Here is a picture of bit hold, I use.  I couldn't hold the bottom of the ferret, as my other hand has the camera. Sorry, not best picture.  But you get the idea.

Good luck in this hold.

My thumb and pinkie finger, are under his front paws.
Finger 1, 2 and 3 are around his neck.


Bode screams out HELP ME!
 
 
 
 
Here is another trick that I like to do.  I do this with a biter or ferret that just won't sit still in your arms.

I gently rock them or swing them.  You can gently swing them, by just using your wrist. 

[image]local://upfiles/75/CABC3A1E254D45BF9D24164442218E8F.jpg[/image]

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thank u!! I will try to do this.. but thankfully the scruff is sooo working for me! now you said something about ferrets SITTING STILL in your arms?? wow I would love to be able to have them still while im holding them! can u please explain a little bit the swinging or rocking (no idea what that is) and how to hold them while I do that? thank u!

bode looks quite delighted more then anything lol

ORIGINAL: Eyris

bode looks quite delighted more then anything lol

I was just thinking this.
 
 

 

That's a cute picture!
 
 

RM1 TJ Tropea
Severn, Maryland
US Navy Retired
USNS SIRIUS T-AFS 8

Roommate/Brother: Matthew Higdon
Dachshunds: Tucker, & Chance
Cat: Griffin
Chow Chow: Canuck
Ferrets: Dodger, Frito, Digit, & Pucker

I joined this forum, about 2mins ago, specifically because of this post.  I hope this helps!  I have a 1yr male, I've only had him about 5 days, and he bites so hard!  It hurts and I had worked myself into a panic last night about it, now I have received a few ideas for scruffing and hissing, but I like this idea better!  Thanks for posting this!

Yah when we first got Lexie she wanted to always tried to scruff our wrist and shake it like it was a kit and be the boss. So we scuffed her and did the rubbing on the ground trick. A month went by and she stopped it but still does it to strangers. Now six months have gone by and our once anti social ferret now sleeps in our arms. You just need patients.

ORIGINAL: Pear_shaped_Apple

I joined this forum, about 2mins ago, specifically because of this post.  I hope this helps!  I have a 1yr male, I've only had him about 5 days, and he bites so hard!  It hurts and I had worked myself into a panic last night about it, now I have received a few ideas for scruffing and hissing, but I like this idea better!  Thanks for posting this!

 
Hold is just a "Hold".  Make sure you pet and talk to your ferret in a soft voice, when using this hold. 
 
Good luck

 

Do not give up.  It takes time.  I have one that forgets not to bite, I retrain him and he remembers  for a month or two.  And then I have to do it again.

The scruff worked and for about 2 days and now he bites me anyways. i will try this,

i've been doing the "bite hold" on Rasputin when she digs everything in sight... like my carpet.... she's stopped the digging.. you should see her face when i grab her like that..... 

Yes this hold can be useful in an extreme situation. But also remember to get your ferret calm after it has gotten all excited and been biting and corrected. To do this: cuddle! One way is to hold the ferret with the grip the picture use until the ferret gasps or sighs, that means "I give up". then turn it around and hold your hand below the frontlegs and keep the ferret upside down on your arm. Stroke from eyes and back quite firmly, this will result in gasping and after a while your ferret will be calm and maybe even go to sleep. Work this often and you have yourself a very cuddly friend in no-time. My girl Tuva sleeps with me in my bed, wakes me up with kisses... ;)

Swedish greetings!

[image]local://upfiles/2686/00191DBB1358467593AD0C5C40E659CF.jpg[/image]

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ORIGINAL: Robinsnel

Yes this hold can be useful in an extreme situation. But also remember to get your ferret calm after it has gotten all excited and been biting and corrected. To do this: cuddle! One way is to hold the ferret with the grip the picture use until the ferret gasps or sighs, that means "I give up". then turn it around and hold your hand below the frontlegs and keep the ferret upside down on your arm. Stroke from eyes and back quite firmly, this will result in gasping and after a while your ferret will be calm and maybe even go to sleep. Work this often and you have yourself a very cuddly friend in no-time. My girl Tuva sleeps with me in my bed, wakes me up with kisses... ;)

Swedish greetings!

I wonder why it wasn't working for my marley boy, little toe biter. 

