[Steve wrote that it took an hour to get his ferret out of the dryer]
 
This is probably in the FAQ, but just as a reminder I thought I'd pipe up
and suggest to anyone (who hasn't already done it) that one of the first
things you should do as a responsible ferret owner is train your ferrets
to come to some (mechanically produceable) sound.  It can mean the
difference between finding and not finding a little escapee, and can save
you a lot of time if you need to to convince him or her to come out of
some dangerous or undesirable place.
 
We use a squeaky toy (with a kissy noise as a backup), but I know people
who use bicycle horns or bells.  It has been incredibly easy to train them;
the hardest part has been keeping a supply of treats on hand (we go through
ferretone and raisins pretty fast with five guys, even though it's no more
than a raisin or pump of ferretone, maybe two, per day per ferret).
 
All you have to do is make the sound, then give them a treat most of the
time.  Giving them a treat all of the time would work too, but the training
is supposed to last longer and have a stronger effect if you only give them
a treat sometimes (partial positive reinforcement, aka the slot machine
principle).
 
Be sure to make the sound from different places throughout the house so
that they don't learn to stampede to, say, the kitchen when you make the
sound.  I also try to make the noise at random times throughout their
day--sometimes when they're curled up asleep, sometimes when they're
playing, eating, or exploring something new.  They're slow to come when
exploring something new or eating, but they do it.  The only time they
don't reliably come is if they're already eating a treat.
 
We chose a squeaky toy because it seems to be an inherently interesting
noise to them, and squeaky toys are cheap, loud, and a little silly
sounding.  (One drawback is that Boomer the Biter will bite your leg if
you keep squeaking it once he's arrived, so I don't do that.)
 
Happy Ferreting!
Dennis
Grendel, Gilbert, Boomer, Diesel, and Miss Lily
[Posted in FML issue 1297]