Great Post Dick!!
 
Dick writes:
>...Ferrets are very fast learners, and I've never seen an animal more
>anxious to communicate than a ferret.  Although they may chose to ignore
>you, that doesn't mean that they don't understand you....
 
Very true!!  For instance take Nikki...in the evening's I will go in the
living room to read the local paper, and I say to Nikki, "No foolishness
tonight!!" No sooner do I get those words out and Nikki starts with the
'foolishness', a game to him....Nikki leave my paper alone, Nikki get off
the entertainment centre, I'll chase him cause he takes my slipper...it's
a game to him...but it's known as foolishness, and when I say the words
he wants to play!!
 
Dick writes:
>...Just the other day, Doc was prancing through the living room.  I
>called to him, and he acted like he didn't even hear me, let alone
>understand.  After the third call, I said, "Do you want this treat or
>don't you?" With that he wheeled around and ran full speed to me....
 
My Amber-Lynn will come on the fly if one calls "Here Am"...never
fails....it's not my distinctive voice, she will come on the run at
anyone's voice.  I find this quite amazing!!  Of course she, gets a good
praisn' or an occasional treat when she comes runnin'.  Nikki is a
different story, he will come when he's called, but he takes the little
dude's route in the Family Circus comic.
 
Dick writes:
>...Now all I have to do is say, "Doc, if you don't quit that, I'm going
>to get the newspaper." He'll do his back-up-prance of defiance, then
>wander off to find something else to get into...
 
Ambi often, real often.... likes to be hoisted up to the bathroom sink
for a little cool running drink.  We always have referred to this as
"drinks"....if you ask Ambi if she wants a 'Drinks', guaranteed.... she
is at the bathroom before you!!!
 
Dick writes:
>...I can tell them to go find one of the other ferrets by name, and if
>they feel like it, they will go off and bring that particular ferret
>back.  Then both will stand there looking at me as if to say, "OK, now
>what did you want?"...
 
I have a bifold French door that separates the kitchen and livingroom
hallway.  One opens it by pulling on a knob that is somewhat centered
in the door.....Ambi knows that when the door is closed in order to open
it, she need to push in the center at the bottom of the door and VOILA
it opens.  Nikki doesn't know from a hole in the ground how to open the
door, he will get in the far corner and pull for hours...it just doesn't
work.  So when I close the door, I will say to Nikki.....go get Ambi to
open it for you, not a word a lie, he's gone to get Ambi, she comes back
with him and opens the door!!  Or if Ambi is sleeping in the closet and
Nikki just wakes up and is looking for Ambi, I will tell Nik that Ambi
is in the closet, and he pretty much goes down the hall, peeks in the
bathroom, then goes right to the closet.
 
Dick Writes:
>...I have a friend who could tell their ferret to "go put the toys
>away," and the ferret would round up all of the toys and put them in
>the "toy box."
 
I will give Nikki a little treat and tell him to take it over on the mat
to eat it, over to the mat he goes!!.
 
Dick writes:
>Yes, they do understand words and perhaps even fairly complex sentences.
 
I certainly believe they do!!
 
They really do understand, and it's indeed a level of communication!!
 
Jadesun
Amber-Lynn, my Turkey Bone with the Chicken Legs
Nikki Taur, my White Tiger
http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/jadesun
[Posted in FML issue 4500]