Problem Biters: Reasons behind the behaviour

Ferrets rarely bite without reason. They may bite because they are afraid, they are trying to tell you that they are in pain or uncomfortable, they have never been taught how to play nicely with people, biting has gotten them what they have wanted in the past or because they are responding to a trigger.
In order to figure out the best way to deal with the ferret biting, you must first figure out WHY is it biting.

REASONS FOR BITING

1)PLAY
If the animal bounces at you with its mouth open, war dances and bites you, he or she is attempting to play (to see a ferret playing, click here) and doesn't understand that people skin is not as strong as ferret skin. For instructions on how to teach your ferret how to play nicely, click here.

2)ALWAYS WORKED BEFORE
If your ferret bites you when you are holding him and he wants down, when you are cutting his nails and wants you to stop, when he wants you to pick him up or acknowledge him, he has learned that biting is a good way to get what he wants. You must take care not to reinforce his behaviour (for example, if he bites to get your attention, walk away and ignore him for a few seconds before giving him your attention, if you are holding him, continue to hold him for a few seconds after the bite or place him in a time out kennel for a few seconds, then pick him up again... you get the picture! For more tips, click here.). It is also important to reinforce good behaviour with treats and attention. If, for example, you ferret taps you on the leg instead of biting you, drop what you are doing and give them attention and/ or treats - this reinforces the positive behaviour (not biting).

3)TRIGGERS
Triggers are something which causes the ferret to become incredibly aggravated and lash out. Triggers are generally loud noises such as a dog barking, vacuum or loud squeaky toy. I had one ferret that was set of by one person's high laugh. Not all ferrets have triggers, but if you notice that an otherwise friendly ferret bites only when a specific sounds is heard, odds are that your ferret has a trigger. Behaviour correction does not generally work for triggers - they are simply sounds that the ferret cannot tolerate, like fingers on a chalkboard to most people. Once the trigger sound has been isolated, it is best to avoid the noise if at all possible.

4) FEAR
Best described as the ferret lunging aggressively when cornered. Scared ferrets sometimes fluff themselves up have bottle brush tails. A scared ferret may lunge at you when you attempt to remove them from their cage or pick them up off the floor. If they are afraid for their lives, they may even screech at you. If your ferret is a fear biter, it has likely been mishandled at some point in its life. Fear biters have learned, through experience, that humans are the enemy and, if they give you the chance, you will hurt them. While working with a fear biter can be difficult, most, if not all can be rehabilitated and, once they have learned that you are not the enemy, they go on to make wonderful pets. For information on dealing with a fear biter, see the following blog.

5) PAIN
If a ferret feels uncomfortable or is in pain, it will let you know by telling you the only way that it can - with its teeth. A ferret suffering from an extremely severe flea or mite infestation or a really bad rash, infection or pus build up may bite to let you know that they are uncomfortable and that you should do something to remedy the situation. A ferret that is in pain may bite to let you know. To determine whether a ferret is in pain, look for the following symptoms: watery, squinting eyes, teeth grinding, a hunched posture, tenderness (flinching when touched in an area), they may be protective over a certain part of their body, and/or they may refuse food. A visit to the vet to isolate and fix the problem is essential. Generally, in these cases, once the pain or discomfort is gone, the ferret is more than friendly.

6) DOMINANCE
While this is rare, some ferrets will bite their owners to establish dominance over them. Generally this happens in situations where the ferret was a fear biter or a particularly bratty and nippy kit who bit their owner and had their owner display a lot of fear of the animal following the incident. In other words: the ferret was scared or playing and figured out that the owner was more scared and the ferret was, therefore, dominant over the big human ferret. These ferrets will generally bite to affirm their dominance and should be dealt with using a system of gentle correction. In this situation, it is important for the owner to get over their fear of the animal. If you cannot do this, you may want to consider surrendering the animal to a local ferret rescue with more experienced volunteers that can handle the situation. Generally, a "OW! NO!" followed by a scruff and drag (always gentle - remember, you want to teach the ferret that you are the boss, not that you are to be feared) and, if the ferret persists, a time out. Remember to be consistent with this approach and, as with the "it always worked before", do not give the ferret what it wants if it tries to get it by biting. Remember to reinforce good behaviour such as NOT biting with plenty of treats, toys and attention.

