Ferrets are intelligent and can be trained to use a litter box, not to nip and scratch, to walk on a leash and a variety of simple tricks. Ferret training requires patience. Ferrets have attention points not attention spans. Ferret training requires lots of repetition and patience on your part. Never hit or punish you pet ferret. Rather stop the bad behavior and reward the good behavior. Reward the good behavior with treats.
Ferret training requires your pet ferret trust you and associate you with good feelings not with pain or the ferret will react to you with fear biting, nipping and scratching (the only ways the ferret can protect itself). You will see an example of ferret’s behaving out of fear or apprehension if you are around a ferret that was neglected or abused in the past. These animals will scratch, nip and bite anyone who comes near them.
The most common ferret training topics are litter training and training your pet ferret not to bite or nip. Both are relatively easy.
The younger your pet ferret the easier to train him to use a litter pan. Start with the cage put the litter pan in a corner and maybe put a little feces in the pan so the ferret gets the idea what the pan is for. It is best is the pan is easy to walk into but at the back has higher walls. Ferrets in the wild like to do their business backed into a corner so anything you can do to create this secure, safe place will speed the training. If your ferret has free run of a room or rooms in your house you should put a litter pan or newspapers in every corner to avoid accidents. It is also a good idea to wait and let your pet ferret out of the cage immediately after he has gone to the bathroom. Reward your ferret when he has done the right thing with a treat.
Ferrets nip or bite while playing and out of fear. When your pet ferret bites you do not put him down immediately (he may see that as a reward for his bite) rather say NO firmly and continue to hold the ferret until he is calm then put him down. Move slowly and calmly when playing with your ferret. Jerking your hands away when the ferret nips will cause the ferret to instinctively clamp down, biting even harder. Some ferret training sites suggest squirting the ferret in the face with water from a spray bottle or squirt gun to discourage biting. The essential element to successful ferret training is consistent discipline and handling. You must be patient and work with your pet ferret everyday to train your ferret.
You can teach your ferret to walk on a leash on a harness or to ride in a pocket or on your shoulder. Make sure you get a harness that fits your pet ferret snuggly and comfortably. Practice with the harness and leash inside until you and the ferret are comfortable. When you do outside walks make sure you bring treats and that water is available.
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