I feel for the person who is at their witts end with their biting kit!  My
little guy is (supposedly) 12 weeks old now...i suspect more like 10wks...
When I first picked him up at the pet store(supposedly 8 wks) he was asleep
and as he gained consciousness he proceeded to nibble which changed to gnaw
and finally CHOMP!  Needless to say...I bought him!! :)  Within the next two
or three days I began to get very frustrated with his nipping.  It really
hurt!  And yes, I tried that gag thing...did it wrong...and he chomped
really really hard!  ouch.  I scruffed him, and scolded him too!  No
results.  He would just fly at me (in play) and chomp all over me!  I had
some success grabbing him with my thumb and forefinger by the scruff of the
neck and dragging him on the floor.  But, within a week or so he was even
quicker and more co-ordinated and it became more of a game to him as I
couldn't catch him.  I also discovered that he was stone deaf!  No wonder my
shouts and scoldings had no effect.  I often brought him in the bathroom
while I bathed my daughter and let him run around.  He loves to bite
feet...especially wet ones!  I picked up my daughters rubber dolphin and
squirted water at him while he was busy chewing on my ankle.  Wow, what a
surprize for him!  Within a few minutes he grabbed my finger and bit down
harder and harder when I tried to get him to let me go.  Without really
thinking I just dunked him in the bath water.  He let go immediately.  I did
that only once, but used the squirt method some more.  He now is very gentle
when he play nips me.  Almost no pressure at all.  The only time he gives
nips that are a little to hard is when he is in the full throws of joy!
This took place over a three week period.  He is a little older, a lot
bigger, and far less apt to chomp on me!  He likes to sit on my shoulder ,
play in my hair and gently nibble my ears.  Today I had him at the vet for
his second distemper shot.  After the vet failed the first time to inject
him correctly, I gave him a break.  He grabbed my hand...but put no
pressure....The vet had success with her second try.  He didn't even try to
bite the vet like he did when he got his first shot....He is doing really
well.  My suggestion would be to try a squirt gun.  Although the rubber
dolphin I used let out a significantly larger stream of water than a squirt
gun...more like a little bucket full of water!  He puts his mouth on me all
the time but never(well, almost) bites down....he even tried to "rescue" me
from the stairs the other day.  I was trying to coax him down the steps...he
ran back and forth along the edge of the top step and when I reached my hand
out to him (he usually runs up my arm) he grabbed my finger gently and tried
to pull me up the steps!!  I am really enjoying him and see improvement with
his nipping every day!  Don't give up!  I had some experience with two
ferrets years ago...one that never ever bit humans, only other animals, and
one that bit hard all humans he didn't know but never my dogs or cat!  If
I'd had access to this wonderful thing we call the web, I would have known
so much more about ferrets that even the hard bitter could have been cured!
(by the way, he was still a great ferret with the few people brave enough to
get to know him)
 
Deb & Troop
 
Goose:  " I thought if I was nice she wouldn't jabb me with that thing
again!" dook, honk, honk.
[Posted in FML issue 2265]