Terry's post on giving a treat after the vacuuming was done brought to mind
how I trained a dog a few decades ago.  <G> We had a long haired dog who
would shed everywhere.  I really thought that running the brush attachment
over him every so often would help control the hair redistribution.  Problem
was the dog was terrified of the sound.  Turn the vacuum on and the dog was
cowering under something at the other end of the house.
 
I had a idea.  I turned on the vaccuum, hunted the dog down in his hiding
place and gave him a treat.  I repeated this a couple of times a day.  I
never turned the cleaner on unless I had a treat ready for him.  In a couple
of weeks, he quit running from it.  A week later he would come running
toward the sound to get his treat.  Then I'd run the brush over him while
giving him the treat.
 
It worked so well, that he became an absolute pest.  He had associated the
vacuum cleaner with the treat so thoroughly that you could NOT run the
cleaner until you first brushed him, and he never demanded or looked for the
treat after that.
 
It should work with a ferret too.  A little Ferretone when you turn on the
vacuum.  Who knows, maybe you'll be wishing that he didn't enjoy the vacuum
so much.  <g>
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1708]