>Has anyone out there ever tried and succeeded in teaching a ferret to heel
>when walking on a leash?
 
Waldo, my 3-year old panda mitt, has always been a "heeler".  I'm a dog
obedience instructor, and he nearly always comes along when the dog pack and
I go out for our daily walks.  I never attempted to teach Waldo to heel, he
just stays right next to me (though on the right side, as the dogs heel on
the left) whether the dogs are with me or not.  He even stays with me if
we're running (though he gets a zigzag pattern going when we run, so I've
got to watch my feet)!  He's the honorary alpha dog in my house - they defer
to him almost more than to me.  Maybe because his sharp little teeth are
closer to their noses than mine are...
 
Of course, his buddy Joanna won't heel for anything.  She's an honorary (or
is it ornery?) cat through and through!
 
Tanya, et al: ferrets Waldo & Joanna; dogs Samson, Moses, & Misou;
cats Booger, Poopie, Big Head, Fatty, & Cali; African greys Plato &
Gargamel; bearded dragons: Fang, Stumpy, & The Grouch.
[Posted in FML issue 1983]