Pet subjects: training a pet rat and treating a whittering cocker spaniel

By Pete Wedderburn Published: 3:39PM GMT 12 Feb 2010

Rat"s the way to do it: these rodents can be trained to respond to commands Photo: ALAMY

Q Can a pet rat understand English? When I go up close to my rat"s cage, whispering to him, he stops in his tracks and listens to me, cocking his head as if trying to catch the words. I don"t want to waste my time, but would it be possible to train him to voice commands, like a dog? P P, by email

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A Rats are extremely intelligent and much more biddable than many other pets. I"ve heard it said that it"s far easier to train rats than cats, for example. Your rat won"t be able to understand English, but he"s obviously paying close attention to you and you certainly could train him to obey specific word commands. It"s just like training a dog: find a way of getting him to behave in a particular way, then as he does so, say a word and give him a reward. He"ll soon learn to do the behaviour when you say the word. Clicker training can be a useful way of speeding up the process. If you want to know more, there is relevant information at www.fancy-rats.co.uk

Q Our 13-year-old cocker spaniel has developed an irritating habit of "whittering" in the evenings, continually wanting to go out or wanting food or attention. The vet recently gave him a complete MOT and declared him to be "fantastic for his age", apart from needing a steroid tablet every second day to ease his bronchitis. Do you have any tips to help him settle down and give us all some peace? D W, by email

A There are many possible causes of "whittering". First you should talk to your vet about those steroids. Steroids (most commonly a drug called prednisolone) are anti-inflammatory drugs, designed to ease the discomfort of illnesses including bronchitis and itchy skin. Side effects are minimised by using a low dose and by administering them every second day rather than daily. Despite these precautions, some dogs still experience troubling side effects, such as increased thirst and appetite and changes in behaviour. Your vet may be able to prescribe an alternative drug to help the bronchitis.

Q Our Jack Russell bitch is in the early stage of pregnancy and we want to do the best for her. What is your opinion on raspberry leaf tablets? We have heard that they really help when it comes to whelping. R R, Somerset

It may be better to stay away from using unproven remedies. My colleagues who specialise in herbal pet care are cautious about raspberry tea leaves; apparently a researcher in the United States has noted a possible connection between raspberry leaf and the need for a Caesarean section. This may be because the leaf is often given to dogs that eventually require the procedure, but it is something to consider. You may find that you are better off focusing on keeping her at a healthy weight by feeding her nutritious food and not allowing her to get too fat, and taking her on brisk daily walks to make sure that she remains physically fit.

Pregnancy and whelping are natural events that generally don"t need our intervention.

Finding a pedigree puppy

I recently mentioned (January 22) the Kennel Club Accredited Breeders scheme as a way of finding a pedigree puppy. A few of you contacted me to say that you felt that this scheme needs to be improved.

Thankfully, one of the recommendations of the recent independent inquiry into dog breeding was a significant upgrade of this scheme, supervised by a new independent advisory council on dog breeding. For more information see www.thekennelclub.org.uk

Send problems to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.uk We regret that he cannot answer all readers" letters personally. All sick animals should be taken to a vet