Many people have asked how I have such tame ferrets or how do I nip train them. In this short video I try to show and explain how I handle my ferrets from 7 weeks old.
Really like the methods of training you are promoting here. When I got my first ferret (an adult rescue & biter) I was told to discipline him - scruffing, time out, yell No at him etc. It just made him worse and he was very afraid. So I switched to showering him with love and attention, giving him treats to lick off my fingers, lots of time outside the cage to run around, playing with him with a toy instead of my hands. It took a few months but in the end he was just a big sook, gentle with everyone including young children. My 2nd ferret was 10 weeks old and had never been handled. She backed into the corner of the cat carrier and showed her teeth to me the whole drive home. First thing I did was put some olive oil on my fingers and she licked it off. She has been my best bud ever since, never nipped, bitten, very gentle.
urbanrat84 my girl is a little Kent she's got pain trauma from before 3 weeks old as I bred a Jill with my hob (her parents) he was 2 and was easily nipped trained as he was hissing and facebook rescues said he was feral but his daughter is more feral and doesn't learn especially her father was trained by being wrapped in a towel no feets exposed always using a tone saying I'm the boss she only had a scratch at her yooha and been desexed since and she's still how she is >.>
watched 100's of videos recently after getting my first two Jill's... this is the best...calmest and most experienced. thanks for the vid mate. appreciate it and made me feel more relaxed
Look at their little feet haha awww. Had to have my ferret put to sleep this morning (terminal illness) and this cheered me right up, thanks for posting :)
Those ferrets aren't showing affection, they're obviously going for the jugular. Haha. Never seen a setup like that before. Looks great and very enriching.
I've just gotten my ferrets from the RSPCA. They're 3 years old and have had several homes before and I'm not sure how they were treated, but they certainly seem like they've never been nip trained. They bite very hard, locking down and drawing blood. I did not know ferrets saw you as a threat when you move your hand back a forward quickly (I do it a lot because I'm scared of the biting) but that's really good to know. Thank you. 😁
You cant really nip train them as such. Its just a case of handling them as much as possible. The more human interaction they get from an early age the better, Your ferrets wont have been handled much when they were young and the reason they have had several homes is because they bite and no one will have been patient enough to put the time in needed. The best thing I can suggest you do is to pick them up under they're front legs and be positive when you do it. So in one movement. when you pick them up like that its hard for them to be able to bite that hand. Then stroke them with your other hand and talk to them like you would a cat or dog. If you do this for a short while each day they will get use to your voice and get use to you picking them up. Also when you feed them stroke them gently while they are eating if possible.
I know this is an older video years old I face but thought to keep this video going it needs some activity happening lol , I agree with you on handling and one other thing and that is having them well fed , hungry ferrets will go for the chomp of a hand , found this out from ferrets I received from other person they were hungry and very bitey, a few feeds and handling they came good and love being handled now , awesome videos mate great job.👍
Your setup is AMAZING!!!!!!!!! GOD I wish I lived in tbe UK.... we get marshall ferrets here and it's cold in the winter n very hot in summer so I am scared they will get sick outdoors. I envy u man! ❤
Omg. I've never seen as gorgeous ferrets, as these ones are! Their really beautiful. Like their "wide" / muscular look. Their not 'skinny' looking or tiny in a size. 😍 Most of the ferrets, that I've seen irl are those kind of, that are tinier. And their color.. Oh dear. 💖 Absolutely gorgeous lil creatures! Words can't even describe, how much I fell in love with them. ☺ Everything good for You and Your ferrets! 🌸🌼
I love your set up. I have 7 of them but introduced a kit recently and she can’t even be scruffed. Thanks for the advice I just needed to be reminded as not had a kit for many years 👍
Great to see how you do this. I got a hob and jill this week, and the hob is really nippy. I need to sort it out! Also trying to get them to use the litter tray
Rural Pest Control Whitwell That’s awesome. Not sure where you are located but most ferrets here in the US don’t look even half as healthy as yours do.
The advice of "just handle them" when people ask how to keep animals from biting is honestly such an overlooked truth. I feel like people in general just have this weird misunderstanding of animals and don't realize that handling them and interacting with them is how to solve about half the problems people have with the way animals act. I've never had ferrets but I've kept hamsters for about ten years now, and while they're very very different animals from ferrets, people are constantly asking me "don't they bite? aren't they unfriendly? etc." and the answer is always no, not if you handle them. Of course there are animal species that aren't friendly and do poorly when handled but these critters are not one of them. So many people just do not care about animals enough and they don't make an effort and it's really refreshing to see people like you who understand these very simple responses to problems people have with animals that should honestly just be common sense.
