>From:    Sheena Staples <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: How to make a biting ferret let go
 
It looks like you have a grip on the biters.  I have had 2 biters, and have
broken them both of that habit.  I want to note first, that ferrets are more
prone to biting the first few days after adoption.  A new owner, new
enviornment, new playmates, etc make for a fairly confused ferret.  However,
some just bite.  There are 3 things that I do to get a ferret to not only
release, but to stop biting altogether:
 
1: I start with a very loud "NO" about 2" from their face.  This seems to
work for the majority of the young ferrets.  When I say loud, I mean LOUD.
 
2: Flick thier nose: I good nose flick with my finger is another effective
method of getting a ferret to release. Very few ferrets enjoy the flick, and
therefore let go.
 
3: Jam method: and finally, for those ferrets that are absolutely insistent
on maintaining their chomp on my finger and the other methods do not work, I
push the chomped on finger even further into their mout towards the corner
of their jaw.  Sooner or later the pressure becomes very unpleasant and the
ferret releases.  He also remembers the taste of the finger and the
unpleasant feeling of it being jammed into the corner of his jaw.
 
And one final note for those that have "Toe biters".  Having my toe bitten
was extremely painful.  By the time I could react, Buford have my toe
bleeding and was running off.  Well, I broke him of that habit by wearing my
shoes for a while, and everytime he bit the shoes, I wacked him with a fly
swatter.  He now comes up and sniffs my feets and runs the other way.
 
Hope this helps you out.
 
Dave Smith
http://kode.net/~dsmith
 
Along with the crew of "Loosewire, Lucy, Spice, Buford and Bear"
[Posted in FML issue 1764]