From:
dbooras@home.com
Date: 2001-03-02 22:20:00 UTC
Subject: Re Another Behavior Question (Bullying)
Kris,
Two of my 4 boys are affectionately known as the "bully boys," and one
of them is deaf. I believe part of Pup's problem is that he can't
hear the others say "uncle," although in watching him wrestle with his
2 best friends, I see that he is much gentler. So, to a certain
extent, I think he knows when he's being too rough. He's also the
dominant dude of the bunch. Time out's and discipline don't work with
Pup at all; in fact, that approach makes his behavior worse. I have
found with him, picking him up and scratching and loving him will
settle him down.
Pogo, the other little bully, is just that, a bully through and
through. He doesn't bully Pup and he has one wrestling mate that he
dearly loves, but all other ferrets are to be bullied. He also has an
uncanny ability to recognize which humans can be bullied. He has a
special noise that he makes when he is on the trail of someone he
plans on bullying that I've never heard another ferret make. Time
outs work when he is bullying people (he even has a certain shelf in
his cage that he only gets on when he is in trouble where he lays and
does his best pitiful look), but it doesn't work with other ferrets.
I can only let him be around 1 of my four girls because 3 of them are
just no match for his antics. Strangely enough, Pogo is my most
loving ferret and will sit on my lap for hours when he is tired out.
He is also a coward which usually goes along with being a bully. I
swear, if he was a human, I would probably despise him, but I have to
admit, my little bully boy has a special place in my heart.
I wish I had something more to offer you that was effective with
bully behavior, but after working with Pogo for the last 2 years, I
believe he will always be a bully and that he enjoys every minute of
it.
Donna