ORIGINAL: Robinsnel

Yes this hold can be useful in an extreme situation. But also remember to get your ferret calm after it has gotten all excited and been biting and corrected. To do this: cuddle! One way is to hold the ferret with the grip the picture use until the ferret gasps or sighs, that means "I give up". then turn it around and hold your hand below the frontlegs and keep the ferret upside down on your arm. Stroke from eyes and back quite firmly, this will result in gasping and after a while your ferret will be calm and maybe even go to sleep. Work this often and you have yourself a very cuddly friend in no-time. My girl Tuva sleeps with me in my bed, wakes me up with kisses... ;)

Swedish greetings!

[image]local://upfiles/2686/00191DBB1358467593AD0C5C40E659CF.jpg[/image]

AWWW!

Ok i'm not following what you said....
"turn it around and hold your hand below the frontlegs and keep the ferret upside down on your arm. Stroke from eyes and back quite firmly"

below the front legs and upside down? i'm not getting that part..... and stroke where? between the eyes back or on the side of their head?

Stroke on the head, over the eyes (so they close them) and backwards over shoulders. A little massage on the back and neckmuscles are loved. Also scratching the underside of their backlegs are very popular here, they stretch out and make those faces... ;) If they are uncomfortable with cuddling in the beginning you can pick them up while they sleep and massage them, do this often and soon enough they'll learn to appreciate it.

I spend ALOT of time with my ferrets in my lap...

Edit: My point with cuddling as discipline-tactic is the calm stroking on head and back, that makes your ferret gasp/sigh (correct word?). This is a way of dominating your ferret in a way they like... When the ferret gasps it tells you "you've won". If the ferret don't calm down I hold them under the frontlegs and keep stroking head and back until they gasp, might take a while at first but it's what I prefer. I've had some really problematic ferrets (some polecat-mixes too) biting me to the bones and my experiences tell me holding their neckskin and such ways of dominating is far from as effective as the "by force-cuddling" way I do now...

[image]local://upfiles/2686/9597E08D0C12441A9B392B07DB65F980.jpg[/image]

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i have been trying the bite hold then cuddle thing... but my ferrets wont stay still for a SECOND for me to pet them........ they just want to run and play. i would LOVE to get mine to do what yours does!!!!!

I use the bite hold until Raspy sighs. Then i gently put her on her back in my arms like i'd hold a baby.... she wont have a SECOND of that. Oh and forget trying to get her to stay on my lap... no way..... lol


edit: i just saw your edit where u said if they dont hold still, to hold them under the arms and pet them like that until they give up and sigh. i'll try that!

Nice! Keep us updated on your progresses and how she reacts please
Ferrets can be so stubborn, more stubborn than they gain from themselves many times... hehe.. Good luck!

I've been trying the bite hold listed here just for the heck of it... my ferrets aren't biting anymore... but, I just wanted to try it...
 
 

RM1 TJ Tropea
Severn, Maryland
US Navy Retired
USNS SIRIUS T-AFS 8

Roommate/Brother: Matthew Higdon
Dachshunds: Tucker, & Chance
Cat: Griffin
Chow Chow: Canuck
Ferrets: Dodger, Frito, Digit, & Pucker

wow! i've never had a problem with biting, i guess i'm just lucky perhaps.

i've been surfing these forums for a while and then i saw that.
i only got my pandora two days ago, but already she started to bite me and hard. i tried the bite hold a few times after she bit me. two things have happened:
1. i would put her in the bite hold, but she would never sigh but get restless and squirm around after awhile.
2. after she would bite me, she knew what would happen so would roll over on her back, so when i'd try to grab her she'd try and bite me again.

not only that, but after i let her go from the bite hold after her squirming around in my hands, she would sometimes try another bite at me and then run away underneath the dresser where i can't reach her.

i really don't know what to do. i'm coming up with the excuse that maybe she doesn't feel good, as i've found some suspecious looking poops, so maybe that's why she's acting out on me. so with that i'm taking her and her brother and sister to the vet tomorrow. but still, i don't know what i did to her to make her want to bite me so much and so hard.

i mean to the point where she's broken skin and cause a little bit of bleeding.... :(

Nothing can compare to a bunch of fuzzies when it comes to warming your heart...<3