ferret biting hard

[loveferreting 2]

hi ferreters

 

i have recently got a new ferret this years from james mckay and i have been handling her for a while now and she still trys to bite and its not a nip its a full on bite is there anything i can do to stop this

[carp man 1 219]

yes get a spade and dig a hole

[dave1600d 35]

spade?,,,what has a black bloke got to do with a ferret that bites hard?......oh i see..you give the ferret to him,,and let him hold it until it stops biting,,,good idea............dunno what the hole would be for though,,

Edited November 29, 2012 by dave1600d

[blond 8]

my jills the same and shes two year old, gets handled alot but still sinks her teeth in hard, think all jills are the same, every jill ive had as always done it but the hobs dont, anyone else shed any light on this

[Country Joe 1,411]

She has obviusly not been handled well as a kit,

any that try and bite i ping them on the nose with my fingers, they dont like that, but theres a big difference from a grab to a full on bite, unusual for my hob he grabbed me by the finger, but didn't draw blood, and i pinged him on the nose and he stopped.

although i never would use a glove, maybe you could try it, till she settles down, then give her lots of handling and she should settle down.

Worth a go if she is a good worker.

[cameron_d96 0]

With an adult ferret that wont stop biting, a good way to stop it is to put disinfectant on your knuckle, let it bite and when it tastes it it will soon loose interest after a few days of this. When it gets hold of your knuckle, dont pull away, leave your hand there for a few seconds so it gets a good taste.

[smellmyflower 0]

Nice idea Cameron, i'll have to give that a try.

 

One of this years kits had a thing for our wrists & no amount of corrections seemed to bother her (nose pinging, holding the scruff of her neck etc). She just loves to savage a wrist when she sees one.

 

It's been a slow process but she's getting better now & i've found positive reinforcement has been a effective (but slow) process.

 

I've handled her short & as often as possible, not given her an opportunity to lunge for a wrist & made the interactions rewarding for her (providing i didn't end up bleeding) & tried to end on a high note. I've then only given her the slightest chance to savage a wrist & taken it away before she's managed to attack. Then again, more rewarding/positive reinforcement stuff.

It’s been slow, but the wounds are healing & she’s loads better.

 

I wonder if some of this was a phase she was going through as a kit, but I think it was mostly down to her being as thick as mince.

[cameron_d96 0]

Some can be worse than others ive found but this seems to be a successful way around it and normally isnt too painful

[The one 8,456]

Take it back to him ,nobody should be selling ferrets that bite and mean it when his advert states to experienced handlers only

[Brimmer 220]

Its all in the breeding, simple.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Brimmer

[lurcher2020 285]

Next time you get bit ram your thumb down her throat they soon stop

[joe14 98]

Its not the bloody ferrets fault it doesnt know not to bite, blame the twat that bred it and obviously havnt spent much time with them.

 

Do not flick or hit her. She needs to think of hands as positive, give her cat milk and stroke her whilst shes lappin it up. Let her lick olive oil off your knuckles, clench your fist, if she goes to bite shout no and gently push your finger into her mouth. Re offer again eventually she will learn that biting = no treat.

[joe14 98]

Forgot to add best to handle her when shes had a belly full of meat andshes full up. She also needs torun energy off,sit on the floor and let her come to you, give her small bits of meat.

[Country Joe 1,411]

we all have different methods, giving them a ping on the nose has worked for me.

The whole point, that has been mentioed, is, the man that bred her did not handle her enough as a kit, if she doesn't stop I would give her back.

If you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay for this beastie.

 

[happyferret123 13]

I've always found scruffing them with a firm "no" does the trick. When feeding meat feed them by hand so they approach you rather than you going in and grabbing them. And I bought some ferret formula as they lick it off. stops them biting.