Post by katt on Aug 12, 2011 14:51:33 GMT -5
This is the method that we used to train Koda not to bite. We tried time outs and scruffing and after several months we were seeing zero results. Then we came across the Bite-Hold method and tried it out - with great success! Here is how it works...
When your ferret nips you, immediately put them into the bite hold (decried below). Hold them until they submit. PLEASE NOTE: submission is different for every ferret - this is where knowing your ferret is important. Ferrets may submit by: yawning, sighing (watch closely and feel with your hand the sighs are sometimes very small and reluctant lmao), lifting their head to expose their chin, looking away from you (i.e. turning their head to the side), licking their lips, or relaxing. Know your ferret as you do not want to hold them any longer than it takes for them to submit.
As soon as the ferret submits, release them and return to EXACTLY what you were doing before. If you were hand wrestling, go back to hand wrestling, if you were sitting on the bed ignoring them, go back to sitting on the bed ignoring them. Be sure to place the ferret back in the same spot it was before it bit you. (i.e. if it was on the bed by your feet and bit you, do NOT set the ferret down on the floor, put it back by your feet on the bed). This is VERY important and in my experience, without doing this you will not see the same results. This teaches them that biting is NOT going to get them something. If every time they bite you, you put them down - they learn that biting gets them put down. If every time they bite you you ignore them, they learn that biting you gets them a few min of peace and quiet. By returning to what you were doing before, you are teaching them that biting will Not get you to change your behavior in Any way.
Oftentimes this goes on for what seems like forever. I can't count the number of times that we would pin Koda, release him, pin him, release him, pin him, release him, pin him...within 5 minutes! ;D The thing is that you MUST BE CONSISTENT NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES. IT is equally important that any person who is interacting with the ferret does the exact same thing. Be sure to instruct all friends and family members on what to do - and see that they follow through.
Many people have tried this and complained that it "doesn't work" because their ferret uses their back legs to claw their arms. There is a simple solution to this - Don't let them! Koda looved to get revenge by clawing us up with those little sharp back claws. You have two hands - use them. One hand hold the ferret in the bite hold, the other holds down the back legs.
To do the bite hold, place one hand over the ferret's chest, with them laying on their back. Your pointer finger goes over their shoulder on one side, and your thumb under their leg on the same side. On the other side your middle finger goes over the shoulder, and your last 2 fingers go under the arm. See pictures below:
PLEASE NOTE: This method should NEVER EVER be used on a fear biter! This method is best reserved for kits, not older ferrets whose handling history you are unfamiliar with.
When your ferret nips you, immediately put them into the bite hold (decried below). Hold them until they submit. PLEASE NOTE: submission is different for every ferret - this is where knowing your ferret is important. Ferrets may submit by: yawning, sighing (watch closely and feel with your hand the sighs are sometimes very small and reluctant lmao), lifting their head to expose their chin, looking away from you (i.e. turning their head to the side), licking their lips, or relaxing. Know your ferret as you do not want to hold them any longer than it takes for them to submit.
As soon as the ferret submits, release them and return to EXACTLY what you were doing before. If you were hand wrestling, go back to hand wrestling, if you were sitting on the bed ignoring them, go back to sitting on the bed ignoring them. Be sure to place the ferret back in the same spot it was before it bit you. (i.e. if it was on the bed by your feet and bit you, do NOT set the ferret down on the floor, put it back by your feet on the bed). This is VERY important and in my experience, without doing this you will not see the same results. This teaches them that biting is NOT going to get them something. If every time they bite you, you put them down - they learn that biting gets them put down. If every time they bite you you ignore them, they learn that biting you gets them a few min of peace and quiet. By returning to what you were doing before, you are teaching them that biting will Not get you to change your behavior in Any way.
Oftentimes this goes on for what seems like forever. I can't count the number of times that we would pin Koda, release him, pin him, release him, pin him, release him, pin him...within 5 minutes! ;D The thing is that you MUST BE CONSISTENT NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES. IT is equally important that any person who is interacting with the ferret does the exact same thing. Be sure to instruct all friends and family members on what to do - and see that they follow through.
Many people have tried this and complained that it "doesn't work" because their ferret uses their back legs to claw their arms. There is a simple solution to this - Don't let them! Koda looved to get revenge by clawing us up with those little sharp back claws. You have two hands - use them. One hand hold the ferret in the bite hold, the other holds down the back legs.
To do the bite hold, place one hand over the ferret's chest, with them laying on their back. Your pointer finger goes over their shoulder on one side, and your thumb under their leg on the same side. On the other side your middle finger goes over the shoulder, and your last 2 fingers go under the arm. See pictures below:
PLEASE NOTE: This method should NEVER EVER be used on a fear biter! This method is best reserved for kits, not older ferrets whose handling history you are unfamiliar with.