Hi, Faith.  We walk ur two ferrets all the time-we don't even generally
need the harness; they're collars don't get slipped when they're ont eh
leashes-they gave up trying that a long time ago.  They do stop and sniff
stuff a lot, but with a little prompting (gentle tug on leash or stomping
of feet to get their attention or just moving in a direction), they move
along quite well.  The thing that really slows us down, thugh, especially
on a really nice day at a populous park, is that yuo don't get very far,
not 'cause of the fert, but b/c of all the PEOPLE who stop you to look at
the ferts, talk to you about them, etc.  It's actually really funny, and
we have spread a lot of info around about ferrets, their habits and their
care.  We have heard little girls say "Look!  They're walking their
kitties!" and have had snowplows and cars stop and back up to get a better
look.  (And our babies aren't scared of anything, including the snow plow
and big dogs, so you do have to keep a close eye out!) We have dispelled
the myths that ferrets are wild, bitey (most aren't), dirty, untrainable,
rodents, etc.  It's been fun and educational for the folks we meet, and
we've been stopped by everyone from ages 3 to 93.  The boys love the
attention, too!
 
Good luck with getting your ferret into walks!
 
-April, Nicodemus and Finnegan, proud new members of Kouri's Fan Club
[Posted in FML issue 3406]