Actually, we've very long suspected that the dominance relationships in
domestic ferrets reflect learned behavior.  The nature of the one we had
with all but our earliest ferrets and the current batch (since Meltdown is
separated to reduce stress effects on her cardiomyopathy as per Bruce
William's advice and that of our vet) except for the gender aspect is quite
similar to that found in most non-human troop primates in that the alpha
individual is willing to place herself in harm's way and to keep harmony
among the others in exchange for having first dibs at whatever is desired.
The pattern was distinctive and was obvious.
 
As with the level of verbalization among adults (especially by alphas) when
enjoying private moments with Steve and I, this was begun by Haleakala who
joined our family as a retired breeder (after a male's canine perforated one
of her eyes during mating) either 12 or 13 years ago.  Hale was also very
big on talking and would hold complex exchanges with us.  Except for names
she came up with for Steve and for me we never understood any of the
discourse, but she would lie in our arms and carry on with a stream of well
varied verbiage till it was our turn; but, heck, this is also a ferret who
used to try to yodel along with an early PHC record cut.  (Sounded pitiful,
but she loved it.) Meltdown does not yodel, but she "talks" more than
Fritter, but less than Haleakala.  'Chops is too hard of hearing to have
caught on with that and just dooks pretty much.
 
It will be interesting to see how methods in the future change now that the
way dominance relationships here have.
 
Another reason we suspect that these ways of relating are learned is
because even from the start there were always a wide range of different
patterns seen in the ferret households represented here and elsewhere.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 1682]