Excerpts from mail: 16-Jul-93 Ferret List Issue 521 Ferret Mailing
List@FERR (9948)
 
> { From:   Brad Laraway <[log in to unmask]>
> { > From:   "Seth Morabito" <[log in to unmask]>
> { > blood almost every time, (perhaps I'm just thin-skinned :-, ) and usually
> { > hangs on through three or four sharp "NO!"'s and nose-flicks   She'll
> {
> {         What I've found out is my ferrets don't mind a thump on the nose
> { all that much.  But a lite tug on a wisker or two drives them crazy.
 
> Another thing to do with biters is to let them bite your finger and then
> stick it partially down their throat.  Not very nice but not dangerous.
> You let them get uncomfortable and squirm abit after which you remove your
> finger and give them another chance to be good.  :)
 
I've done something similar that worked with a dog and my ferret.  I let
them take my finger  or thumb then grab the bottom of thier mouth with
my fingers just so they can't let go that easily.  Then when they start
to struggle a bit to get free, I let go and give a resounding "No" or
snap my fingers (my universal ferret sign of "No").  Since they don't
like the idea of being held by you without being able to get free, they
start thinking twice about biting again.  I don't think this is as
obtrusive as sticking somehing down their throat.  It doesn't hurt the
ferret at all.  It's more annoyance to the ferret than anything else.
 
The thing that I have noticed with my ferret is that she seems to have a
temper. She seems to take offence at me telling her that she can't go
somewhere or can have something.  After I say it, she looks at me then
hisses at me like to say "Geez Dad! Thanks for nothing!"  By the way,
she is a ferret teen-ager in ferret years.  But then she seems to get
spiteful and tries to sneak up on my feet while I'm not looking and
chomp down HARD.  She knows it's bad since she runs away immediately
after doing it and hides. Anyone else have a spiteful teenage carpet
shark?
 
        Rob,
        aka "I Was A Teenage Carpet Shark - great movie!"
 
[Posted in FML issue 0522]