Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is associated with a reduced quantity and / or quality of retrieved oocytes, usually leading to low numbers of retrieved oocytes and poor reproductive outcomes. DOR may potentially progress to premature ovarian insufficiency and premature ovarian failure, which have adverse impacts on women’s health. There is currently no effective clinical treatment to rescue ovarian function. The limited availability of human ovarian tissues and medical ethics issues mean that animal models are crucial for improving our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of DOR and identifying preventive and therapeutic targets. This review thus aims to summarize the techniques and strategies used to establish rodent models of DOR, to provide a reference for future studies.