>From:    Rachel Zuckerman <[log in to unmask]>
>It's been a while since I've posted, but now I have a question: how do
>you call a ferret who can't hear you?  Over the past half-year or so,
>I've come to realize that my Lola is completely deaf.
 
Would training her to respond to a vibration cue work?  If ferrets can
pick up vibrations, which is seems like they should since they're low to
the ground, you can teach her to come when you stomp or tap a foot/hand
on the floor.  To give the stomp it's meaning, first power it up.
 
Ex. *stomp* when she's right there and *TREAT*
 
The treat should be super-duper would jump through flaming hoops to die for
yummy.  Pretty quick the association between stomps and treats appearing is
formed.  Then Lola will do whatever is necessary to make the silly human do
that stomping thing so the really yummy treat appears.  This is when you
refine the process.
 
The only thing that gets Lola what she wants (the stomps and subsequent
treats!) is when she does what you want - in this case coming.  Initially
start off right near where she is with treats on hand.  Whenever Lola moves
in your direction, stomp and treat.  She will probably figure out pretty
quick that moving towards the hoomans makes the stomp/reward happen.
Once she's got the idea you can make it tougher by the stomp/reward only
happening when she comes right to you, fairly quickly.  Once that behaviour
is solid, you give it a name.  In a hearing animal we'd introduce the voice
cue "come"... with her we might try a bit of Morris Code.  When she's
figured out that coming makes the stomp/treat happen, wait till she's
coming and *thump-pause-thump* and give the treat when she keeps coming.
Not long after this we should see Miss Lola figure out that responding to
*thump-pause-thump* makes the *stomp/treat* happen.  Ahhhhh... bingo!  Now
she knows come!
 
Go very slowly and make sure she is solid in knowing what each step means
CLOSE to you before you start working with distances.  Be sure to work in
different rooms since animals (or at least dogs, which is what I was taught
this training with) do not generalize well.  This means that "come" in the
kitchen doesn't necessarily mean "come" when you're in the bedroom, unless
they're worked in various environments during the training process.
 
Best of luck!
 
Amanda & Kuma the little bear ferret
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now relocated to Charlotte, MI!
http://www.geocities.com/throughacatseyes/kuma.html
[Posted in FML issue 3525]