The African giant pouched rats are sociable, clean and intelligent animals and it is very satisfying to see how they respond to our training methods and how hard they work. Many people still think of rats as dirty and stupid animals but they are actually very smart and likeable. The rats all have unique personalities. Some are very energetic, constantly moving and running about, while others are more relaxed. A few of the rats are very vocal, happily squeaking when they are about to be fed, while they are being handled, and sometimes while they are working. The different personality traits rarely prevent a rat from being trained to become a good sniffer rat, but some traits are better suited for certain types work. For example, a strong and energetic rat can usually search a large area of ground for landmines very quickly, but the rat may be more difficult to handle because it will not hold still.