Leash-training my ferret?

Question

I have a 12-month-old make ferret named Brewsky. He is such a baby who has to be constantly cuddled but he is also very curious. He has recently discovered that the world is bigger than our house when he somehow climbed up to the window. He was so intrigued by the outside that I took him out and let him walk in the grass a little bit. I was excpecting him to be scared like our first ferret, Whiskey, but he loved it. He was unsure about grass but then he started jumping around and wanted to explore but without a leash i didnt let him. Now we have one and I want to train him on it before the weather gets cold. he is vaccinated and gets a vet appointment every year. Does anybody have any tips for leash-trainging him so we can go outside?

Answer 1

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pe...

Here is a good place to buy them. You just have to make sure it fits right. Walk him inside first and see how he likes it. If he can slip out of it easy or not. Then you can go about taking him outside. But for hte most part if he comes out it shouldnt be a problem scooping him up and taking him back inside before he gets away. I suggest getting a tag made for him. Or getting him a microchip

Answer 2

make sure you have a good quality harness cause ferrets can weasel their way out of most of them.  Past that, make sure your ferret gets used to the leash and harness by having him wear it inside first.  Introduce it slowly, like five minutes of indoor leash time, next time ten, etc. then move outside

Answer 3

I have leash trained most of my ferrets and I do agree it's much easier to do it when they are young.

I actually take them outside everytime I put their leash on, that way I don't have to worry about them catching it on something in the house and becoming stuck or injured (ferrets can hang themselves even on an H style harness) and as they enjoy going outside they see the harness as a good thing and are happy to but it on.

I find the trick to teaching them to walk with you is to keep in mind the ferrets instincts. They are generally scared of vast open spaces as they are exposed to predators, even if you know they are safe they do not so sticking to places with long grass, walls, curbs, etc. will help them feel more secure. Typically I start to take them on outside house tours, we walk along the edge of the building, as they will naturally follow the wall of the building occasionally walking in a zig zag to get a good sniff of the area. I walk at a fairly slow pace and when they catch up to my feet I pick them up and offer some reassurance, sometimes walking with them for a few paces before putting them back down.

I like to keep a very slight tension on the leash so they feel the slightest pull in the direction of my feet, of course if we walk past something interesting like a wrapper, flower or bug I stop to let them have a sniff.

The more I practice this with them they start to become more comfortable walking in my direction (usually a pace behind - though if we are against a wall, fence they will often race ahead), seeing new objects and sounds and going new places. Eventually we venture out into the 'real world' and they will walk comfortably with me, I always make sure if they come to my feet I pick them up, it's our signal that they don't want to walk anymore and that way if they are scared they will run in my direction (handy in case of people, dogs, cats, etc.).

Finally it's good to ensure they know their names and will come when called. It's possible a leash will become tangled in some brush and a sneaky ferret will escape while you try to free them. If you teach them to come when called they will usually do so when outside, or at least will pause long enough to think about it while you scoop them up. You can teach them this in the house by repeating their name and offering a treat (like a drop of ferretone). As you do this take a few steps away and call their name again, when they come offer the treat. It usually only takes a day or two for them to learn this and it really helps to find them in the house too!

Oh as far as leash style I've always preferred an H-Style harness. The links below show a few different brands that I've used and all were great.

Good luck!

Edited to add: A bell isn't necessary but comes in handy if you live in an urban area as people will not necessarily look down when they are walking and the bell will help to alert them to the ferret below. If you are in a rural area I would go without the bell, for a hearing ferret it can be rather distracting and they will have difficulty listening to the environment around them with a bell constantly ringing in their ear.