This is based on almost 30 years of ferret experience. First I will
explain that times-out in a cage work, but then will go into other
approaches since with your own blindness, Randie, times-out become
more difficult to do in any consistent fashion.
Ferrets are not stupid. They love to interact with people. They learn.
Heck, from our experience they even learn a number of words as long as
the vocabulary is kept simple and repetitive. Obviously, vocal words
are not learned by the ones who are deaf, and a number are deaf,
usually due to neural crest genetic variations. These ferrets often
have a white head, or a white head blaze. Someone can tell you if your
ferret has those markings.
We've found times out to be very effective. Ferrets do NOT only know
that they have been put in the cage. They realize that their chances
for interaction have been halted and they tend to know why. We even
had one who used to give herself times out if she decided that she was
becoming too excited. She had learned that from her cage times to calm
down, and would take herself away from all, turn her back on us, and
lay there till she got herself under control.
Nor do ferret resent times out. Ours are completely trusting which is
a result that poor training practices like hitting won't achieve.
The difficulty with times out for you, Randie, is that you are blind
so if the ferret bites but then runs it will be difficult to have any
consistency with the times out for the simple reason that finding the
ferret will be difficult. I don't know if the blindness is full
blindness or partial, but either will make that approach more
difficult.
That leaves figuring out the root of the problem, and while some
answers can be found on one's own it may pay to have someone used to
ferrets observe.
Remember that being smart, ferrets will also try to train their people.
The origin of the difficulty could be something as simple as dental
pain or some other medical cause of the pain in which case the treating
veterinarian can help. In that situation often the biting just
completely stops once the animal is no longer in pain and trust can
then be built.
It could be scent based. Some ferrets hate certain perfumes and
lotions.
Whatever the origin, if this behavior has been going on for a while and
if the person's reactions are like prey response or are ones which do
not build trust then someone else is going to need to get involved in
the training. You need to switch the ferret away from trying to train
you to you training the ferret.
If you live somewhere where it is safe for you to give your general
location then perhaps someone here will be able to assist or to direct
you to a regional ferret club. There also are shelters listed in both
http://www.supportourshelters.org/SOS-ShelterList.html
and
http://www.ferret.org/links/shelters.html
I can not speak to how good or bad some of those people are at
training, but the hopes are that most have learned reasonable
techniques.
Ailigh and Joel Vanderbush might also be able to help:
http://www.animalia.us/Training.htm
So, vet appointment, elimination of scents you may be wearing to see
if that improves the situation, trying to not act like a prey animal,
times out if you have enough sensory input to do that pretty
consistently, asking someone else to watch the ferret's reactions to
see if the ferret might be deaf, and seeking someone to help are all
things to try.
Also, KEEP RECORDS. Yes, keep records of the situation -- anything you
think of that might be a cause or contributing factor. You may find
consistencies in the situation when the ferret bites or similar
factors. Then change each one of the possible causes individually to
find out which are involved. It may be a combination of those factor,
too.
People tend to expect ferrets to totally change their own behavior to
suit the needs of the people but really, since we are also supposed to
be smart beings, there has to be acceptance that we need to make some
changes in our behaviors, too, to reach a happy medium.
I am going to blind copy someone who is in a similar visual situation
as yours who may be able to tell you about ferret training when the
person is legally blind. I am putting your address in as the copy
address and the Ferret Mailing List address in as the primary "to"
address, Randie.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
[Posted in FML 6808]
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