If you are having trouble figuring out why your ferret is biting, try to track the bites. Think that what happened around the time of the bite and what your reaction was. Visit the vet to rule out any potential health issues which could be causing the ferret to be uncomfortable or in pain. If you are absolutely stumped, contact your local ferret rescue - they may be able to give you some insight into the matter.Good Luck!

Nipping the problem in the bud - how to deal with nipping

"Don't ferrets bite?" Man, I have heard that question a million times. The short answer is no, at least not without a reason. While some ferrets bite out of fear, pain or as a result of a trigger, the vast majority of biting ferrets simply have never been taught how to play nicely with people.

Ferrets, like dogs, need to be taught that people are not toys. Many owners find it cute and funny when their new puppy nibbles on their fingers. They giggle and, in doing so, reinforce the habit. As the puppy gets bigger and his teeth and jaws get stronger, the biting stops being cute and starts being painful. The same is true for ferrets. Kits, like puppies, play with their mouths. They put everything around them in their mouth, including their owners, and, if encouraged in a baby ferret, this behaviour becomes a problem when the ferret gets bigger. So how do you stop this bad behaviour?

1) Establish the reason for the behaviour. If the ferret nips when he is playing or when he wants your attention he simply have never been taught manners. If he is a young kit and is attempting to chew on you, chances are that he is teething. Other reasons for biting (dominance, pain, fear) will be covered in the following blog posts.

2) Do not reinforce the behaviour. That means no giggling, jumping or running away (yes, flinching, running away and jumping can reinforce the behaviour - ferrets jump and run when they play. To see ferrets playing, click here.). If your ferret is biting you for attention, ignore him or her and walk away. If they are nipping during play, stop playing. I know that this can be tough, but by responding you are giving the ferret what it wants and encouraging his bad behaviour.

3) Make sure that there are plenty of fun, ferret safe toys for your pet to play with. This is especially important if you have a teething kit. For one on one interaction, toys such as mice on a string (or other similar dangling toys for cats - be sure that these toys have no small pieces which can easily be removed by the ferret during play) can be a lot of fun. Puppets also work well if you enjoy wrestling with your ferret - they allow you to interact without teaching your ferret that it is acceptable to bite you (though it can be tempting, using socks instead of puppets is not recommended as your ferret may learn that socks, and therefore feet covered in socks, are fun toys).
4) Scruff, Ouch! and No! are all useful techniques. Some ferrets will learn that nipping their owners is not acceptable with a few simple "OW! NO!" statements. If using this approach, the owner should sound either pitiful or firm, but should not yell and startle the ferret. If using simply the "OW! NO!" does NOT send the desired message, then scruffing the animal (that is picking it up or pinning it briefly by the scruff of the neck - to learn how to scruff a ferret, click here) along with the "OW! NO!" can help drive the point home. Flicking the ferret on the nose, spanking the animal or putting down (if you are holding the animal) are not recommended. Flicking and spanking can teach the animal that aggressive behaviour is acceptable while putting them down immediately after the nip will teach them that biting is the correct way to ask to be let down. ** if your ferret is deaf, "OW!NO!" will not work, but scruffing will still convey the message.

5) Ferretone can encourage the ferret to lick rather than bite you. Ferretone is an oily skin and coat supplement that most ferrets for nuts for. Applying a small amount to your hands can help teach most ferrets that you are not for biting, but for licking. Ferretone can also be used to teach a timid or hyper ferret that handling is a good thing - simply allow the ferret to lick it from the bottle while you are holding them, but be careful not to give them too much!

6) Bitter Apple spray can also be applied to your hands to discourage nipping. Bitter Apple is a non toxic, bitter tasting spray that will not harm the ferret, but will leave a nasty taste in his or her mouth. This technique can teach some ferrets that people taste TERRIBLE!

7) Be consistent!!! This is the most important part of nip training. Ensure that all family members are actively discouraging nipping in a non-violent way. Having one family member allow the ferret to nip and another discipline the animal for the same behaviour will confuse the animal and not resolve the situation.

Remember - there are a variety of techniques because ferrets, like people, are individuals; what works for one ferret may not work for another. If you find that the technique that you have been trying is not working, try a new one or try combining the techniques. If you are still not having any success and have ruled out all other reasons for the nipping, then it is time to evaluate your responses. Are you flinching or jumping? Are you afraid of the nip and inadvertently reacting? Are you allowing the ferret to nip sometimes and not others? Are other people - friends or other family members - encouraging the bad behaviour?

Good Luck!