Tricks to Do with Your Pet Mice

Gaining Trust

• Before you can even begin to teach your pet mouse any tricks you must first gain his trust. Handle your mouse as much as possible and give her small treats by hand. By doing this you are teaching your mouse to feel secure in your hands. Then you can begin teaching your pet simple tricks.

Coming When Called

• Choose a quiet area where there are few distractions and where your mouse cannot escape from you. Call your pet by name and give him small treats while you are saying his name repeatedly. At each training session move a little farther from your mouse and call his name while holding the treat. When your mouse responds by coming to you, reward the effort with a small treat.

Begging and Sitting

• Hold a small treat in your hand and make sure that your pet knows that the treat is there. When you move the treat higher in the air your pet will stand up on her hind legs to try to reach the treat. Use a simple command like "up"; when your mouse stands up reward her with a treat. Gradually lengthen the time that you make your pet stand up before giving her the treat so she will stand up and beg anytime you tell her.

  To teach your mouse to sit, raise a treat slightly above and then behind the head. This will cause the mouse to sit to keep his eye on the prize. Say "sit" while doing this and reward your pet with the treat when he responds correctly.