Joan and I went to the AFA show in New Carrollton, MD over the weekend.  It
was fantastic.  We got to meet many of the people who we had only "talked
to" by email, or had only "seen" on the FML.  It was a great opportunity to
learn and exchange ideas.
 
I had heard from many people on the FML about a method of training ferrets
not to nip that involved biting the scruff of a ferret.  We talked to one
gentleman at the show who swore by it.  I had to admit that it sure made
sense to me, although we've never tried it ourselves.
 
One of the first things that came to mind was "maybe this will be the thing
that finally breaks Ray from his nippy behavior." Ray came into our shelter
a over two months ago, with a real nippy attitude that we've only made slow
progress toward correcting.  Other than his occasional playful but painful
nipping, Ray is a real clown who can keep you in stitches with his antics.
 
This morning was the first real opportunity to give this technique a try.
Ray sneaked up behind Joan and pinched her behind her heel.  Joan calmly
reached down, picked him up and chomped him in his scruff until he squealed
surrender.  She then put him back on the floor.
 
You've never seen a happier ferret.  He chuckled, bounced and bounded with
apparent glee.  I guess he thought that he finally taught his "new friend"
how to ferret play, and promptly began to "play" with Joan's feet and ankles
while running circles around her; then taking off to get her to chase him.
When, instead, she bent down to wipe up a spill, Ray rushed out from cover,
bit her on her rear, then he dooked happily across the kitchen floor.
 
I know that all nip training techniques do NOT work with ALL ferrets.  I can
say with some certainty that biting Ray's scruff is a prime example of what
does NOT work with Ray.
 
Ray is a nut case.
 
     Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1861]