Playing with and Training Your Degus

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Degus are diurnal (active during the day), highly social animals that live in large colonies in the wild. They are among the most cognitively complex of all small pet rodents — research has shown they can use tools, understand cause-and-effect relationships, and even learn to use a rake to retrieve out-of-reach food.¹ In captivity, they need rich enrichment, daily interaction, and the company of at least one other degu to thrive.

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The Wheel

Degus need a large, solid-surface wheel — at least 25–28 cm (10–11 inches) in diameter. The wheel must have a solid running surface to prevent foot and leg injuries. Degus are active during the day and will use their wheel extensively during their waking hours.²

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Enrichment Ideas

Enrichment Type	Ideas
Digging	Deep substrate layer (at least 20 cm / 8 inches) for burrowing
Climbing	Multi-level cage with platforms, branches, and ladders
Chewing	Wooden blocks, cork bark, pumice stones, branches (apple, willow, hazel)
Foraging	Scatter seeds in substrate, hide herbs in cardboard tubes
Dust bath	Chinchilla dust bath 2–3 times per week
Social	Time with bonded cage-mates — degus housed alone suffer significantly

Sugar warning: Degus are extremely prone to diabetes. Never use sugary treats as rewards. Safe reward foods include small pieces of plain dried herb (dandelion, nettle), a single pumpkin seed, or a tiny piece of plain vegetable. See our Nutrition article for safe food lists.

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Training Your Degus

Degus are highly trainable and enjoy the mental challenge of learning new behaviors. Because they are diurnal, training sessions can be conducted during the day when they are naturally active — a significant advantage over nocturnal species.³

Target training:

1. Hold a small target stick near your degu's nose.
2. When they sniff or touch it, reward immediately with a tiny piece of safe treat.
3. Move the target progressively further away.
4. Use the target to guide them through obstacle courses, onto your hand, or around a maze.

Tricks degus can learn:

• Follow a target through a maze
• Stand up on hind legs
• Spin in a circle
• Come when called
• Jump between platforms

Tool use enrichment: Research has demonstrated that degus can learn to use a small rake to pull food toward them through a barrier.⁴ You can replicate this at home with a small stick and a treat placed just out of reach — this provides exceptional cognitive stimulation.

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Out-of-Cage Time

Degus benefit from supervised out-of-cage time in a secure playpen. Provide tunnels, climbing structures, and foraging opportunities. Always supervise closely — degus are fast and curious and will investigate everything.⁵

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References

Footnotes

1. Okanoya, K., Tokimoto, N., Kumazawa, N., Hihara, S., & Iriki, A. (2008). Tool-use training in a species of rodent: The emergence of an optimal motor strategy and functional understanding. PLOS ONE, 3(3), e1860. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001860 ↩

2. Berdoy, M., & Drickamer, L. C. (2007). Comparative social organization and life history of Rattus and Mus. In J. O. Wolff & P. W. Sherman (Eds.), Rodent Societies. University of Chicago Press. ↩

3. Bouchot, C., et al. (2007). Social learning in the degu (Octodon degus). Behavioural Processes, 74(1), 68–75. ↩

4. Okanoya et al. (2008). Op. cit. ↩

5. Quesenberry, K. E., & Carpenter, J. W. (Eds.). (2012). Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (3rd ed.). Elsevier Saunders. ↩