Training Rat was an incredible experience! Not only was this my first time dealing with animals professionally, it was also my first time training using a proven, well documented method. Initially I was apprehensive; I was afraid of hurting Rat, of what Rat might do if she felt defensive, how aggressive the animals were, etc. But now after having experienced the rats first-hand, I would gladly do this as much as I can.
Training dogs (and attempting to train a friend's cat) is something that I have dealt with multiple times before, and I have done so without formal training of my own. Now that I have been educated in training and have real world experience, I feel confident that I can train just about anything, given a proper reinforcement and enough time.
Sniffy was very helpful, but in the end I had more problems with Rat, and that makes perfect sense. A program is designed to be perfect (although it may seem flawed to the user, it is still programmed to be perfect); a real animal is not. A real animal teaches you patience and how to overcome unforeseen obstacles. Rat did just that.
I have gained a lot from this experience, and I am immensely grateful for this opportunity! If I have learned a single thing from this first project, it is that I cannot wait for the second project. I am looking forward to the challenges facing me in the upcoming weeks to come! Rat, don't fail me now!
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