What is the happy weasel war dance?
New ferret owners are usually quite surprised and a little alarmed when their ferret starts jumping and bouncing wildly around in front of them. This behavior is often misinterpreted as a sign of aggression, but in reality it's your ferret's invitation to play!
The weasel war dance, or happy weasel war dance, is how a ferret asks you or another animal to play with her. Sometimes a ferret will even dance with an inanimate object that they run into or that startles them.
When a ferret war dances, she jumps back and forth with her mouth open and her back arched. She will turn her head back and forth as she bounces around, and she may also "dook" while she dances. A dook is a cross between a chatter and a chuckle. If your ferret is young or has minimal or no bite training, she may nip lightly at you while she dances.
Some ferrets will get so into their war dancing that they will flip themselves over or dance right off the edge of a chair or a couch. Most will hit the ground still dancing! It's a delightful display of joy and excitement.
So there you have it! Next time your ferret starts to jump around in front of you, accept her invitation - get down on the floor and play with her!
