Chris,
Your autopilot warning message is still "On."
[Not any more.]
Glad to have you back! It was nice getting a mailing
list issue every day, but we still missed you!! And
after having that one sick note pass through, I am
more appreciative than ever of what you do for us all!
How was your trip? Hope you had a nice time.
> Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 18:52:35 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: training
>
> Okay, here's a question. I know the basics on training, like with
> dogs and stuff, but can someone give me some pointers? I at least want to
> teach Trella `No!' (Big one! :-) ) and `come'. Are there any special hints
> for ferrets -- are they stubborn like cats, trainable like dogs, or somewhere
> in the middle? What food, etc., can I use as incentive without making her ill
> -- I haven't experimented with any fruits yet -- would that be okay? I used
I think this depends on the ferret and the patience of the human! :-)
I'd say ferrets fall somewhere between cats & dogs, both personality-wise
& training-wise. We have friends who have taught their ferrets many
tricks, but they spent a lot of time at it. Bandersnatch & Mimsy will
both roll over, and Bandy will jump through a hoop & dive in a pan of
water for Pounce treats (their treat of choice) -- but on the other hand,
Bandy is the most overweight ferret I've ever seen. Three of our four
have learned to ride on a shoulder (we followed the suggestions in the
Morton book "Ferrets") -- except Pogo, who just doesn't get it.
As far as fruit goes, our Bandit *loves* grapes, but the other three
have no interest in them. He also enjoys raisins, but they stick
to his teeth.
> cat-a-lax this morning, but I can only give her a little of that twice a week,
> so I need to think of something else. What other neat tricks can I try, and
> how long should I work with her at a time? Questions, questions, questions
The Mortons suggest short sessions -- 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Ferrets
just don't have the attention span to stay focused for longer periods --
too many other interesting things going on!!
> (as usual!). She's growing like a weed! She's about twice the size she was
> two weeks and a half weeks ago, and very entertaining -- too bad she usually
How old is Trella now? It's not unusual for a ferret to grow very
quickly when they are young, and many will get quite chubby for awhile,
until they get to be about a year old, and then will quickly slim down.
At least, that's our experience with our three oldest. Pogo is 9 months
old now, and we expect him to slim down by Christmas.
> studying for a test! For example, Wednesday night she decided to try to take
> Bailey (my roommate's 60-pound boxer/shepherd goof) for a walk. Honest! For
> some reason, she took a liking to Bailey's flexi-lead and (with much
> determined effort) started pulling it toward the door. Bailey just followed
> along like `Hey! What're you doin' with my stuff?!' We were in stitches.
This is the funniest ferret story I've heard in a couple months!!
> Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 07:51:00 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask] (Roger D. McMillian)
A belated welcome to the Ferret Mailing List! When did you first
get interested in ferrets? How long have you been involved in
all those groups you listed? It's nice to have you with us.
Katie, Jeff, Bandit, Molly, Charlie & Pogo
[Posted in FML issue 0321]
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