Ferret Biting Problems/Training
The new ferret owner is frantic. " Every time I pick him up my ferret, he bites me," she explains. "I don't know what to do."
You can turn that nippy ferret into a gentle, friendly pet. Getting your ferret to stop the biting is really a very simple procedure - it just takes a little patience and understanding on your part. Here you'll find all the details you need.
Why does he bite?
First, it might be helpful to consider why your ferret bites. Here are some possible reasons
:
- He doesn't know any better. Did you know that baby ferrets bite each other in play all the time? They have pretty thick skin, so the bite that hurts you probably didn't hurt your ferret's little brother very much. Maybe your ferret just needs to learn that while it's ok to bite other ferrets in play fights, it's not ok to bite people.
- Fear. A ferret who bites is often a frightened ferret. Imagine how you would feel if you were taken away from your mom at just a few weeks of age, then spayed or neutered, then shoved in a tiny box and flown across the country to a pet store. It would be pretty upsetting, wouldn't it? Then how would you feel when some giant stranger took you home? If you were a ferret, you might be upset and worried about all these changes.
- He's learned bad habits. Let's say a ferret is being held. He bites the human, and the human puts him down. What has the ferret learned? "Gee, when I want to be put down, all I have to do is nip the person who is holding me."
How do we stop the biting?
During this training process, your ferret will be rewarded when he acts properly - that is, every time he doesn't bite when you pick him up. Soon he'll learn that there's something in it for him - he'll have an incentive to act properly, and his behavior will change. If your ferret does bite, you'll scruff him like a momma ferret does, and he'll learn that he made a mistake. In a minute, we'll outline all the details you need about this process.
Stuff you'll need
First, let's make sure you have everything you need in order to get started.
- You'll need a cage for your ferret. This will be useful for all kinds of reasons. At the moment, what we have in mind is a "time out" place which might be helpful in the training process.
- A ferret-proofed room for ferret play.
- Toys and fun things. Your ferret needs fun things to play with. See the ferret toy page for suggestions. We're trying to provide a great environment for him so that he'll have a fun, happy life… and lots to do besides nipping you .
- Some nummy ferret treats. What does your ferret love to eat? We're looking for a good snack for him, so that you can use this food to reward him when he does the right thing. Try plain cheerios, or a few drops of ferretone or olive oil. (Raisins and are often popular with ferrets, too, but they're sticky and sugary and not so great for your ferret's teeth.)
Techniques you'll need
During this training process, there are two skills which come in really handy: the control hold, and scruffing.
The control hold
This is a very useful way to pick up a nippy ferret. When this hold is used correctly, the ferret cannot bite you, even if he tries. Here's how you do it. First, make a V shape with your index and middle finger. When you pick up your ferret, your index finger will go on one side of his head, and your middle finger will be on the other side. Your thumb and your other fingers will hold your ferret's torso. Once you get the hang of this control hold, you'll find that your ferret can squirm all he likes, but it will be impossible for him to bite you.
Scruffing
Have you ever seen the way momma ferret moves her babies around? She grabs them by the scruff of their necks. She's grabbing the loose skin at the back of baby ferret's neck, and that's what you're going to do, too. To scruff your ferret, grab onto that extra skin at the back of his head and neck, and lift him up. Don't worry; he won't be able to bite you in this position, either!
Some ferrets go completely limp when scruffed. Other ferrets yawn, while still other ferrets may squirm.
When your ferret does bite, you'll scruff him like this, and hold him a foot or so from your face as you tell him NO! You'll hold him there for ten seconds or so, explaining that he is not to bite people. Then you'll put him down and gently release him.
The training procedure
Part one - ferret has fun
Plan to spend a lot of time playing with your ferret and interacting with him. He needs your company, and he needs lots of time spent with you to learn how to act around humans.
Ready to go? Let your ferret out of his cage, and start out by giving him a cheerio or some small treat so he knows you're a nice person. (This time, the treat comes on a saucer or something so he won't have the opportunity to nip you.) Let him explore the room a bit. He'd like to run through some ferret tubes, or explore a few paper bags full of old newspaper or clothing. Or maybe he'll feel like following you around if he wants a playmate.
You might give him a little treat, wait a couple of minutes, maybe even give him another treat. He's learning that this is a cool place.
Now it's time to pick him up. Use the control hold, as described above. With this hold, he shouldn't be able to bite you. Offer him a cheerio or other treat(on a saucer, so your fingers aren't in range) and praise him in a soothing voice for being good. Then gently put him down. He's learning that it's ok to be picked up.
Repeat this procedure every ten minutes or so during play time.
Part two - what if he bites?
If your ferret does nip, grab him by the scruff of his neck (as described above) and lift him up. Tell him NO BITING! and give him a stern lecture for a few seconds. Then put him down, and gently release him. He's learning that biting is no fun, because it leads to scruffing.
Every time your ferret bites, you repeat this procedure.
If he bites a couple of times in a row, he gets scruffed, and he gets put in his cage for a minute or two of time out as well.
You'll need to be patient - remember, when you were a kid, you didn't learn all your good manners in a day. Just as others were patient with you, you'll need to be patient with your new friend.
What if I have worse problems?
Every once in a long while I hear from somebody whose ferret has really bad biting problems. If your ferret bites and won't let go (ouch!) you have a biting problem that's more serious than usual. If your ferret draws blood every time he bites, you have a worse than usual biting problem.
The techniques I've described above will work with these difficult ferrets, but they will take more time, effort, and patience on your part. There is another emergency method that you might consider if your ferret has a very bad biting problem. (Soon I'll get around to putting up a web page describing that technique, too.)