Training Your Ferret to Wear a Harness
Before you can leash train your ferret, you must train her to be comfortable wearing a harness. The younger the ferret is when you start harness training, the easier it will be, but older ferrets can be harness trained as well. You can begin training as early as 10 weeks of age.
Always start the training in an area she is comfortable in, such as her regular play area. Put the harness on her for five minutes at a time and give her a treat while she's wearing it. As she becomes used to wearing it, you can increase the amount of time she has it on. Remember to always reward her with a treat while she's wearing it so she will associate having it on with something good. Never yell at her or punish her if she tries to take it off, as she will then think of wearing it as an unpleasant experience.
Take your time training her to wear her harness and allow her to go at her own pace. Older ferrets will usually take longer to harness train, especially if they've never worn one before. Always supervise her when she is wearing her harness to make sure she doesn't get it caught on something and injure herself.
The best harness to use is an H-style harness, such as the Marshall Ferret Harness. Make sure the harness is made from a secure, durable material such as nylon. Avoid harnesses that use velcro closures, as your ferret could easily escape from them. Plastic or metal buckles are most common, and plastic is more comfortable than metal because it won't heat up as much in the sun.
For more information about leash or harness training, read Leash Training Your Ferret.
