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Post by dookdook on Mar 13, 2011 19:00:57 GMT -5
So it's been a week and one day since I got Freya. (Got her last saturday) And we've been having.. Issues.. She's a biter.. And not just any biter.. It's aggressive.. And painful. She hisses all the time and often when I pick her up she throws a tantrum and SCREAMS and bites anything she can get her sharp little teeth on.. I've tried time outs, scruffing and dragging, hissing back, "NO!", a tap on the nose, ignoring her! EVERYTHING. I am at loss here... I think she is either one, fearful or two, just a b*tch! Any suggestions? I would really like to get this figured out! Thanks. Ashley  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2011 19:02:34 GMT -5
My Riley was the same when I got her. Its been about 2 months and she still bites but very rarely is it hard.
I just scruff her if its too hard and say no. Other than that we just tell her no and distract her with something she can bite.
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Post by dookdook on Mar 13, 2011 19:06:31 GMT -5
When I scruff her she squeels (can't describe the sound) and freaks out.. Trying to grab my skin.. Once I let her down she either one, comes back for attack.. Or runs off hissing..
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Post by Heather on Mar 13, 2011 19:16:17 GMT -5
As I've said before, I don't scruff but that doesn't mean you can't use it, I just don't. I find that I can get much longer lasting and better results by a softer touch. That being said, you've only been working with this little one 1 week....that's not very long at all and you've done half a dozen different methods to try and teach her not to bite. Now, she's confused. Take a method and use it....be consistent, don't bounce around. A week isn't going to teach her manners, you will be lucky if she even acknowledges that the problem (biting and hissing) is a problem. My brat Napoleon, spent the whole of his second month living with me, more in the sin bin than out  . This isn't going to happen overnight. You gave her the name Freya....that's not a push over name. She's got a strong opinion of herself and what she expects out of life. Choose a discipline method and stick to it. Make everyone else stick to it too. Children don't learn manners in a week or two it takes years. Ferts don't learn manners in a week or so either. It takes months before you get a well behaved fuzz. It takes patience, consistence, firm but gentle discipline. As I have many deafies, hissing I find is something I ignore or laugh at. All she's doing is talking back. You may be able to teach a ferret not to bite, but you're never going to teach her not to voice her opinion ;D ciao |
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Post by dookdook on Mar 13, 2011 19:19:08 GMT -5
I suppose you're right.. I guess I am just frustrated... She hasn't even responded to anything. What training method do you suggest I use? I scruff her for my safety.. It's hard to train a fuzz gently when they're trying to rip your skin off 24/7. I never had to use scruffing to get Dex to stop biting, but Freya will take advantage of NOT being scruffed.
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Post by Heather on Mar 13, 2011 19:32:24 GMT -5
From what you describe she's not the type of ferret to readily bow down to a scruff. It just ticks her off. Go for the time out. It's so easy to do and she won't look at her time out as something she has to lock horns with you about. Her anger and frustration will be directed at the cage. She must be handled firmly but without anger or violence. She retaliates with violence. You don't want to get into a battle of wills with a ferret. Trust me  ciao |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2011 19:52:32 GMT -5
It sounds like she may be scared also. We would give Riley a treat of some sort on the floor and as long as she didn't growl at us, we would pet her and get her used to our hands on her. Though I know some ferrets would hiss or something because they think youre taking their food away, we just got lucky Riley didnt feel this way. As I said, we only scruff her when she bites hard enough, like where she won't let go of us and we're bleeding lol. It scares her so we rarely ever scruff her, though she is getting much more used to us now and we don't even have to tell her not to bite most days!!! We just used the petting method often, and we would give her chances (but not teasing her with our hands) to bite us so when she did she would get a firm no and occasionally time out. So now when we're on the floor playing with everyone and she comes up. you can see her thinking about it and normally decides to just join in the fun.  Youll probably take at LEAST a month before you see results, but Ive heard some can take many months. For Riley to be MOSTLY trained to not bite it took about 2 months. Just stay calm and remember its not really her fault. She obviously wasnt handled as much as a pet ferret should be! So she is just scared and probably a bit hurt with her pride |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2011 20:08:30 GMT -5
Patience will sure be key. And believe me, it will be worth it. The scaredy cat my dad brought home a couple years ago took over a month of me sitting near her eating and waiting for a chance to pet her or pick her up then put her down before she'd realize she was in my arms in order for her to learn people were okay (world's longest sentence?). She's still my special cat when I visit because I have the honored bond of being the first "safe person". Also I think because I've learned her body language to know when she needs to hide, be comforted, or be put on the ground.
