Approximately a year and a half ago, we purchased two kits from a local pet store. They had been there for 3-4 months and weren't socialized at all. In fact, I don't think they were treated all that very nicely from the behaviors we have seen in both since. They both were and sill are, to some extent, biters. They generally only nip once in a while now, but when we got them, they were chomp as hard and as deep and as often as you can ferrets. While I didn't wind up with stiches, I suffered many a serious ferret bite including a chomp to the bone on my index finger. (Ouch!) We've tried numerous anti-bite techniques - scruffing, hissing, time-out, bitter apple, nose swats, petting while giving treats, cuddling and love when not biting, often handing, and so on. It's taken a long time to get to the point where we are now. Atlas only bites when he gets really scared. He used to not let us touch him without a bite for he was afraid to be touched. He always seemed skittish and really didn't play and have fun like a ferret should. Now he's a happy, dooking boy who loves to play and asks for attention. (He likes attention in little bits - a very quick snuggle or wrestle is his idea of the ideal attention.) He even likes to now sleep on the bed with us. Hijinx or Jinxie, as I call her most of the time, has been a bit more difficult. She's a loner ferret who has bonded pretty much only with me. She has become my shadow. She used to bite me with a vengence. Now she nips, almost exclusively me, more for attention then anything else. I don't think I'll ever be able to get her to drop the nipping entirely. It seems too much of just what she is and who she is. Even so, she is our kissiest ferret. While she very rarely snuggles, she also rarely fights to be put down. She, in her own way, loves attention and to be touched. While I think that some negative reinforcement is necessary in any training, I have found that the positive reinforcement goes a lot farther. I finally rounded the corner with Atlas when I began petting him every morning when the ferrets got their morning treat. He was so interested in the treat that he didn't mind the touch. It took a while and a few bites including the finger chomp, but the petting made the difference where nose swats, scruffing, and time out didn't. 'Jinx...well, when our oldest ferret Squirt was suffering from an adrenal tumor, he plagued 'Jinx constantly - biting her scruff, dragging her around, all hormone driven behaviors. I would intercede when he got too out of hand. She appreciated it and liked when I picked her up and petted her out of Squirt's reach. Again, petting was the key. While some may advoquate punishment as key to training, I think the rewards are more important to the end result. If you have a firm, patient and yet caring and loving hand when training your ferrets, you will eventually succeed - and no extreme punishment measures will need to be taken. -kim, squirt (the snuggle bug!), pippi (the sprite), atlas (the ferret of brawn), and 'Jinx (kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss!) PS...I hope all the US subscribers have a happy and food-filled Turkey Day!! :) Kimberly Burkard | _ Everything I needed to know in life, Eastman Kodak Company| _____C .._. I learned from my ferret: Rochester, New York | ____/ \___/ Frolic and dance for joy often, have [log in to unmask] |<____/\_---\_\ no fear or worries, and enjoy life. [Posted in FML issue 2136]