I immediately thought of the monster best selling "how to" book of a few years ago Who Moved My Cheese. It was designed to help us deal with change. However, as far as I can tell, the How to Train a Rat article is designed to tell us how to train a rat. Period.
But as a former business consultant and a mother of four I can tell you that there are good tips for motivating workers and kids here. For instance, below are some hints lifted directly from the article:
- If you're patient enough, any rodent can be trained, but some are inherently more pliant and endearing and less prone to biting.
- animals in training should be made to work for their sustenance. Don't just let them sit in the cage eating as much as they want, getting fat.
- ...don't wait more than 30 seconds to reward a behavior. The quicker the food comes, the better the trick sticks.
- Desensitize fretful rodents brains by frequently exposing them to different floor surfaces and new features in their surroundings.
- Don't bother getting angry. You can't scold or punish them. A rat does not understand discipline.
So, if you've tried the book, Who Moved My Cheese and haven't had good results, you might want to try How to Train a Rat.
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