Introducing a pup

[Mooseontheloose 52]

How would you go about introducing a pup to ferrets? 

[Aussie Whip 4,120]

My whippet lurchers are from long generation ferreting dogs and love ferrets, so no training needed. With the terriers I have them around the ferret cages so they get used to them, if they show predatory behavior they get punished. Only 2 or 3 times as pups and they get the message and ignore them. Once they get out working with the ferrets they soon learn they are allies.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Aussie Whip

[Mooseontheloose 52]

Thanks for the help at what age should introduce the ferrets? I was thinking of letting my pup be around when I do my daily cleaning of the hutches and then let em meet after a couple of weeks

[lifelong cumbrian 1,826]

as soon as possible i let the pup watch me handling the ferret, once you have confidence it isnt going to lunge at it, put the pup on a lead and set the ferret on the ground, let the pup watch it moving around. I like to have a kit available as well to introduce the pup to along with a older ferret, it gets the kit used to the dog at the same time. obviously when learning the dog with a older ferret you want a ferret that is is dog proof, not one that is likely to nip the dog as that will only knock things right back. Just my own personal thing but i like to get a pup out solo with the ferrets as soon as possible, my collie i have now has been out ferreting since 3 months old, when working together that is the best way of getting them to respect each other, they soon realise they are part of the team, soon you ferret and dog will be operating as a happy respectful team. Good luck mate.

 

[Ferretman65 2,265]

11 minutes ago, lifelong cumbrian said:

as soon as possible i let the pup watch me handling the ferret, once you have confidence it isnt going to lunge at it, put the pup on a lead and set the ferret on the ground, let the pup watch it moving around. I like to have a kit available as well to introduce the pup to along with a older ferret, it gets the kit used to the dog at the same time. obviously when learning the dog with a older ferret you want a ferret that is is dog proof, not one that is likely to nip the dog as that will only knock things right back. Just my own personal thing but i like to get a pup out solo with the ferrets as soon as possible, my collie i have now has been out ferreting since 3 months old, when working together that is the best way of getting them to respect each other, they soon realise they are part of the team, soon you ferret and dog will be operating as a happy respectful team. Good luck mate.

 

Well put mate Brilliant I was going to put something up But that tells it all really 

[RossM 8,121]

[Ferretman65 2,265]

That young bitch picks the young ferrets up in her mouth and gives them to me 

[Ferretman65 2,265]

22 minutes ago, Ferretman65 said:

That young bitch picks the young ferrets up in her mouth and gives them to me 

Lost that young ferret this years took some Disease he turned out a cracker too 

[Ferretman65 2,265]

That was him there when he was older and that's the father of him too just after that days ferreting he took something and died 

[Aussie Whip 4,120]

23 hours ago, Mooseontheloose said:

Thanks for the help at what age should introduce the ferrets? I was thinking of letting my pup be around when I do my daily cleaning of the hutches and then let em meet after a couple of weeks

As young as possible as said, watch the ferrets don't bite the dog, my whippets just yelp and jump back but a terrier type pup might see this as a challenge as is their nature. Best thing is to get them out hunting together imo. As you say just have them around the cages until the novelty wears off.

[RossM 8,121]

1 hour ago, Aussie Whip said:

As young as possible as said, watch the ferrets don't bite the dog, my whippets just yelp and jump back but a terrier type pup might see this as a challenge as is their nature. Best thing is to get them out hunting together imo. As you say just have them around the cages until the novelty wears off.

Mine still get excited to see each other

[Mooseontheloose 52]

Thanks guys il let you know how I get on

[Aussie Whip 4,120]

10 hours ago, RossM said:

Mine still get excited to see each other

When my blue whippet lurcher was younger she would jump and spin around in the air as soon as I touched the fert's carry box, lol.

[terryd 8,509]

I all ways found letting my lurcher mix with ferrets in yard got him wound up and still does espeacially if they approach him and he can't get out way. Out in the field he is spot on

[Neal 1,873]

On 06/06/2021 at 13:00, lifelong cumbrian said:

as soon as possible i let the pup watch me handling the ferret, once you have confidence it isnt going to lunge at it, put the pup on a lead and set the ferret on the ground, let the pup watch it moving around. I like to have a kit available as well to introduce the pup to along with a older ferret, it gets the kit used to the dog at the same time. obviously when learning the dog with a older ferret you want a ferret that is is dog proof, not one that is likely to nip the dog as that will only knock things right back. Just my own personal thing but i like to get a pup out solo with the ferrets as soon as possible, my collie i have now has been out ferreting since 3 months old, when working together that is the best way of getting them to respect each other, they soon realise they are part of the team, soon you ferret and dog will be operating as a happy respectful team. Good luck mate.

 

I'm by no means an expert on ferreting, as I only owned ferrets for about fourteen years, but I'd definitely agree with lifelong cumbrian. Following advice from Old Phil off here, I introduced my late kelpie bitch to the joys of ferreting as soon as she was old enough to go out (probably around three months old). I simply took her out and let her join in, get in the way and eventually help out more and more as her confidence and knowledge grew. That's the one thing I miss about not having ferrets anymore, is the adding of another string to your dog's bow. 

My first lot of ferrets and my last lurcher got on so well that, when my arsehole neighbours' arsehole son broke into my garden and let the ferrets out of their court, I found one of the ferrets curled up asleep with the lurcher in his kennel. Incidentally, I got the boy back by smearing dog excrement all over the trellis that he used to climb into my garden. Didn't happen again.