Praise the ferrets good behaviour with lots of attention and a treat they like that is good for them but remember to give them a brake.

 

When you find that your ferret has done something that you do not wish them to do again, you will need to institute a short round of punishment. Generally, punishment should only be given for behaviors that are dangerous or destructive. For example, your ferret may dig at the carpeting in your home. Not only is this a destructive behavior, but also it could potentially hurt your ferret if they get a toenail caught in the carpet fibers.

In order to punish a fuzzy for doing something you must first get their attention. This sounds easy but remember ferrets are very strong willed, so they may chose to ignore you. If this is the case, do not just scoop the ferret up and move him or her because as soon as you put them down they will go right back to what they were doing. You need to show them that this behavior is undesirable. Start with just clapping your hands or making another loud noise and using the word “NO”. Depending on your ferret, this may be enough to deter them (this works especially with older ferrets). Continue working on this for at least a few days. However if the behavior does not improve, then try putting 4 or 5 pennies in an old soda can and taping the top of the can closed. DO NOT throw the can AT the fuzzy. Toss the can underhand so that it lands near your little offender (about 1.5 feet away) and holler the word “NO!” as it lands and clanks. Again, try this for at least 3 – 5 days.

If this is not enough to make an impression on your ferret then the next step is scruffing the ferret. Scruffing a ferret involves grabbing the ferret by the skin on the back of the neck between your thumb and first few fingers. Grasp the ferret firmly enough to hold on if the ferret squirms, but not so hard that the ferret is hurt. While scruffing, flip the ferret so that they are belly up in a submissive position. This is one way to tell a ferret that you are the boss and they are submissive to you (remember, ferrets are stubborn so it may take them a little bit to understand this). Hold the ferret in this position for a few seconds. Then, lift the ferret off the ground and give them a very gentle puff of air right in the face (not up the nose). Tapping the ferret across the nose should be done carefully and gently and can make them scared turning aggressive so is a last resort.