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Ferrets are fun loving creatures. Not only are ferrets great pets, but they are extremely intelligent as well. Ferrets can learn quickly and if you talk to them, they can eventually learn to pick out certain word commands. With a lot of love and patience, training your ferret will be fun and easy.
The first word you’ll want your ferret to learn is its name. Anytime you go near your ferret, make sure to use its name frequently, and reward your ferret when it responds to its name. One of the best treats with which you can reward your ferret is Ferretone, a vitamin supplement. When your pet learns a new command or does something worthy of praise, give it Ferretone.
Ferrets are very playful, and one of their most common misbehaviors is nipping. Gentle nipping is nothing serious, but when the ferret begins biting too hard, it’s time to remind it to calm down. You can do this by firmly saying “no” and then pulling away your hand. Some ferrets will get the idea faster than others. If the behavior keeps up, then after saying "no" again, just walk away from the ferret. If these two warnings fail, it’s time to put your ferret back in its cage. Ferrets love to have fun, so seeing that it is missing a good time will more than likely be adequate punishment. The key here is consistency. Make sure that every time the ferret bites too hard you don’t overlook it. Make the consequences stick. Over time, most ferrets listen and respond to the word "no" and then stop all action.
Some people have been known to use a water bottle to spray a ferret that misbehaves, but depending on the ferret, this may or may not work. Because ferrets are so playful, some actually enjoy being sprayed. Another method of discipline is giving the ferret a thump on the nose. Thumping doesn’t work as effectively because you have to catch your ferret in the act, pick it up, and then make sure to thump it directly on the nose. One problem with this is that ferrets have small noses and if you miss, you could hit an eye and cause an injury. Never spank or shake a ferret! You can cause internal injuries and/or death.
Ferrets are very curious creatures. They have no fear when it comes to danger, so you have to keep a close eye on your pet. Another misbehavior in ferrets is tugging on electric cords. Some people will just unplug appliances to keep the ferret safe, but there is a way to teach the ferret to avoid wires and cords.
There is a product sold in most pet stores called “Bitter Apple.” Ferrets hate the taste. To teach your ferret to leave wires and cords alone, unplug the cords, then apply Bitter Apple to them. After the Bitter Apple dries, you can plug in the cords again. Usually, only one mouthful of Bitter Apple deters your ferret from putting cords in its mouth. Just remember, though, that no matter how well trained your ferret is, you still have to watch it.
Ferrets can be trained to use a litter box. Because ferrets back into a corner to potty, a litter box should always be placed in a corner. There are special litter boxes designed to fit in any corner. These boxes are triangular and have high backs to prevent the ferret from hitting walls or urinating and/or defecating through the wires of the cage. Make sure the litter with which you fill the box is soft and absorbent with no perfume added.
In order to prevent the litter box from becoming a sandbox in which the ferret will play, make sure to add some waste to the fresh litter. Most ferrets are very clean and will do their best to keep away from their own mess. A clean box to a ferret smells good enough to play in, and the ferret will. It will burrow into the litter creating a huge mess instead of urinating and/or defecating in it. Remember when changing soiled litter, to keep a small amount to add to the clean litter to prevent playing.
Box training takes a lot of patience because you have to watch your ferret so you can catch it “in the act.” When you see the ferret urinating and/or defecating outside the box, you have to quickly pick up the ferret and place it in the litter box. When it has used the box, praise your ferret and give it a treat. Make sure that you are consistent. If you allow your ferret to go outside the box too often, the ferret will eventually stop using the box completely. Box training should start inside the cage and then lead up to a small room. Once the ferret is trained, you can move to a bigger room. You’ll still need to watch for accidents, though.
Ferrets can be leash trained and work somewhat well when on a harness, but it still takes time for the ferret to get used to the harness. Make sure the ferret relates wearing the harness to good things. After awhile, the ferret will actually look forward to having the harness put on because it knows it's going for walk. A ferret reacts to a leash the same way a cat does and will more than likely be walking you.
With a lot of love, care, patience, and consistency, anyone can train a ferret. It just takes time.
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