Hello,
 
I have seen lots of folks write in about the use of scruffing for
ferrets.  I am sure that that would be effective, but, I was trained
as a lab animal technician years ago.  This was really helpful when I
first got my ferrets.  Most rat restraint holds are effective on
ferrets.  A scruff is a somewhat uncomfortable short term hold, and
one that they can skirm a lot in.  Often, in a scruff, they can either
shake free or turn and bite.  I used a restraint hold rather than a
scruff on my sunshine.
        This hold consists of: firmly (but not tightly) grasping the
ferret, your index and middle fingers on either side of the head
(immobilizing it, especially good for bitey ferrets) and the thumb and
ring fingers about their middle behind the forelegs.  I think that if
you try a time-out in this position you may be pleasantly surprised at
the results.  Our rule was that they remained in time-out until they
had remained totally immobile for 10 seconds.  At first, it took quite
a while to satisfy this criterion (up to 3 minutes).  If you put them
down before they satisfy this criterion, *you are training them to
struggle by reinforcing it*.  Now, (they are 6 and 2 years old) they
respond to this restraint with a learned helplessness response (I know
I can't do *anything* until you put me down).
        If I hold them any other way (even just a finger out of place)
they are their normal skirmy selves.  But, this position means
business.  It is also effective for the annual vet visits.  Neither of
the ferrets have any opportunity to misbehave or fear bite at the vet.
My two are also very snuggly ferrets... I haven't any idea if this is
related to our training methods (I am a behavioral ecologist and my
husband a psychologist) or we are just lucky!
 
Give it a try... let me know how it works!!
 
 
               --()       ______           Kari Toyer
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  "Ferrets have two modes:     asleep...   and in trouble!!"
[Posted in FML issue 1109]