AHumanCalledSmithy nearly all domesticated animals have become domesticated because of human contact and interaction. Alot of people think that some animals are already domesticated from birth. But the simple act of interaction from an early age can make all the difference
I once had a ferret which was biting very much at the beginning until I found out that she was deaf! She could not hear me saying "hello" and was biting just because she was afraid of being attacked or so. Then I started to move my hand in front of her face to grasp her attention instead of touching her. After a while we created a sign language including "come here", "good girl", "no" e.g. I had the feeling her friend was not too happy with the situation, because I recognized less interaction between the two ferrets, although they loved each other, played and slept together. Every time she was running through my appartement she needed to wear a little bell - from the chocolate bunnies 😂. Unfortunately she tended to fall asleep so I could not hear and sometimes not find her. Only when I moved out I figured out where her secret place was. She could never fully relax when I held or petted her, up to a few weeks before her death. Finally I had all her trust and heart. RIP little girl.❤ Would I get another deaf ferret. Yes, no doubt!
This is a great and very informative video, I have been hoping to get ferrets for a long time and I've done a lot of research but once I have them I will keep looking back at this video because it has helped a lot thank you 😊
hahaha sooo many ferrets at once that would be a dream for me. its just that to do that id need a lot of $$$$$$$ not just to get them but to care for them properly and take care of whatever illnesses they may get later on in life. im so jealous of you sir hahaha but also happy for you.
me and my dad hand reared polecats from kits and another way we found to nip train them aside from putting the finger in their mouth is to also hold them by the scruff of the neck like a mother does to carry them and a ferret will yawn and release your finger.
graciesbabies there already is a video of me fitting a new pipe on my channel. There is a link pinned to the top of the comments to the ebay page where I buy it from.
Omg so helpful! When my dog nips I put my hand in her jaw so she can’t bite me but if she does it didn’t hurt! Thanks so much! I want a ferret so bad!!
Thanks for the link , was it the 100mm that you bought ? , Have you had any problems with your ferrets chewing through the piping ? i bought something similar from b&q but it was very flimsy i think it was designed as tumble dryer venting and it didnt last a day they shredded it almost over night , is the stuff you use stronger ? it certainly looks like it , thanks for the help and advice , much appriciated .
yes the 100mm. I too tried the white tumble drier pipe stuff and that didn't last a day. This has been in over a year now and still going strong, no problems yet.
Hello, can I just say what a great video, better than all the usual American stuff, anyway I am interested to know where you get all the tubing from and what its actually called. Your set up looks great and although ours are indoors we could set up something so similar. Thank you.
Hi thanks. The tubing I buy off ebay. Its called pu flexible ducting hose. This is the item number of the one I buy 110918247105. I buy the 100mm diameter in 3 meter lengths. Hope this helps.
the less nervous and hesitant you are the better. I find that picking them up so your thumb and finger and under there front legs is the best way. If you talk to them as well they get use to you and your voice. Treat them like you would a kitten or puppy when they are that young.
one of my old jills used to stay in my barbour pocket when I used to go out ferreting I used to have an old hat in there and she would just wrap up in it and you could go anywhere with her and she wouldn't leave unless she was on a set with some scent about, better than a dog marking lol
I've had ferrets for years but my very first ferret I let him run around the living room so I blocked a few things so he couldn't escape. But I forgot to block the chimney breast it shot straight up it took ages get him down and I still have that ferret
If I happened to get a ferret(s) at a pet store, would they be 8 weeks or a lot older? Also, would they be super mean because their in a pet store and not really handled properly there?
Having never bought them from a pet store I couldn't really say. Best thing you can do is visit the pet store and ask them everything you need to know before buying one.
James Jones catapult shooting #cattyking I'd start working kits in they're 1st year so usually from about 4-6 months old. Depending on when they're born. I would take them with an older more experienced ferret, but even when I started I had 3 kits (brothers) that I got in August at 8 weeks old. I started working them in September of that year.
Hi first thank you for replying mate and my hob he's around 4months old mother and father are workers.but not got another experienced ferret to try him with do I need and experienced ferret to show him he's job?
James Jones catapult shooting #cattyking no you don't need one but it helps. I didn't have one when I started with my 1st 3 hobs, but since then I've had young Jill's that are a bit unsure of going down the rabbit holes. All you can do is take him and give him a go. Don't try and force him down the holes, let him sniff around and his instinct should kick in 👍
Rural Pest Control Whitwell Hi iv taken him out couple of times he's goes down the holes comes out other no bother but not bolted rabbits yet as if he has met a rabbit down there and bottled it being so young ?
James Jones catapult shooting #cattyking do you have a ferret finder and collar on him ? Warren could be empty, or the rabbits are sitting tight. It's upto the rabbit if it's going to bolt not the ferret.
