Can a Ferret Learn His Name?

One of the most interesting characters of ferrets is their intelligence. Ferrets can learn just about anything, including how to obey certain commands. But can a ferret learn his name and respond when called?

Well, most ferrets know their names. You can either train a ferret his name but in most cases, they just learn when they are being addressed. Well, in this article, we are going to discuss the ferret intelligence.

We will also look at other tricks that you can train your ferret. If you pay attention to your ferret, you will notice how intelligent these pets are.

Do you have to train your ferret his name?

Every ferret owner will have a different experience with their pets. For instance, I personally did not have to train any of my ferrets to know their name. I think they learned on their own from being addressed to like that. Everyone addresses each ferret by the name and they would look at you.

However, this does not mean you cannot teach your ferret his name. In fact, it is the quickest method for your ferret to learn his name.

I tend to think that ferrets are intelligent creatures. Their curiosity helps them figure out just about anything around them. Once again, do not underestimate the ferret intelligence.

The training method works better when you want your ferret to learn his name quickly. For instance, if you do not have so much time to spend with your ferrets, you might consider training each one their names and also talk to them often.

How do I train my ferret his name?

It is possible to train your ferret his name. It should take you a few tries and your ferret will learn his name eventually. You will need treats to reinforce training. Now, to do so, move away from your ferret and call his name.

Reward him every time he responds to his name. Positive reinforcement works because it brings about the correlation between his name and getting rewarded.

As your ferret learns his name, reduce the rewards. You will notice that your ferret will even respond to you even without offering him a treat.

As with every other pet training, you must remain patient and consistent. With a few repeats, your ferret should start responding to you every time you call his name.

What other tricks can my ferrets learn?

As I mentioned earlier, ferrets are very intelligent. You can test this by trying to teach your ferret a few other tricks. Start with obedience tricks such as sit, come or rollover. Also, you can manage to teach your ferret how to shake paws!

However, you must also be very patient with your ferret. Some commands might be more difficult to learn than others. Below, I am going to briefly describe some of the methods that you may use to train these commands.

The shake paws command

Training your ferret to shake paws is an amazing trick. Surprise your friends by having them shake your ferret’s paw. Besides, it is more disciplined as compared to a ferret who just jumps over everyone.

Put your hand out for your ferret. You should ensure that you go as low as his eye level. Now, use the other hand to hold out a treat a little higher than your hand on the ground. Your ferret will have to step on your hand to reach the treat. Immediately shake his hand and feed him the treat.

Once again, rewards are the best way to reinforce any form of training you give your ferret. You must repeat this several times until your ferret gets it. Also, practice this every day until you are confident that your ferret has learned this trick.

Sit

It helps to teach a ferret how to sit or stay. For instance, if you are making him a bowl of food, you can instruct him to sit patiently as you feed him. However, you must have your ferret’s attention during this command.

Hold out a treat in your hand and ensure he can smell it. You should then hold it higher and to the back of his head. This will force him to lean back. Wait until his bottom touches the ground and immediately reward him.

Also, remember to say the word ‘sit’ right the moment your ferret falls into position. Once again, it will take some time. Be patient and also remain consistent with the training.

Rollover

This is also another interesting trick you might consider teaching your ferret. Luckily for you, ferrets have very flexible bodies. They can move in any angle or direction. However, when you want to play with your ferret, you can instruct him to roll over if you have trained him.

Show your ferret a treat in your hand and immediately take it to the side of his head. Keep moving the treat until it is behind his head. Instruct your ferret to roll as you slowly move the treat until your ferret is on his back.

Immediately feed him the treat you were holding in your hand. Also, praise your ferret by petting and calmly talking to him while in this position. Repeat as needed until your ferret can comfortably roll over without resistance.

Come to me

So, other than learning his name, your ferret can also learn to obey the ‘come to me’ command. Once they have learned their name, it is easy to have their attention. Stand further away from your ferret and call his name. Show him the treat and instruct him to come towards you.

Your ferret will come running and you can pet him or present him with the treat. All these tricks are only possible if you take some time to consistently train your ferret.

Conclusion

Ferrets are very intelligent. Besides their name, ferrets are capable of learning various other tricks. However, you must be patient and persistent with training your ferrets. Spend at least half an hour training your ferret different tricks. You will be amused at what they are capable of.