Christy,
hmmm.... where to start?? I have 5 little monkeys (Ferrets)... ONLY one
continues to nip at me... The others took some work, actually in Bellas'
case ALOT of work... she was my first and I was quite green in the Ferret
department, I mean... I had read all the stuff I could find on the
internet, ferret FAQ, help sites and peoples personal sites, I invested in
two books and was still at my wits end... THAT'S when I contacted a local
Shelter and asked for advice on how to teach my little one that biting was
painful to me. So far, only TWO methods have worked for me...
Some people say NOT to use treats in training because they are bad for
little ones so take this as ONLY my personal experience with these little
ones. I discovered very soon after getting Bella that she LOVED
Ferretone... LOOOOVED!! So after employing ALL of the other recommended
methods, apple bitter, time outs, stern nos'... I decided to try
Ferretone... I thought hey, if she realizes that she gets a little treat if
she licks instead of bites... maybe she wont bite... so I put a little bit
of ferretone on my foot and walked around with her out like I normally
did... and I know it sounds crazy... but it worked... She is the only one
that it worked with... the others required something very different... I
had initially been told that the way to "train" ferrets was to FLICK their
nose when they did something that hurt you. I had a real problem with this
because I dont believe in using physical force to punish or train any type
of animal (humans included in that statement). Then the womyn from the
local shelter suggested scruffing them... at first I was VERY apprehensive,
thinking this would hurt them, she assured me that this was NOT painful to
the little guys.... so I tried it... if they bit hard enough to hurt me...
I scruffed them, looked in their eyes, put my finger on their nose... (no
tapping or hitting, just PLACING my finger on their little nose) and said
"NO Biting" in a stern voice... they I give em a kiss and cuddle and put em
back down to play... THIS WORKED!! And it was really surprising how FEW
times I had to do this before they discontinued the nipping that was
painful... my babies still chase feet... wouldnt you, if you were only 6
inches off the floor and lived with a bunch of big tall things?? and
occasionally they hurt me a little, I live with that... I know they are
just playing and I really dont want to discourage their happy antics...
through trial and error (on their part) they seem to have learned what
hurts and what doesnt...
The one that continues to nip was not treated nicely by the family that had
her before she was surrendered to a wonderful shelter here in PA... I
empathize with her (Dharma, my littlest girl)she was neglected and had very
little contact with humyns so... I imagine its a little intimidating for
her... I will continue to be patient and loving with her... I have decided
to not to use scruffing for training her, as it just panics her... I will
hope that interaction and love help her to trust me over time... I have had
her for 6 weeks and I beleive she knows me and has been more interactive
with me but still seems skittish and, unfortunately for me, still likes to
assault me with her little teeth on occasion... so... basically what I am
saying... should everythig else fail to discourage your little one from
nipping you in ways that cause you pain... patience, love and LOTS of
interaction seem like the way to go... of course, we should all be doing
these things anyway so it should be an easy solution!
I think its wonderful that you took on this responsiblity... *pat on da
back*... its sooo rewarding... watching their little personalities develop
and watching as they learn (and they do REALLY learn alot)... and teach you
all kinds of cool things. Please share the funny stories with us... I love
reading about the antics of other ferret families...
I am still green compared to others on the list so hopefully both of us
will get some usefull advice as a result of your post.
Dooks and Dance to all!!
Bella : But mommy I like to play in the trash can!
Stuey: Mommy, Mommy... come and see what Bella did!!
Yoshi: Sleeeeepy.... Im soooo Sleeeeepy
Dharma: Look... a new DIG BOX!
Pugsley: Mommy, no more walking...I dont need to lose weight, I like myself
just the way I am!
and me... Betty!
[Posted in FML issue 3141]
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