Can you train a hedgehog?

[mineofuselessinformation]

I have one, sometimes two hedgehogs that visit my garden regularly to eat. I'd dearly love for them to hibernate in my garden and make it their home - I've bought a good quality hedgehog house in anticipation!
I've moved the food bowl a bit and they know where to find it, so I'll move it a bit every few days, hoping to end up at the hedgehog house.
Does anyone know if they will investigate the house if I can eventually put the food on the entrance?
I appreciate this might be a bit niche! 🦔🦔🦔🦔

I was envisioning them rolling up on command, or doing very small agility courses.

They’ll probs go in and eat the food then leave. Just be patient and see. What kind of hedgehog house is it? They’re solitary and territorial so you’d need more than one house if you wanted both.

OP, here's a link to my favourite thread of 2021. I think there may be a few people on there who can help

How do you catch a hedgehog? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/4374246-How-do-you-catch-a-hedgehog

I love the title of your thread, I've just been doing some really heavy reading elsewhere and I saw your thread, and it made me smile. Good luck with the hedgehogs.

I was on that other thread (H8) … have name changed since then.

Unfortunately, no, you can’t train a hedgehog, only make living conditions favourable.

Lots of leaves in your garden is helpful (they’ll use it for bedding and it’ll become a really good source of food as insects and beetles will Nov pe in).

They’re fussy sods though. We have several houses in our garden (they’re not particularly territorial except mating season) and have never had one live there except short stay residents when we’ve been releasing our overwintered hedgehogs in spring.

What sort of house do you have?

move in

I have a mental image here of a hedgehog playing fetch and shaking paws

My mother's hedgehogs knock at the back door when she's late with putting their peanuts out. Does that count?

Most animals don't want to rest close to food so I would keep the food and nest separate (e.g. food could attract foxes/cats which they wouldn't want near them when they're resting).

You can train any animal! Good luck!

I've got visions of a row of hedgehogs all lined up doing exercises!
If I'm right, the second hedgehog is the offspring of the first one (noticeably smaller a few months back, now similar sizes). Does that make a difference to hibernation arrangements?
Advice regarding food / sleeping quarters taken on board. The house is a wooden structure with a U-turn to the bedroom ) I did my research!) There are also leaves in my garden (a good excuse not to tidy them up), plus I've given them a head start with some hay which they might eat (?) or use as bedding.

They are absolutely heaving with fleas apparently.

Aw, op, it's lovely that you've built a little house for them! Hope they move in and appreciate it 😁

@Viviennemary, I have long experience of hedgehogs, going back to my last house (so 35 years plus). In that garden, there wasn't an easy way out for them, so I used to pick them up with oven gloves and put them in the empty plot next door. The oven gloves went straight in the wash!
These, I have no need to touch, so if they have fleas it's no problem to me.

There’s a lady on Twitter runs a hedgehog rescue called Hedgehog Cabin, she’s very knowledgeable and has helped me with my little hedgehog that I think is now hibernating under my doorstep (he’s not taking the food I’ve been leaving out)

I just went out to turn my hot tub down,and one was having a last snaffle at the food, so while I covered the hot tub properly I forgot to turn it down!
I'll keep on moving the food bowl.

@Viviennemary

They are absolutely heaving with fleas apparently.

Very few have fleas and if they do, it’s usually symptomatic of illness.

Plus … hedgehog fleas are host specific. They don’t transfer/bite animals like cats/dogs or humans.

Love the thread title - I hope you get one to move in!

I just wanted to make sure people are aware of the dangers of some hedgehog houses (in case anyone reading is inspired to buy one). I think the ones in the link are not available any more but I'm sure similar can be bought online.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/hedgehog-rescue-harm-aldi-houses-animal-charity-b857781.html

I’ve had a couple who sporadically visit my little garden over the last few years, so in the spring I made what I thought would be a hedgehog palace, made from a stack of large rocks with an enticing entrance and lovely little cave inside for them to move into.

Little buggers completely ignored it, and instead one has made a nest underneath a large bush amongst the roots. Looks far less sturdy than my effort but there you go, s/he is probably tucked away hibernating by now.

The best thing you can do is leave the underneath of borders/hedges a ragged mess- they love the cover and insects it provides. Far too much sanitisation these days goes on in gardens, clearing dead wood and leaves etc and making things pristine takes away their habitat.

@SameToo

They’ll probs go in and eat the food then leave. Just be patient and see. What kind of hedgehog house is it? They’re solitary and territorial so you’d need more than one house if you wanted both.

That's why they call 'em Hedgehogs. They won't sharge a hedge.

Give them a food house and another nearby sleeping house with straw in (not hay as it holds damp). They might already have their winter hideaway planned and furnished for this year, but I'm sure they'll move in in time.

@Peacocking

Give them a food house and another nearby sleeping house with straw in (not hay as it holds damp). They might already have their winter hideaway planned and furnished for this year, but I'm sure they'll move in in time.

These are some pampered hogs...

I have same issue, hedgehog cafe which they use every night ( until recently so hoping they are ok and just hibernating) two deluxe houses tucked into dry corners of the garden, plenty of leaves but the little buggers still not using them. The wildlife cam has shown them walking past the houses but they dont look interested in going in. My friend who has a full hedgehog house every year 🤨 says it takes ages for them to use them and not to put food too close as it will actually put them off! Shame because i was so desperate for them to move in i was thinking of putting the food in the actual house. I think you just have to be patient and assume that they currently have a nice home somewhere that they prefer.

It seems there are some very choosy hedgehogs around.
Do you reckon they look into our paltry efforts and clutch their pearls?

Yep bloody fussy 🦔🦔🦔

Hmm, @StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes, I'm not even sure they know the house is there. That's why I've been moving the food bowl more in that direction.
I'd be gutted if I knew they knew it was there but rejected it!
For info, the hedgehogs in my last garden lived under the DC's playhouse which was no longer in use. I left it up as I knew the hedgehogs lived under it, even though it hadn't been used in several years (and I told the new owners about it).