Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Behaviour

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-16-2019, 02:42 PM   #1
Black_Inky_Eyes
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 165
Default Yes, another taming follow up, (fail)

So, after my last taming thread I continued to hand feed my Syrians some treats and he continued to be fine with that. I tried to feed him some Sesame seeds out of my palm, I layed my palm out far away from him about 2 hours after he woke up. He approached my hand and I was still worried and unfortunately, he bit my hand and was close to drawing blood. Then I began to use gloves and did some bathtub bonding. I could scoop him up and he would walk from hand to hand with no problems whatsoever. After a few days of this, I removed one glove but he bit that hand too. Is there any advice anyone has and an idea why he won't bite the gloves but not my skin?
Black_Inky_Eyes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2019, 03:34 AM   #2
SKB_Hamsters
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
SKB_Hamsters's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 3,187
Default Re: Yes, another taming follow up, (fail)

I have experienced the same thing with my current Syrian, Liquorice when taming her - she was very nervous. Don’t worry you aren’t failing some hamster take longer to tame - my girl bite me really badly three times during taming - badly bruising my hand - this did knock my confidence but with gentle perseverance she now happy to be held.

I had to wear gloves too and then gradually take them off to get her used to my hands. My girl used to get overwhelmed easily so felt comfortable whilst the glove were on and got very uneasy once I had taken it off. I would go back to using the gloves for a few more days then once he comfortably take one off for a few minutes whilst he being held encourage him to walk hand to hand twice on your bare hand and put him down. If he seemed uneasy put the glove back on and handle him again when he comfortable with the gloves then the following time without one. Repeat this for a few days - don’t feel you have to rush it. Once he start feel at ease with your bare hand then you can start introducing him to the other hand with out the glove.

I would stop feeding him treats from your hand especially whilst taming, I have found with some of my Syrians that they will associate your hand with food and start biting as they think hand means food. Then I would only give him a treat once he returned to his cage but holding it between your fingers to reward him for being out.

Are you washing your hands with unscented soap before handling him?


Also I detailed how I tamed my Syrian whilst using gloves on her thread - posted day by day updates which you may find helpful (if you start at day 10 this was when I started to wear gloves - All About My Liquorice
__________________
Popcorn Syrian

Owning Hamsters since Nov 2007

Last edited by SKB_Hamsters; 03-17-2019 at 09:48 AM.
SKB_Hamsters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2019, 05:01 AM   #3
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Yes, another taming follow up, (fail)

I would do bathtub taming and not try to handle her. Have a few toys in the bath - a tube and a hidey place. She'll probably run up the side of the bath slithering down again a lot. At the time, just try stroking her on the back with one finger ~(wearing your gloves if you feel nervous she'll bite). She may jerk round as if to bite. So wait and maybe 10 minutes later do the same thing again - a gentle stroke on the back with one finger. Then leave it till next session. I transferred our syrian to and from the bathtub in a hamster ball (lower it into the cage with a treat in and let her walk in then pop the lid on and carry her to the bathtub in it - sometimes I'd let ours have a little run in the ball first as an adjustment between cage and bathtub). Put the ball in the bathtub and take the lid off making sure it stays on its side with the entrance at the side, so she can hop back into it if she wants (wedging it against the plug helps keep it stable Leave the ball there.

Maybe do bathtub taming every 2 or 3 days. Continuing with one little stroke on the back with one finger. Eventually she will stop jerking round as if to bite, and that is a big turning point - she is accepting touch. If she doesn't actually bite the first time you do it (but just jerk round and threaten to bite) then do it without gloves after that so she'll be getting used to your scent as well as your touch.

Once you can do that without her jerking round, move on to laying the palm of your hand upwards with your hand flat on the bathtub (palm up) just in front of her and let her walk over your hand (on the way to a toy eg). Next time you do that gently lift your hand 1cm or so as she walks on, but let her walk off again. Next time do the same but lift your hand a little bit higher, but still let her walk off.

After that, you should be able to hold her by making a tunnel with your hands and letting her walk between hands tunnel shaped (this also means she is feeling stroked all over while you're doing it). It can be slow but when it happens it can be instant.

It took two months of this with our last syrian who was terrified and ferral. But once we could pick him up the first time, he was tame as anything and very easy to handle after that. And be held and stroked. Bearing in mind they don't like sitting still too long.

So you'd be at the stage of being able to pick her up and hold her without her "pinging" (ie wriggling and leaping out of your hand about 2 feet in the air!).

I would leave food out of it and focus on her getting used to your touch and scent and building trust that your hand isn't going to hurt her.
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2019, 05:02 AM   #4
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: Yes, another taming follow up, (fail)

Would also suggest not picking her up directly from her cage, even after tame, for quite some time - they don't like being lifted a height. Even now I let our syrian walk into something and lift him out in that, then let him out onto the sofa or in the playpen etc.
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
hand, palm, gloves, bit, feed, taming, continued, whatsoever, days, bite, bonding, scoop, walk, problems, glove, bathtub, advice, skin, idea, removed, fine, sesame, layed, seeds, treats

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:59 PM.