Ferrets are cute. Many people buy these little critters because of this and then when they get them home, they haven’t a clue about how to train them. The result? A wild ferret running amuck in your house.

This is not good. All ferrets are very active and curious. If they are trained, this is fine. An untrained, curious, and active ferret is not a good thing. Not only do they bite with their sharp little teeth, they can cause a lot of damage to your home while they are having a good time exploring.

The way to remedy these problems is with ferret training. If you don’t know where to start, here are a few ferret training tips for success.

Tip #1 – Positive Reinforcement

Ferrets are like any other animal and respond best and faster when they are offered positive reinforcement. To do this, begin by rewarding your pet ferret when he has behaved in a way that is close to the way you want him to behave. As he gets this reinforcement, he will perform this behavior more often.

Once he is performing close to the desired behavior, start fine-tuning it. Only give him a treat when he has performed exactly like you want. This method gradually trains him along until he is behaving in the desired way.

Tip #2 – Ignore Bad Behavior

When your ferret is doing something that you don’t want him to do, ignore him. Ferrets are such social animals, if you have been playing and training your ferret and have bonded with him, he will know when you are giving him the "cold shoulder."

Be sure and say, "No!" and then ignore him until he begins behaving in a positive manner – then give him a treat.

Tip #3 – Patience & Persistence

Just like training any animal or a child for that matter, you need to be prepared to have a lot of patience until they learn. Persistence is also a very necessary quality in ferret training. Don’t try training once or twice and then give up. As with anything, if it’s worth having, it’s worth working for. Work often with patience and persistence in ferret training and you will soon be rewarded.

Ferrets can be great companions once they have been properly trained. These lovable little critters will offer you many hours of entertainment and company for years to come.

Javier Hernandez

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