First Time Breeder

Question
QUESTION: Hello there!
Okay this will be a bit long, but I numbered the questions...
    quick background knowledge...so, you know about my mice Reepicheep and Peepiceek, which I adopted from the local good-reputation petco nearby on the 19th. So, training is going amazing! After watching a incredibly inspiring youtube video, I have been clicker-training PEEP (the recessive female) because she actually eats the treat and understands click-treat, rather than REEP (the dominant female) who walks away. Peep is now trained to sniff pointer-click-treat, which is helping me train her. She is very responsive and adapts well, and is quickly getting over her shyness. REEP on the other hand, is out-going, hyper, curious, and having issues with training. So here is the question:
1) how do I train Reep?
I have attempted the clicker, but she does not care for food. She eats enough in the cage already. All she does is prance around, run on her wheel, look depressed and poo in her ball so I quit that, and sleep. Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, SLEEP! Oh my goodness I don't know what to do! I spend 30 minutes training Peep, then 2 minutes waking up Reep and 8 minutes handling her. I feel so guilty spending not-so-much time with her, but all she wants to do is climb on me, so that's all we do. It get's a little monotonous!
2) Reep needs more to do, but what?
Know any interesting tricks I can teach her? She's not one for agility, tried that, she enjoys climbing, but I am taking her to school with Peep for show and tell and I don't want her to just sit there! Can you help me?

Oh, and as a side note, I recently noticed Peep went to drink and all she got was a sip when Reep went over, SHOVED her with her paws, and drank! Peep waited, got bored and left, and Reep left a second after Peep. Should I keep a look-out to make sure Peep is still getting food/water/bed? One time Reep kicked her out of the house for a full night, just cause she felt like sleeping alone!


Oh, another side note, actually a longer one :-/
So, I have owned mice for years now, and I am quite experienced. The only thing I have not done yet is breed a mouse and raise pups, which I have been dying to do; it would not be major, I would do a tryout and breed one mouse then raise its pups and find them homes with responsible friends at school. I have not talekd to my parents yet, though, so I will soon but I want to know what you think. I am confident I can find homes for all the pups, I have a good-sized aquarium and can use a cage-topper if needed, and I want to add the experience of baby mice to my list. I have already done research before on this and know when/how to handle pups, how to take care of a pregnant mouse, etc, but I need to experience it.
4) What are your thoughts?
5) What do you know about breeding mice (I need something uncomplicated and for first-timers.

ANSWER: Hi again, Sarah : ))

1.  If Reep isn't into it, she may just not be the one to teach tricks to. However, does she have interesting or boring food in the cage? If you give them boring food the night before and day that you want to train her, and then try a little Skippy-type peanut butter or actual butter on your finger, that may work. My "kids" like soy yogurt too. But I don't train them to eat from my hand. But DO spend more than 8 minutes handling her! Just because you are bored doesn't mean you don't have the responsibility to give her the love she needs. Most especially if she is looking depressed. You don't have to pet her or talk to her actively for a half hour but let her ride around in your clothing or crawl on you when you read. Will she stay in your shirt as you train Peep?

2. I don't train my mice to do tricks, so I can't offer a whole lot. You can Google it:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=what+tricks+can+you+teach+a+

You  may be able to train her to fetch a light ball (like those tinfoil-ish ones for cats at Petco); or if she puts it in something, you can call that basketball.

(3). Yes make sure Reep isn't keeping Peep from where she wants and needs to go. If you find Reep is being mean to Peep, try quickly blowing on her (I know rats hate this) or lightly tapping her nose just as she misbehaves (I teach mice not to bite this way). If Reep kicks Peep out of the house, take Reep out and put Peep in. You could even take Reep out for the night and put her in something else.

4.  Breeding is certainly fun. It is of course crucial to find homes for the little tykes before they are old enough. Try to find at least 6 homes before you even breed. Hopefully you wouldn't get more than 6 males; but if so, you have a good head start. Remember, each male may need its own home; and because after you breed you will still have Papa mouse and he will be living alone, you will need to hold him for an a hour a day. Boys are attention-intensive because they need you to be their mouse friend. So think about it carefully.

5. I have answered lots of mouse questions about breeding, pregnancy, and raising babies. This post answers a lot of questions:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2010/11/Pregnant-mouse-3.htm

What else would you like to know?

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello ^.^

   Cool! I think it is a great idea to let Reep play on me while I train Peep, she LOVES climbing all over me and is very social and kind, she only looks depressed in her ball.
1) If I did breed, is it better to breed the dominant female and let the recessive one be a mommy? It may give Reep something to do, but I am not sure I want her attitude and albino color passed on...Peep is a beautiful black with a sweet mood and loving character. She seems like a better mommy. But it seems more realistic to breed the dominant female!
I think my parents would allow me for the experience and challenge, and I would probably do it over the summer. I am not sure if I would be allowed to BUY a male, though...however I have the cage and everything for him. Its just I need to keep him away from the females for the rest f the time to prevent them from going into heat and my friend can't take her because she has female mice, too.
Reep and Peep are the perfect age to be bred, and they are sisters so they would nanny each other.
2) Is a 10 gallon aquarium (maybe + wire cage topper) enough for 2 females and a litter? That's all I got, I can't get a bigger aquarium. I do have a larger wire cage, but I am afraid the mice will escape.

PS: At the pet store only 5 in away from me (not a big one like Petco or Petsmart) they are small and not that widely known. On a recent visit there, my friend and I noticed mice kept in the back; so we asked to see them. A employee took us back there and let us hold the mice. I held a young one that was incredibly small and still growing its fur! I realized it was a male and they said they don't seperate the genders. Then I realized many of the females were pregnant and the litters that were born were always eaten (said the employee). I got all angry and freaked out and - almost - yelled at them, that they were stupid and didn't know how to care for mice. They kept like 50 males/females/babies in a smaller then 10gal aquarium! I saw that 70% of the mice were ill/pregnant/too young for purchase! I was so upset I cried when we left and did not by the items I came for. My friend and I have been so upset over this we want to donate things to them: a larger aquarium so they have two to seperate into, and a house/toys for the mice since all they have is 1 wheel, food, and water. What do you think we should do?

-Sarah Squeaks!

Answer
Hi Sarah,

I actually don't know if an aggressive mouse is more likely to eat another mouse's babies. It would make sense : (( but I'm not sure. However, because albinism is recessive, if you get a colored male, even if he has an albino gene at least half of Reep's babies will be colored. So I would breed Reep. If Peep is a good mommy type she will care for Reep's babies. Of course the personality issue is not solved, but if you get an outgoing male, you are likely to get some outgoing babies, and you can pick the babies you like best to keep.

A ten gallon tank is pretty much the minimum, but they'll be fine in it for the time it takes for them to be big enough not to escape the wire cage. Don't forget that mice can escape through any hole that their head fits through, so be sure to wait long enough. Of course you will need a lid! Those babies are going to be lively.

I don't think you can do anything about the pet store. No one cares about feeder mice. If it was rabbits or puppies they were mistreating, it would probably be a different matter. People treat feeders terribly. It makes me so sad! They need a good life as much as a pet. There is no difference. I did put the question out to my rodent friends so I'll update if I have another answer.

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha