Article 1) By Susan Malone, Ferrets
Unlimited Rescue of Tulsa
Article 2) By Karen Marsh-Lovvorn, Rogue's
Gallery Ferret Rescue
by Susan Malone, Ferrets Unlimited Rescue of Tulsa
ALL kits are nippy starting at about 6-8 weeks of age. The reason is
the same as the nippy phase kittens and puppies go through, they are babies
and want to play. Unfortunately for us, ferret skin is VERY thick and tough,
so they bite each other hard in play. What you have to do is teach your
ferret that nipping is not an acceptable way to play with humans. The good
news is that with the proper training methods, your new kit can be trained
out of this phase quickly and easily.
First and most important... NEVER hit, bop, nose flick or thunk your kit.
Doing this generally teaches them that YOU are a threat, an enemy, something
to be defended against.. and can create a mistrustful, nervous, nipping
ferret. The correct methods should be taken in stages, how many stages you
must go through depends on the stubborn factor of your kit.
Stage 1... for 4-5 days.. when your kit starts to nip, reaches as if
nipping, pretends to nip, or is even just looking like she is about to....
make a noise in a high pitched, shrill voice of "oooow" or "aaiiiiyyy"...
this is the noise one ferret makes to another to say "too much, you
hurt me, knock it off". If you take good care of, and love your
ferret.. she is trying to play with you and doesn't wish to hurt you... 90%
of kits I have trained personally will stop, and look at me with a "omigosh
I HURT you?" look on their face and look ashamed.
IF your kit does not respond to this... ADD TO THAT... Stage 2... Pick
the kit up by the scruff and stare into her eyes and after the "oww"
let out a hiss. Yes, a hiss, just like a cat hiss. Again, this is how other
kits or momma ferret says a stern "NO" Try Stages 1 and 2 together
for another 4-5 days.
IF your kit does not respond to this... ADD TO THAT... Stage 3...After
doing all the above, while still holding the kit by her scruff... VERY
LIGHTLY drag her back and forth across the floor about 3-4 times in about a
3 foot area. This (again) is a momma ferrets strict punishment. Try all this
together for about 4-5 days.
Now, a few hints while doing all this.
1. You can always use Bitter Apple either on your skin or spritz it in
her mouth when she bites.
2. NEVER put her down or in her cage after nipping, you will be teaching
her that biting is the way to ask to be let down or put up.
3. You CAN use a small pet taxi for a "time out" if she is
being stubborn.
4. ALWAYS make sure to reinforce the good behavior (non nippy moments)
with love, cuddles, petting, kisses and praise. This helps show the kit
how nice lovings can be as opposed to getting in trouble.
5. If you say the word "NO" in a calm, quiet yet stern voice
at the same time as doing the "oww" noises, your ferret will
learn to respond to the word "NO" the same as the "ferret
talk".
6. Your kit is also teething and learning what she can do with her
teeth.. I have wonderful success with providing a hard dog biscuit as a
"teether" for kits. My personal favorite is Hills Science Diet
Canine Treats (they are rectangle), use the "Canine Growth"
formula. For some reason, every ferret I have ever met goes ape over
this treat far ore than any other dog biscuit I have tried. Also, the
"Canine Growth" formula has 22% protein in it, which for a
doggie treat is an excellent level of protein and good for your ferret.
7. You can also get hard (make sure it IS hard and solid) rubber puppy
chew toys for her... such as the "Kong" line... they provide
all kind of chewing. An even better idea is "ChewWeasels",
since they pose no risk if any bits are ingested.
8. Provide toys and interact with "acceptable" human play
behavior. They love almost anything as a toy, mine all adore those dog
"rope bones".. the small ones made for toy breeds work
excellent for ferrets. The idea is to teach her how to interact, play
and have fun with you without using the nipping type of play. make sure
you reward her for correct playtime.
9. A kit will be more nippy if they are hungry.., make sure your ferret
has recently eaten before engaging in play time... also have treats
available to help establish that you are her caretaker and will provide
for her.
10. A kit is also at their most nippy when first let out for play time,
it helps to let them run off a little of the excess energy playing for a
while and let her "mellow" out a bit before interacting.
11. When she is "pooped out" from playtime and ready to pass
out for a much needed nap... instead of placing her back in her cage...
hold her on your lap and pet her while she drifts off. This, of course,
helps teach her that quiet, loving moments and petting is great fun too.
Above all... remember to give your ferret everything she needs,
plenty of quality food, water etc.. make her as happy and well loved as
possible. An unhappy ferret will tend to want to nip to show displeasure.
Remember love.. Love... LOVE.
by Karen Marsh-Lovvorn, Rogue's Gallery Ferret Rescue
[This document has been edited for content. Sections referring to
'thumping' as a method of nip-training have been removed because we believe
that this method only induces fear and more aggressive behavior.
Please! Do not 'thump' you ferret or any other pet on the nose.]
Ferrets may bite for various reasons. Like most young
animals, kits nip in play, and some ferrets will bite out of aggression or
fear because their only contact with humans has been painful or frightening.
Almost all ferrets can be nip trained, as long as the trainer has patience
and is willing to make the commitment to help the animal become a better
pet.
There are many techniques for nip training ferrets, but
regardless of technique, patience & consistency are key. How quickly
they learn depends on temperament, how much time you spend with them and
their previous experience with humans. You WILL have to correct them
repeatedly before they "get it," so don't despair. Nip training
takes awhile, particularly in "hard core" cases, but is worth it!
Reward your ferret often, with extra attention and maybe a treat now and
then, and soon he will come to associate you with good things!
Before beginning to train your ferret, you must identify
the reason for the biting. You may have to do a little "detective
work", but getting an accurate history of the biter and observing his
behavior will clue you in to his reasons for the behavior & help you
identify the best way to work with him.
Play Biting
Very common in kits and other young animals, and
characterized by playful "roughhousing" with you. Ferret skin is
much tougher than human, and they engage each other by nipping and running
away, dodging, hiding and circling back for more - simply put, they're
trying to treat you like another ferret and don't know they're hurting
you. They often outgrow this by about a year old, but as with any
young animal, it's best to set limits and establish guidelines before it
becomes an ingrained behavior which is much harder to break when they're
older (and can bite harder!).
Fear/Aggression Biting
Abuse - acts fearful of humans and meets contact attempts by
hissing, drawing away, and/or attacking the "predator" (you). May
be afraid of specific items (i.e. hands) or smells which were used to lure
him out for punishment. WARNING: Will bite HARD, often draw blood and
sometimes refuse to let go.
Poor socialization - general wariness and
"wildness" around humans and other new things. May lash out if
cornered, but generally avoids contact with people. Often nip and run
away to escape from the perceived threat (you).
Deafness or other "invisible handicap" - deaf
ferrets do not respond the same as hearing ferrets. Owners (particularly
inexperienced ones) don't understand what's "wrong" with their
pet, and may become frustrated with their inability to work with him.
Therefore, these animals are often at high risk for abuse. May behave in
either or both of the above ways.
Methods
1.
"Gagging" - Gently push your finger (sideways) to the back of his
mouth and firmly say "NO." Remove your finger when he tries to
"spit it out." DO NOT push back too far or too hard or you may
injure the ferret.
2. "Time-out" - Tell the ferret "NO",
put him in the cage and ignore him for a few minutes. This works best if he
can see other ferrets "outside" having fun and he can't!
3. "Scruffing & Dragging" - Grasp him
firmly by the skin at the back of the neck and "drag" him gently
back & forth on a flat surface several times, while repeating
"NO" firmly, then release him. This is what mama ferret, and other
ferrets trying to establish dominance would do, so from the ferret's point
of view, it's the most "natural." We don't think this works as
well with play biters because they run off before you can do it, and your
attempts at "discipline" turn into a game of tag! It
is the ONLY technique we use with aggression or fear biters.
Note: We use a combination of gagging and time out with
play biters, particularly if the ferret is over stimulated and repeatedly
bites. Usually on the "first offense" we just gag him, but if he
persists, we gag and add "time out" until he calms down. When he
is ready to be "nice" he can come out and play again. Be sure to
always give them a good firm 'NO' whenever any method is used. This must be
associated with the punishment so that as time goes by, just a firm 'NO'
will remind them.
Working With Fear/Aggression Biters
Rogues Gallery came up with these guidelines with advice
from ferret people, several years of experience with ferrets and other types
of animals, common sense, and a healthy dose of trial and error! Others may
have different suggestions, so please don't see this as the "final
authority" or ONLY method of training. Every new ferret that comes in
has it's own personality and is a new challenge, and we're always learning!
Have patience! Remember, this animal may be terrified,
and to him, you are a monstrous ogre that is trying to hurt him. Keep him in
a quiet and calm place if possible. Always speak calmly and softly,
and try to avoid sudden movements and loud noises. "Warn" the
ferret of your approach by speaking or touching him softly, or if he's deaf,
lightly tapping the bars of the cage. Ferrets don't see well, and if you
suddenly "appear" out of nowhere and startle him, he's likely to
react defensively.
1. Get a pair of snug fitting thin leather garden gloves
or driving gloves, and wear at least one until the ferret is safe to handle
barehanded. We prefer goatskin or calfskin because they're more flexible and
you can get a better grip. When he bites your gloves (which he will), scruff
and drag him & tell him "NO" in a firm voice. After you've
disciplined him, pet him and reward him with a treat. If possible (if you
feel safe doing it), put the treat on the back of your bare hand - where he
can't get a grip - and he will soon come to associate the smell of the
gloves with discipline and the smell of you with "good stuff."
Repeat as often as needed.
Note: Please don't antagonize the ferret to try to
"get him to bite" so you can "teach him a lesson."
That's abuse, and anyone who does it is a bully who has no business working
with animals!
2. Regularly reassure the ferret that everything's o.k.
and he's safe. Be firm and consistent with your discipline and spend as much
time as possible working with him. (We tend to get very attached to our
"biters" because we spend a lot of time with them, and it's a
wonderful thing to watch them develop from fearful "wild things"
to the delightful little creatures they become once they get over their fear
of humans!) Otherwise, treat the ferret the same as other ferrets in your
home. He may even become more receptive to you if he sees that his
friends are interacting with you without harm. Nip training a "hard
core" fear biter may take months, so keep trying!
3. If you ARE bitten, remain calm. We know it's hard to
do that when you have a ferret clinging to your hand by his teeth, but it's
better than screaming and throwing him across the room, agitating him
further and possibly injuring him! When he lets go, scruff and drag him as
usual, then put him in time out until he can calm down and you can clean
yourself up. Wash the wound with antiseptic soap and warm water, stop the
bleeding and put a Band-Aid on it. Bites are painful, but they aren't life
threatening!
4. What if the ferret won't let go? Ferrets' jaws
are strong, and prying them apart can cause injury to the animal. Don't do
it unless there is absolutely no other choice. You can: Place the fingers of
your free hand on either side of the ferret's mouth at the base (jaw hinge)
and apply firm, but steady pressure, cover his nostrils with a finger from
your free hand. With his mouth occupied with the finger he's biting, he'll
have to let go to breathe. Try scruffing firmly with your free hand.
Scruffing makes some of them yawn, and you can escape. Bite him back.
Yes, really! Pinch the back of his neck with your teeth (don't break the
skin, but make him feel it). He has tough skin there, and if all else has
failed it may be your only option!
[Note: West Valley Wuzzles! has used this escape
technique quite successfully combined with a low growl. We've dealt
with at least two abused ferrets that would latch on to a finger down to the
bone and not let go. Biting them on the back of the neck is rather
dangerous since that puts your face rather close to their teeth again,
rather we scruff them firmly with the other hand and give them a very
aggressive low growl. Usually that will cause them to let go long
enough to get control of them and remove your hand or finger]
Good luck!
Karen can be reached at kem7@mail.duke.edu.
