Horrible Biter

[rachelc]

I have a jill who is a horrible biter!  She has never been in another home to where I would say she has been mistreated in any way.  When I picked her up from the breeder, she was like this.  She doesn't nip either.  She is like a pitbull when she bites.  She hangs on!  The best way I can describe it is she tries to make her teeth meet when she bites.  I have got some pretty ugly bites from her.  I have read things on the Internet but I seriously think with her, it would make her worse.  Scruffing her and telling her no firmly I think would make her angry.  I have tried just holding her and loving on her and talking quietly to her, but I just always end up getting bit.  Oh, she also isn't spayed. I have been told to get her spayed and she will settle down.  She does have a DES implant.  I do plan on having her spayed this summer.  I have had her checked out by a vet to see if maybe she is in some kind of pain but he couldn't find anything wrong with her.  She is a little over a year old.  Any suggestions??

[LindaM]

Please do not scruff to discipline, it should only ever be used for medical reasons, like when visiting the vet or giving medicines. They should have pleasant thoughts of scruffing, so usually a treat reward should follow being scruffed. More so, scruffing a dominant ferret will make things so much worse, and can result in a seriously vicious fear biter.

You can try the time-out method for biting. Three minutes, no more, in an empty cage or carrier as time out for undesirable behavior. More than the 3 minutes and they, just like small toddlers, forget why they're in there to begin with. Sometimes they will spend more time in that bin than out of it though, since you need to put them in whenever they bite, and sometimes they respond exactly that way the second they come out of the bin, and back they go! But it works, eventually the message begins to stick in those little heads.

Don't bother with a bite deterrent, they're more miss than they are hit. Most ferrets won't be deterred by them anyway, they'll bite the spot, realize it tastes bad, and immediately just try the spot next to it, and keep trying until they find a spot that doesn't taste bad instead of just giving up. Some don't seem to even mind the taste at all and end up specifically biting or chewing the item that has been sprayed, almost like they are even more drawn to it.

[rachelc]

Thank you! I have never scruffed her. The vet tried it to examine her and she started thrashing around. She doesn't relax like most. She has never come into heat. We opted for the implant instead of spaying her. There is so much info on the Internet or should I say debate on the issue about spay/neuter and adrenal. I just want to do the right thing but then I question am I doing the right thing? About the biting...she has done it from day one. My other ferrets definitely know she is the dominant one! Haha! I will try the time out method. I know consistency is key.

[Sherry]

For intact ferrets, I am glad you decided to implant instead of surgical spaying. Far less chance of developing adrenal that way. And so glad she has never been scruffed. It does seem though she has never had bite inhibition taught. How old was she when you got her?
Time outs are going to be your best friend Yes, it can take a long time to work, but with absolute consistency from everyone involved she will learn biting = boredom. 3 minutes, no longer. And no matter how much she cage rages in there, she comes out after the 3 minutes. After all, she's in there for biting, not raging Some days it will seem she spends more time IN the sin bin than out of it. And there are going to be times where the biting actually becomes worse. That will be her temper that she is not getting her own way. Think of an angry 2yr old child having a melt down. That will be the stage she will be at. But once you get past that stage, she will calm fairly quickly.
Keep in mind as well that as an intact ferret she will also only tolerate certain behaviours from you, and if she feels insulted she will be quick to respond with her teeth. But it won't be the type of bite you are getting now. Heather will be able to fill you in more on that.

[rachelc]

She was born February 16, 2016 and I picked her up on May 7, 2016. She was still little. She is such a doll! Such a beautiful girl! She actually throws temper tantrums! If she wants something and I won't let her have it (something she has no business having) she will fling her toys around the room!! All the other ferrets stay away from her when she gets like that. She definitely has quite the personality!

[Heather]

I love my wee jills but they're a trial. When was the DES implanted? There is a reason why this is important. YOu may have mentioned but I don't recall seeing it here. I'm glad you've decided to DES instead of spaying. Yes, it's a bit more costly if given annually but at least it will help rule out adrenal (though jills have been known to not come in again for years on the DES).
Little girls take serious offence to being scruffed, so I"m glad that you've chosen not to go that route. It's her first year so she's busy dominating everything. It sounds to me like the breeder may not have worked with her a lot in teaching her bite inhibition, so it's something you're going to have to work on. I use both crate and ignore. Ignore for a bite that has occurred during play and the crate when she draws blood. Little girls do not like to snuggle (most). They're too busy, it's in their nature. I pick mine up give them a quick hug and a kiss, if I don't get a nip or bite then I put them back on the floor and let them go on their way. Learn to read her language. As soon as she tenses let her back down on the floor. There's plenty of time to teach her that you make the rules. Let her think she has control, it won't hurt your relationship with her. If she's up and not bitten give her a little drop or two of oil, tell her she's an awesome wee girlie and what a love she is as you're putting her back down on the floor. Go slow. An intact jill hates to be rushed
ciao

[rachelc]

She was implanted in August of 2016. It was the 2nd week in August. I have a male as well so I watch them like a hawk. I don't want any babies. The vet said it will last a year but I have been told it can wear off sooner. So far they are both still good. He doesn't bite except during play and he doesn't bite hard at all. All I have to say with him is no bite and not even in a loud voice and he knows. I only say it if he starts biting a little too hard. The jill? She wants to draw blood. I have never seen anything like it. She definitely doesn't like to snuggle. I will pick her up when she first wakes up and love on her but once she is awake good, it's over. I better put her down quick! Haha!

[Heather]

Jills sometimes can actually go a lot longer on an implant. It's good you keep a close eye That's good that you'll pick her up for a quick snuggle while she's waking up. You're working well with her, it's just going to take time.
ciao

[Deleted]

May 16, 2017 22:20:53 GMT -5 Heather said:

Jills sometimes can actually go a lot longer on an implant. It's good you keep a close eye That's good that you'll pick her up for a quick snuggle while she's waking up. You're working well with her, it's just going to take time.
ciao

oh

Well Heather, you know I'm definitely not going to put my face near my new guy anytime soon lol - Troi

[runningdog]

If you read the thread on Angus, my rescue ferret, who was a really serious biter when he came to me with a history of mishandling/neglect/being feral for a while to reinforce his lack of bite inhibition, you’ll hopefully be reassured that even he has turned right round with time-outs and patience. 

holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/23633/angus-rescue-ferret

I’m sure your wee jill will come round, in time. She may not turn out as cuddly as Angus, who’s a castrated male, but then jills can be like that. My jills will only snuggle when they want something from me - manipulative, clever little devils - and they’re not above doing gorgeous fluffy cuddles and then putting in a sly little nip just as I’m putting them down again!