From:
sunni_321@yahoo.com
Date: 2003-05-12 05:10:40 UTC
Subject: Biting
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4722955.1052716240264.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
My 1 1/2 year old ferret, Howie (actually, female, I don't know if that mat=
ters, behavior-wise), did a pretty bad thing this weekend. We were at my m=
other's apartment, and her friend and the friend's daughter came over. The=
daughter, 8 years old, was enthralled with my 3 ferrets. They were playin=
g nicely, until she picked up a squeeky toy, and squeaked it repeatedly. T=
he girl thought it was great, how all my ferrets flocked to her. I warned =
her that she should probably stop, as I have trained them to come to it (re=
peated squeaking tells my ferrets drop what ever you're doing and come imme=
diately). Well, she didn't stop, and all of a sudden, Howie jumped up and =
bit her in the calf. Not like a nip, like a full out, all four fangs into =
her flesh, the girl screams, Howie's shaking his head like a dog on another=
dog's throat, the girl is totally freaking out, non stop shrieking (not th=
at I blame her!), I actually had to pull Howie off of her. Suprisingly, Ho=
wie didn't break the skin, although, there are four little bruises, where h=
is mouth was. First of all, let me just say, OH MY GOD!!! I've NEVER know=
n any of my ferrets to do anything other than the occasional nip, or to be =
too rough during play. They have always responded well to a quick scolding=
"DON'T BITE! BAD HOWIE!", and we go about our business. Nowadays, the tw=
o oldest, don't bite at all in play. They just put their mouth on you and =
then stop (touch football, vs. tackle football). I didn't even scold Howie=
on Saturday because I didn't know what to do! All I could do is apologize=
profusely, and then I shut Howie in the pet carrier. I'm almost positive,=
he bit because of the noise of the squeaky, I think the noise bothers them=
a lot. (Btw, he is totally current on all his shots, so that wasn't even a=
consideration. The mother just asked if he had had his shots and otherwis=
e didn't seem to hold it against him).
My question: Do I chalk this experience up to "the way it is" and assume t=
hat Howie shouldn't be around kids because he isn't very tolerant of them. =
(He probably feels totally justified, but, I'm more talking like.... you k=
now how there are dogs that let their owner's children climb all over them,=
pull their hair and everything, and never get grouchy. Howie's not really=
like that :) ). Or, could I train him not to lash out, even when provoked=
? =
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