Approximately a year and a half ago, we purchased two kits from a local pet
store.  They had been there for 3-4 months and weren't socialized at all.
In fact, I don't think they were treated all that very nicely from the
behaviors we have seen in both since.  They both were and sill are, to some
extent, biters.
 
They generally only nip once in a while now, but when we got them, they were
chomp as hard and as deep and as often as you can ferrets.  While I didn't
wind up with stiches, I suffered many a serious ferret bite including a
chomp to the bone on my index finger.  (Ouch!) We've tried numerous
anti-bite techniques - scruffing, hissing, time-out, bitter apple, nose
swats, petting while giving treats, cuddling and love when not biting, often
handing, and so on.
 
It's taken a long time to get to the point where we are now.  Atlas only
bites when he gets really scared.  He used to not let us touch him without a
bite for he was afraid to be touched.  He always seemed skittish and really
didn't play and have fun like a ferret should.  Now he's a happy, dooking
boy who loves to play and asks for attention.  (He likes attention in little
bits - a very quick snuggle or wrestle is his idea of the ideal attention.)
He even likes to now sleep on the bed with us.
 
Hijinx or Jinxie, as I call her most of the time, has been a bit more
difficult.  She's a loner ferret who has bonded pretty much only with me.
She has become my shadow.  She used to bite me with a vengence.  Now she
nips, almost exclusively me, more for attention then anything else.  I don't
think I'll ever be able to get her to drop the nipping entirely.  It seems
too much of just what she is and who she is.  Even so, she is our kissiest
ferret.  While she very rarely snuggles, she also rarely fights to be put
down.  She, in her own way, loves attention and to be touched.
 
While I think that some negative reinforcement is necessary in any training,
I have found that the positive reinforcement goes a lot farther.  I finally
rounded the corner with Atlas when I began petting him every morning when
the ferrets got their morning treat.  He was so interested in the treat that
he didn't mind the touch.  It took a while and a few bites including the
finger chomp, but the petting made the difference where nose swats,
scruffing, and time out didn't.  'Jinx...well, when our oldest ferret Squirt
was suffering from an adrenal tumor, he plagued 'Jinx constantly - biting
her scruff, dragging her around, all hormone driven behaviors.  I would
intercede when he got too out of hand.  She appreciated it and liked when I
picked her up and petted her out of Squirt's reach.  Again, petting was the
key.
 
While some may advoquate punishment as key to training, I think the rewards
are more important to the end result.  If you have a firm, patient and yet
caring and loving hand when training your ferrets, you will eventually
succeed - and no extreme punishment measures will need to be taken.
 
-kim, squirt (the snuggle bug!), pippi (the sprite), atlas (the ferret of
 brawn), and 'Jinx (kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss!)
 
PS...I hope all the US subscribers have a happy and food-filled Turkey
     Day!! :)
 
Kimberly Burkard     |             _    Everything I needed to know in life,
Eastman Kodak Company|      _____C .._. I learned from my ferret:
Rochester, New York  | ____/     \___/  Frolic and dance for joy often, have
[log in to unmask]    |<____/\_---\_\    no fear or worries, and enjoy life.
[Posted in FML issue 2136]