Training
Degus are curious my nature and rather fearless. At some point they will get used to you, and depending on your degus personality they are relatively easy to train. Some degus simply just don't like being cuddled or even touched while others might end up sleeping on your shoulder. You shouldn't "give up" on bonding with your degu, but you should also respect "who they are" and where they draw the line.
After getting them home
After getting them home
- Don't get too close and "invade their space" at first. Give them a few days to settle down and get to know their new environment.
- Try wearing a clean, old shirt for a few hours and then place it in the cage. That way they will get used to your smell. You can even hide a few treats in it so that they will associate your smell with something positive. - "Something Positive/Good" is almost exclusively treats. - The first thing you should teach them is that you are not gonna harm them, and that You = Something Good. You can start hand feeding them from the outside of the cage if possible. Both treats but also the hard feed if you've got the time. - You should always keep your hand still and let them come to you. Don't chase them, especially not in the beginning. It might take a while, but after some time they will come right to you. |
- When they've gotten used to your hand and come to you right away (might take a week or two depending on the degu), you can try getting them used to sit in your hand. Getting the used to sit in your hand make a lot of things easier (Getting them in and out of the cage, weigh them etc...)
- You should never try to grab them or approach them from the top. Always let them jump on your hand if you wish to hold them. - If you've named them something clear and different from each other, you might be able to train them to know their own name. Of course you have to be able to tell them apart, which might be difficult if you get them as pups. But, if you repetitively say their name every time you give them a treat, they might learn to associate it with something positive and come when you call. - You can also try to ring a bell every time you feed them. If you succeed it will make it easier to get them in the cage after a run around the room. Simply ring the bell and they'll come running to get dinner. |