Here's Snowy

[Canberra Stu 0]

Ok here is interesting part of the story... Tonight I took him to a friends house (my ferret guru) he relaxed straight away he did his dominance thing with the other ferrets and animals (she lets them run loose in the living room.) and every now and then she'd discipline him when he was overly aggressive and then he'd curl up in her arms and power nap!!! :wallbash: :censored: but never even tried to bite her.

 

He still attacked me and but none of the other ferrets did... I picked them up and played with them. It was fun... So I started thinking that maybe he doesn't like males??? His previous owner was female, my friend is female and he loves them handling him...

 

The irony here is that the pregnant Jill (penny) is also at my friends house and it is attacking her like snowy attacks me... So she knew where I was coming from.

 

Oh and for those of you wondering they are bites! not play nips and if an animal leaps from a high position to bite you that is agression not play, and tabasco sause??? Really??? I don't think so... The Eucalyptus oil worked really well until he was to pissed off to care.

 

But thank you to everyone with practical advice. I appreciate your candor.

 

Stuart

[The one 8,479]

It your aftershave then mate

[Guest on the hill]

quote "if an animal leaps from a high position to bite you that is agression not play"

 

dont think so mate ferrets are lively and will ambush attack when playing, im not dowting that he is being agressive but i just thought id point that out to you

[Hob&Jill 258]

I take it your going to work him? if so i'd only handle him in small amounts and defo don't spray him with tobasco you don't want to put him off biting rabbits! give him time to settle in to his new surroundings

 

 

I'm not sure what 1930's ferreting books you have been reading lol but handling a ferret and getting them tame isnt going to put them off biting rabbits.

 

A good worker should be very friendly. Not much use in the field if you cant pick them up without getting bitten.

 

HJ

[ferreteressex 1]

with my ferrets i always feed them before handling as play can get to rough, an my jill espeacially,

 

also before i handle/play i let them have a free run after letting them out to calm down a bit,but when i got her she was very nippy,real bites not mouthing,

 

i used the safe room away from my hob not even taking notice of her until she was finished exploring an then wanted to play the biting stopped but comes back now an again [bANNED TEXT] shes hungry or excited,

 

as for Tabasco sauce if i gave my ferrets them it would certainly not calm them,

 

if someone done it to me id f*****g bite them.

 

but my jill took some time to brake so uing a few methods may bring down the time

 

u don't look like your doing to much wrong mate just keep on doing what your doing

 

an all that shite a bout leaving them wild cause they dont hunt right if there soft is crap,

my hobs a docile lump is more like a dog then a ferret but jesus he works like a demon,its all in the instincts,

 

i never had to discipline him harshly once just a firm low NO done the buissnes,so its all relative to your ferrets personality of how they respond to things

[Guest on the hill]

yup if you get a ferret from a kit and handle it loads they usually dont need told at all!! but its good to be thrown in at the deep end sometimes as now when you get a kit it will be soo much easyer for you as you know the bad side of the animal

[Guest Magwitch]

tabasco sauce in a syringe (without the needle dur! )

and just spray his mouth when he bites while hes hanging on

or mustard on ye finger works well if you can get it in while hes on you

try marmite they either love it or hate it

[Ginette 0]

maybe your ferret bites you best coz it's playing! If they lock-on then maybe try blowing up it's nose, it'll have to let go to breath. Sometimes pressing the sides of the jaws requires both hands which are not always available.

But time and patience are a must, especially while they get to know you. Maybe it relaxed in your mates arms coz she was relaxed and confident handling it. Sometimes quick movements are seen as an invitation to play!

Good luck!

[Canberra Stu 0]

Well its been a couple of weeks now since I got Snowy... and snowy got fixed (desexed) and he is a completely different ferret!! He likes being handled (see photos) he's relaxed to be around... And he no longer tries to dominate every other animal he comes across... In fact he's a bit of a sook, so I'm a little worried that he may decide to cuddle up to the rabbits and have a sleep rather than chase them.

 

My other Ferret, Penny has not given birth to her litter, she's had a false labor but she seems to still have her kits... So my friend is lending me a ferret that gets on with Snowy so he has some company... He gets nippy when he's left on his own for too long. But that I can deal with.

 

I also tried the ferret finder collar on him for the first time yesterday really funny you would think that someone had tied a brick around his neck... He got used to it after about 10min, but what a drama that 10min was!!! And yes I see what you all mean about the collars goes on tighter than you think, with all Snowys hair bulking out he was able to slip it... :whistling:

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

Stuart

[Kay 3,709]

He is very nice i love albino hobs

[cometa300s 20]

when mine bites i just flick him on the nose then he is ok. he as only bit me twice lol

[Coatesy900 0]

if it latches on, run it under the tap.

[bhawk 64]

the way i was taught to tame ferrets was to hold it in me left hand and lick my right hands knuckles, they love the taste of saliva, move it towards your knuckles and if it goes to bite then flick its nose, if it licks it soon realises that that not biting is better than biting, once it doesnt bite your knuckles start licking your palm and let him lick there too, soon he'll be more interested in licking you than biting you and i know which one i prefer.

there are countless ways of training a ferret but i think your looking into the whole domination and ambushing thing too much, my ferrets play fight with me and they even bite but they seem to know how much pressure to use without breaking the skin.

theyre intelligent animals so itll soon work out your a friend.

[droid 11]

when mine bites i just flick him on the nose then he is ok. he as only bit me twice lol

 

One bites me it gets stomped.....that teaches it!

[will.f11 24]

if it latches on, run it under the tap.

Ive never needed to do that... ever since being about 5 years old i was taught that if a ferret locked on just to put pressure on the skull with your finger(not too hard) and they usually let go.