If Freya was alone in the end at the store, it is very possible she is scared. Some animals hide when scared, ferrets are more likely to be feisty biters. Show no fear and all, weezilness.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2011 20:26:06 GMT -5
I forget, but is Freya a fancy colored ferret? If so, she could very well be deaf, and that could explain the fear (and vocalness). I'd try time outs. Stick with it, be consistent, and reward for good behavior.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Mar 13, 2011 20:40:43 GMT -5
the wild ones are always the best because after you tame them they become the biggest sweethearts.
i don't scruff or drag or anything like that. this will cause you to have alot of scratches and bite marks on your hands: but what i do is I hold them ALOT and don't put them down when they squirm bite and scream. they will struggle, bite you, scratch etc. but eventually they learn to trust you and will stop biting and squirming. it sucks because your hands are full of bite marks and scratches but i think when they are vicious little biters and hissers it is usually a trust issue. they have to learn to be handled by humans and you can't put them down when they feel like it.
you'll know you're making progress and breaking her in when you feel her kind of give up struggling and go limp in your hands and she'll look at you and let out a big SIGH. it could take weeks. be patient.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 13, 2011 20:43:36 GMT -5
I'd do the time outs as well. Does she bite every time you go near her? One other thing you may want to try is teaching her hands are good things. She may be a revenge biter instead of a fear biter(at least I'm assuming she wasn't abused at the store, though THAT'S not guaranteed ). Does she know what 'tone is? If so, put some in the palm of your hand, scoop her up, and bring hand and fuzz face together too quickly for her to bite you ;D She'll hopefully sniff out something good and start licking at it. Put her back down, and do it again 20 minutes or so later. Otherwise, don't touch her other than in and out of the cage, and use the same method. Scoop, face in 'tone in palm for both in and out. Oh- and make sure to keep your palm as flat as you can- just in case When she bites, she goes into something small like a cat carrier. No bedding, toys, nothing. 3 minutes later she comes back out. If she bites coming out, back in she goes for another 3 minutes. Keep doing this for as long as it takes. You do NOT want her to realize you'll stop putting her back in if she bites you ;D Actually- I think this is the ONLY contest of wills I've ever won with my ferrets ;D They gave up before I did |
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Post by taratee on Mar 13, 2011 20:50:29 GMT -5
if youre afraid shes going to tag you while you take her to time out, you could pick her up in a scruff and take her to time out, then put her in the time out. that would make time out something you could use and not be afraid of being bitten while you were going through discipline. just remember be consistent ya know? its hard but just when youre about to give up on it, get on here rant. throw your own tantrum  let us tell you shes almost there and to keep going its what we are here for!!! if you think shes a fear biter id be careful with the way you play with her, nothing rough. maybe no tummy scratches and chasing until she gets used to you and knows you wont hurt her. |
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Post by Heather on Mar 13, 2011 21:36:51 GMT -5
If you hold a fuzz properly they can't nail you. You have to be careful. You don't need to scruff, at all. If you think you're going to be nailed, when you're going to put them in their cage, don't use the time out...use ignore. There have been a number of us who have had to use this method with aggressive ferrets. A ferret knows if you're afraid you're going to get bitten. I used that method with Fun-Go. Ferrets hate to be ignored. Unacceptable behaviour means that all fun stops, mom leaves you alone. It's just another method. I can now use time outs with Fun-Go but I couldn't at first. I use (what I believe is a harness type hold, I may be mistaken about what it's called) in this position they cannot bite me except when I make the transfer into a cage. There is the time while I pull my hand away that I can get nailed but then so can you if you scruff too, so scruffing is still unnecessary JMO.
As it's been mentioned....find something that you're comfortable with. I really don't think considering the description you gave that I would be using a scruff method but that's up to you. I strongly suggest that you don't drag this little one, though. She would view this as a violation of her space.
ciao
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Post by miamiferret2 on Mar 13, 2011 21:46:09 GMT -5
My ferret Cosmo used to bark at me and he would do spiteful things. Especially towards my mom. he'd fling poop at my mom when she tried to discipline him. LOL. He'd run to his poop corner and then kick his poop out of the corner. he had good aim sometimes and I remember once it landed on her shoe one day when she was going after him to discipline him. needless to say, she stopped giving him time-outs. I guess he thought he was a monkey.  |
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Post by goingpostal on Mar 13, 2011 21:46:40 GMT -5
Since you've only had her a week, why not just ignore her, go about your business and let her adjust to you just being around, new place, new schedule, she's had a lot thrown at her and she isn't going to learn you are a nice person with scruffing and nose taps. Put on some gloves if you don't want to take a bite and pick her up for short periods and let her nail you, some lose interest if they aren't getting a reaction. I'd just take some blood loss and handle her here and there and don't back down to her hissing and screaming fits, she'll get used to it, just go slow and be patient, you aren't going to change her attitude overnight.
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. This isn't going to happen overnight.
