand. Not verbally though, I use his brush and start to raise it, he will usually stand and then sit or just stand there. If he is to excited he'll just ignore it, but he never reached for it he'll just stand. Not sure of that is considered a trick but it's pretty cool.

[PetLuver21257]

Lol, okay thanks for sharing anyways! ;)