How can I teach my ferret to come when called?

Question

How can I?

Answer 1

well frist of all now you got me courious to teach my ferret that lol i would say get a type of food he really likes and break it up and call him if he comes give him some if not keep calling please make sure the food you use wont hurt him okay and good luck  

Answer 2

Well, I know it takes a really long time and trust in your ferret and a good sqeaky toy is always helpful.  My kids that I have had for over 2 years all know their names and will approach me when I name them, but remember ferrets sleep a lot and sleep really deep so they do not come like a dog.  How I get my kids to have a deep interest in coming to me is to use a lot of ferrettone and meat treats.  I lay on the floor when they are playing and put some in the palm of my hand.  I let them come up to me and l**k it off my hands.  My kids trust me so much that they will lay there and let me pet them like a dog and scratch their nedks and backs.  This takes a long time of patience and trust so be patient.  Sometimes I just put ferrettone or some baby food chicken in my hand and just sit with them.  I brush them daily and let them shower with me.  Just make them a part of your life so they think you are their best friend.  I call them with a squeaky toy when I get impatient and when they come out of the drawer or closet. I always hug them and give them a treat.  

Answer 3

good luck with that. your best bet is to have a treat when you call him. i had a ferret for 9 years and it wouldn't have anything to do with me until he did his routine of checking all of his hiding places when i let him out of his cage. ferrets kind of do their own thing.

Answer 4

http://www.companionschoice.co.uk/ferret...

http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/4495...

-try those sites  

Answer 5

teaching your ferret too come when called will not only look good but also be very useful in the future.

you can train them to come to your voice which will be a bit harder to train than getting them to come when you squeek a squeeky toy.

start off by sitting your ferret in front of you and either say his/her name or squeek the toy and give your ferret a treat, repeat this process a few times every day.

then when your ferret gets out of cage time try squeeking the toy or calling its name, it will take a while but be very rewarding.

give your ferret time, it will not learn it instantly also dont do it for long your ferret will get bored, just do it a couple of times every playtime!

good luckk!

Answer 6

It is very helpful to teach your ferret it's name and to come when called and in fact is a very easy process, and if you repeat daily it's less than a weeks worth of training. You will however have to keep practising in order to ensure they keep coming when called.

Start with a favorite treat and the ferret only a couple feet away, say the name 2-3x and then offer the treat. Each time you repeat the process move to a different area and slowly increase the distance between you and the ferret. If you always stay in the same place the ferret will learn to go there when they hear their name rather than coming to find you.

It's also important to remember that you will have to say the name several times in order for them to find you. In order to locate the source of a sound a ferret will listen out of one ear then the other (auditory periphery). That's why when your ferret hears something you'll see them **** their head to the side and wait, they are waiting to hear the sound again so they can extrapolate the location of the sound. So calling 2-3 times and repeating as they walk towards you will help them to locate you.

I've taught all my hearing ferrets their names using this method and though they sometimes use selective hearing (ignoring me when I call) they in general know that coming when called is a guaranteed treat and they more often than not listen to me.

I've also managed to teach a couple of my ferrets the name of my deaf ferrets which is very handy in locating them when they have fallen asleep somewhere and I don't know where. It's the same training method only rather than coming to me I start by standing near the deaf ferret and calling their name. The hearing ferrets and the deaf one all get a treat for coming to the ferrets spot. Then I started putting a few extra treats (enough tone for two) on the floor by the deaf ferret and again calling the deaf ferrets name. If the ferret went to the deaf ferret they would find the treat, if they came to me we walked over to the deaf ferret where the treat would be. It takes a lot longer to teach them to search for the deaf ferret rather than to come to you but with consistant training you'll find it is possible and very helpful around the house.

Good luck! =)