PDA

View Full Version : Training Treats



xoniac
06-28-2015, 03:33 PM
Hi guys,

I know not many of you do much training with your squirrels, but I love teaching mine! They're incredibly smart and pick up on what you want oh so quickly! My last squirrel learned 6 different commands in the 8 months I had her - she'd probably know even more now if she hadn't passed from a severe upper respiratory that the vet didn't treat in time. :(

Anyways, my last squirelly was trained using sunflower seeds. They were quick and easy and she'd do anything for them. Of course, this meant that on training days (at least three days a week), she'd get a boatload of em. I know that is not healthy and so I am looking for alternative this time around.

Kazoo, my little grey girl, eats two HHBs and a bunch of mazuri every day. She also gets a huge salad made up of stuff on the nutrition chart I found here, every day, which she picks through and nibbles at all day as well. She is just now at the age where she is learning to open nuts (about 12 weeks) and so she only gets a nut and maybe two seeds every few days. She also gets lots of stuff to chew on. My question is - if she is getting all of the good stuff she needs, is feeding a handful of sunflower seeds three or four times a week going to hurt her? I'm trying to test out out a few other things as well - chop her daily fruit portion up in tiny chunks, formula, a little bit of fruit/seed/nut mixed up... but she looses interest in each item incredibly fast. I could try mixing it up and using a few different fruits/nuts/seeds in a travel mix type combo for training so she isn't getting too much of any one thing, I suppose... but I'm just trying to figure out what the best option would be for the both of us.259786

xoniac
06-28-2015, 03:41 PM
Also, she is not going to be released, so don't worry about that. :)

Shewhosweptforest
06-28-2015, 03:49 PM
Oh look at her in that harness :grin3 She's beautiful....I don't see how a few sunflower seeds, a few times a week could hurt...if she's getting her Henry's block :dono I give my girl a small handful, once in awhile....she loves them so much. Also, they love pumpkin seeds....of course, I found out they're not the best either.....one thing you could do is dust them in calcium powder, so at least while she's opening them, she getting a few licks of calcium :thumbsup I find it interesting that you've trained a squirrel before....I know it's possible...look at the water skiing squirrel :eek only training that gets done around my house...is squirrels training me :eek :Love_Icon

xoniac
06-28-2015, 03:56 PM
The hardest part is keeping their attention. Other than that, they WANT to learn! :) My last baby went in her crate on command, would touch a target with her nose, would go wherever I pointed, would push toys across her cage floor, would run through a tunnel, and let me put on her harness all on command! She was my sweet baby... I'm hoping Kazoo can catch up quick. Haha!


Oh look at her in that harness :grin3 She's beautiful....I don't see how a few sunflower seeds, a few times a week could hurt...if she's getting her Henry's block :dono I give my girl a small handful, once in awhile....she loves them so much. Also, they love pumpkin seeds....of course, I found out they're not the best either.....one thing you could do is dust them in calcium powder, so at least while she's opening them, she getting a few licks of calcium :thumbsup I find it interesting that you've trained a squirrel before....I know it's possible...look at the water skiing squirrel :eek only training that gets done around my house...is squirrels training me :eek :Love_Icon