What breed of dwarf hamster?

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

There are so many different breeds of hamster and I was thinking about dwarfs. I know there are Russian and robos etc just wanting to know which people prefer and why? What are the easiest tamed and nicer natured etc. I'm thinking for the future I would maybe like a dwarf, trying to justify another ham which isn't going to work sadly not atm anyway.

Looking forward to hearing from you all

[velma]

To start with I am going to be slightly pedantic (sorry) and say they are different species, not different breeds All hamsters personalities are very varied no matter what the species so I dint think there are any hard & fast rules but all the species have pros & cons & I think temperament & how suitable they are for you can depend on a)what you want from a ham b)how they are housed c)where they've come from/who bred them.
a) I love a robo but they are what I call a "furry goldfish". So much fun to watch & bags of personality but not really a cuddling ham. Even if you find a friendly, easy to tame robo they are lightening quick so unlikely to sit still for long. Chineseys are adorable but can be a bit shy so sometimes harder to tame. The "Russian" species, Campbells/winter whites/ hybrids have more choice of colour & may be easier to handle. Do you want a pet to pet or a pet with less interaction but fun to watch?
b) I think some species more than others get a bad rep for being a bit bitey. I think with the dwarves that really applies to the Russian hams. But a lot of the time it seems to be that they are in unsuitable housing, usually too small that makes them grumpy.
c) I'm all for adopting a ham & giving them a second chance so don't discount it but you may find a happier temperament with a ham from a breeder. Pet shop Russian hamsters will nearly always be a hybrid, hence being labeled as Russian rather than Campbells or winter white which are two distinct species that are able to interbreed. This interbreeding has led to some associated health problems such as an increased risk of diabetes. Too much inbreeding of robos cam lead to neurological problems such as spinning & I believe inbreeding of Chinese hams can also lead to an increased risk of diabetes. And a poorly ham can mean a grumpy ham.
Big mainly it boils down to what is right for you at the time.

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

Thanks Velma for that info! And yes sorry for my lack of knowledge in my terminology of species and not breed lol. I was aware Russian ones can be bity and the dwarf species are very quick. I've only ever owned Syrians before so was just curious. I saw them in p@h and thought they were cute..but I realize you need to know what your doing with them. And as you say it depends on what you expect from a hamster and also no two hams are the same in personality.

[herbi7]

Chinese dwarfs are gorgeous, gentle and timid. Mine never bite. They are slower to handle than my Syrian, but I think that might b a boy/girl thing as she is a lively one. The main thing with Chinese is they like to be in a familiar place so when I let them out I always put them in the playpen and I know I won't lose them too!

[Golden_Syrian_Hammmies]

I don't think I've seen Chinese ones here...maybe I have I cant think. They do look cute also

[cypher]

If you're new to dwarf hams I think the russian hybrids are probably the best place to start, they are usually easier to tame & handle than either Chinese or robos, a little bigger & not quite so fast!
I've never had a robo (yet) but they can be tricky to tame & are very fast so need both patience & confidence! Amazing little characters though if you think you can handle one!
Chinese hams do tend to take more time & patience to tame as they are very timid by nature but with patience they do come out of their shells & are the funniest, cheekiest & cutest hams I've had! Very quick & agile too but probably a little easier to handle than a robo.
I've found my russians to be the cuddliest of the dwarfs I've had, all bar one have been fairly easy to tame with no biting, even the biter is quite cuddly now too! They do enjoy out of cage time more than the other dwarfs so if you want more interaction with your ham they could be right for you.

[WinnieTheHam]

I think if you get a hamster from a breeder (if there's one near you) they will be much more easily handled than those from pet shops. Though saying that, I had two lovely argente Russian dwarfs a long time ago and they were lovely to handle, and would 'pancake' in my hand (I've found lots of dwarfs do that) It's so cute. They were from a small pet shop but they never bit, maybe tried a little nibble to begin with but they were fine after a while I've never owned any other dwarf species, but I think Chinese are adorable and I hope to get one in the future. They are quite shy but with time i'm sure they'll come out of their shell. My friend has a WW Hybrid, she's lovely and has a really funny personality. She will jump from one hand to the other, haha!

[Fluffagrams]

Originally Posted by Golden_Syrian_Hammmies

I don't think I've seen Chinese ones here...maybe I have I cant think. They do look cute also

Chinese Hamsters seem to be very difficult to find in pet shops these days so it can make it more difficult to get hold of one. They're also more unsuitable for living in pairs than the other dwarf species.

I have two Chinese and they are completely different from each other. My girl who I bought from a pet shop is a real live wire. She's not a hamster for cuddling and she wasn't all that easy to tame because she was quite nervous to start with but she's a real character. She's very bright and I've never owned a hamster that has been a better climber than her. My boy is from a breeder and I didn't really need to do much taming with him. He's a little softie and loves snuggling up with me. He's a very laid back lad and takes everything in his stride. He's not nearly as hyper as my girl but he can still be quite interesting to watch.

My sister owns a Hybrid and she was bought from a pet shop. She's very beautiful but because we think that she was from a rodent farm, she's very territorial when in her cage. However once you get her out of her cage, she's happy to waddle around on your lap or over your hands. She's lovely to watch when she's in her cage and loves to run on her wheel. She's planning to get a Robo from one of the hamster shows at some point but at the moment we don't have any experience with them to be able to help with your question.

[flowerfairy]

I have two little roborovskis. They are so pretty and sweet and whizzy.

I have not been able to get them used to my hand being in the cage yet, have had them for over a month ... they will stay out and about when I talk to them though.

They are so sweet and funny to watch and really do dart around their cages going from tunnel to house to wheel to sand bath. They can pouch sunflower seeds at 90 miles per hour!

I have only ever had syrians before (currently have two of them) and the contrast is amazing.