The Ferret Store Official Blog - Ferret News & Info

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.

Posted by ferretstore at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scruffing is when you hold your ferret by the loose skin on the back of his neck using your thumb and first few fingers to keep him immobilized. If done correctly, it is completely painless and is exactly how his mother would carry him around. It is an effective disciplinary technique, and it is useful in other situations as well, such as when you need to hold your ferret still to clip his nails or clean his ears.

Don't be surprised to see your ferret yawn and go limp when you scruff him. Scruffing actually relaxes many ferrets, which is why it is so useful in grooming situations.

Scruffing is used mainly in training and grooming situations. In training, it is a way in which you can show your ferret that you are the alpha ferret. For example, when your ferret bites you, you can scruff him, and say "no" loudly and firmly to show him that his behavior is not acceptable. You can also turn him onto his back while scruffing him, which is something that his mother or other ferrets would do.

In grooming, scruffing is necessary to protect your ferret. It allows you to hold him still, and it lessens the possibility of injury during grooming. If you didn't scruff, you would have to hold him immobile using his paw or leg for grooming, and he could hurt himself trying to get away. When you are cleaning his ears, scruffing ensures that he will not twist his head abruptly and cause you to injure his ears.

Though scruffing is a very useful tool with some ferrets, there are certain situations in which it should not be used. These include:

• Training a fear biter (scruffing will exacerbate the problem)
• Litter training (positive reinforcement only)
• Training or interacting with previously abused ferrets (scruffing is likely to make them view you as another abuser)

Additionally, there are some ferrets who just aren't going to respond well to scruffing, as it will cause them to become agitated. With these ferrets, you will have to come up with different methods for training and grooming.

Posted by ferretstore at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While training a deaf ferret may seem like a daunting task, it actually isn't that much harder than training a hearing ferret if you have the right methods at your disposal. You may have to be a little more creative with your techniques, but we'll go over some of the basic deaf ferret training methods below to give you a hand.

In all types of training, make good use of visual cues.
Your ferret may not be able to hear you, but she can pick up on visual cues such as hand gestures or exaggerated facial expressions. For example, for bite training, frown and move your finger in a "no no" gesture while scruffing her when she bites.

Reward her with treats and attention for good behavior.
Positive reinforcement goes just as far with deaf ferrets as it does with hearing ferrets. Reward desired behavior such as playing without biting or using the litter box with treats and cuddles.

Use vibrations to get her attention if she isn't looking at you.
If you want your ferret to come to you, bang on the floor. She won't hear the noise, but she will feel the vibrations and look to see where they're coming from. Once she sees you, motion her over and give her a treat when she comes.

Use a laser pointer to train her to come.
Another way to train her to come is to use a laser pointer. When she follows the laser pointer over to you, give her a treat.

Remember, whether you have a deaf or hearing ferret, the key to successful training is patience and persistence!

Posted by ferretstore at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you about to pull your hair out in frustration? Does your ferret refuse to use the litter pan? Don't lose hope! It is possible for ferrets to be litter trained, but you have to have the right methods and the right ferret litter supplies.

You can read all about Litter Training Your Ferret at FerretFacts.com. The article covers the following topics:

• Choosing Litter & Litter Pans
• Unsafe vs. Safe Ferret Litters
• Training Methods Inside the Cage
• Training Methods Outside the Cage

If the methods outlined in the article don't seem to be working for your ferret, the problem might be with the ferret litter or litter box. Some common reasons that ferrets don't take to litter training are:

• The litter pan isn't clean enough. Ferrets that feel their litter box isn't clean enough will often go next to it. To avoid this, scoop the litter pan daily or more often as needed if you have multiple ferrets.
• The litter pan isn't big enough. Ferrets like litter boxes that they can fit all four feet in comfortably. If they can't, many will choose to go outside the pan instead.
• The ferrets don't like the litter you have chosen. If you're using a recycled newspaper litter, try a wood pellet litter instead.

With some patience, you can get your ferret to use the litter box! However, don't be surprised if your ferret isn't 100% with the litter pan. Very few ferrets will go in the litter box every single time. Most ferrets will hit the litter pan about 85% of the time.

When your ferret does miss the litter box, be sure to clean up the accident completely. Move any feces into the litter box, and then use a cleaner such as Nature's Miracle to clean up the area. Nature's Miracle is a good cleaner because it completely eradicates smells. Ferrets find their litter box by smell, so if they can still smell the accident, they'll continue to go to the bathroom there.

Good luck!

Pictured above is the Marshall Lock-On High Back Litter Pan. Don't you hate it when your pet "re-locates" the litter box then decides not to use it? Put an end to it with the Marshall Lock-On High Back Litter Pan specifically designed for ferrets. The low front entrance allows your ferret to enter easily while the high back prevents excess cleanup. An innovative schew mechanism easily secures the pan to any wire cage and unscrews easily for cleaning. Measures 14" x 14" x 9". You can find the Marshall Lock-On Litter Pan along with other ferret litters and ferret litter boxes at The Ferret Store.

Posted by ferretstore at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is by far the most common question I hear from new ferret owners! Baby ferrets, or kits, nip at their owners because that's how they interact with each other. They haven't been properly socialized and trained yet, so they're treating you like they would any other ferret! It's up to you to interact with them, train them, and show them that you're the alpha ferret.

A QUICK DISCLAIMER: If you think that these training methods mean that your ferret will never touch you with his teeth again, think again! Ferrets are naturally mouthy animals, especially kits, and they will probably still play bite. My ferrets will all put their teeth around my hand when we play, they just don't bite down. Play biting is completely normal behavior. What these methods are designed to correct is painful biting, either during play or on random occurances.

Here are a few ways to bite train your ferret:

• When your ferret bites you, grasp it by the loose skin at the back of its neck. This is called scruffing. Hold the ferret in front of your face by its scruff, and say "No" loudly and firmly. You can also add a drag across the floor at the end of this. By this, I mean gently drag it on its back about a foot while holding onto its scruff. This will not hurt the ferret, and is how its mother would tell it to knock it off!
• When the ferret bites you, push your finger back further into its mouth. This will cause the ferret to open its mouth. Be sure not to push too hard; the point of this isn't to jam your finger down your ferret's throat!
• Put the ferret in a time out for 5 minutes. This should be a travel carrier or alternate cage. Never put the ferret in time out in its own cage, or it will associate its cage with punishment. Also, never do it for longer than 5 minutes, or your ferret won't know what it's being punished for. I usually reserve the time out method for the 3rd offense.
• Spray your hands with a bite deterrent spray such as Fooey. Bite deterrent sprays usually won't work on their own! You must use them in conjunction with other training methods. Training a ferret not to bite is as much an issue of proper socialization as it is training. You are the alpha ferret, and you need to show your ferret that. Just using a bite deterrent spray only teaches your ferret that occasionally, you taste really nasty.

The key to success with these training methods is persistance. Your ferret needs to be disciplined every single time it bites, whether it bites you or the neighbor down the street who stopped in for coffee! This means that you will need to teach everyone who interacts with the ferret when you're not around how to discipline the ferret. Be patient, and be persistant, and you'll end up with a fuzzy that doesn't bite in no time!

There are some things you never ever want to do!! Never flick your ferret's nose or hit it in any way. Training methods that make your ferret fear you and feel threatened by you can result in worse biting behavior. Never scream at your ferret or throw it. Again, this will just terrify the ferret and will have no beneficial effects whatsoever. If you feel like you're going to lose your temper, leave the room. Throwing your ferret or being overly physical just one time can undo some or all of the bonding that has happened between you and your ferret.

Posted by ferretstore at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)