Am I rewarding bad behaviour

[sarahh]

Hi All

Mya my black dom spot (she is 16weeks old now) was chewing the bars yesturday afternoon/evening and then started pulling her potty up and down and I got her out as I knew what she want but mum said to me I am rewarding bad behaviour. Is this right?

Mum says that Mya knows if she keeps doing that she will get her own way and I will get her out. I have noticed with both Mya and Suki who is also a Black Dom Spot that they will pull at clothes and buttons for attention.

I can't help it Mya is lovely.

Any advice appreciated.

[Francescamice]

:D

Hi Sarahh,

Remember I told you my Miya (also black dom spot) would be getting her Imac Fantasy cage - well she did yesterday, and would not stop bar chewing. Then when I got her out she started to try and chew at my leggings and I firmly said NO! and gently blew on her face, and she immediately stopped.
I think Black Doms are definately attention seekers, and will do anything to get spoilt.
I dont let my Miya get spoilt , I reward her when she deserves it, but i wont tolerate chewing clothes, buttons etc.
I know our Black Doms are gorgeous and its tempting to get them out, but I think they can get a little spoilt if we just get them out of cages just when they feel like a bit of attention!

:lol: Fran

[souffle]

That is quite a complicated question Sarah :? Hamsters have no concept of bad and good behavior. It is actually only us humans who classify it as such. The behavior is only bad in your eyes. Mya is acting on her hamster instincts and doing things which give her some level of satisfaction and some reward. Chewing the bars satisfies her rodent chewing instinct. Scraping and digging at her potty satisfies her burrowing instinct. In the wild she would soon learn this behavior would reward her with a safe home to nest in. She has come to associate these activities with getting to do another natural instinctive behavior which is to come out and wander and explore. In the wild she would be foraging for food and she needs to examine each item she finds with her teeth. She needs to see if she can pick it up, dig it up and if it is edible she will pouch it and take it home :lol: She is obviously a highly curious and intelligent animal and this would ensure her survival if she were a wild hamster. Sometimes with this type of hamster it is best to try and find more ways to challenge her and let her express herself and her instincts in different ways by making different play areas, giving her things like nuts in shells to gnaw open, constantly changing cage toys and giving her a lot of activity like stair climbing etc. They are all unique and different in character and I don't think you can spoil such a hamster by taking her out more. You can only make her life a much richer experience :lol:

[sthomas048]

I must say that is an excellent reply Souffle and it could be applied to a great deal of other pets. Its about seeing the "problem" from the animals perspective isnt it. Fascinating stuff !

Stephen.

[sarahh]

Hi Fran, Souffle and Stephen

Many Thanks for your quick replies. I remember you telling me about your Miya Fran, I am definatly going to blow on her gently when she pulls at my clothes and tell her no.
Souffle mum said I should take her potty out as she doesn't use it.

I am going to look at changing some toys and giving her the nuts in the shells. I will try also hiding food in her cage. Hehe you could say that she figures things that knows where both doors are, I think alot of things go on in her little head. There is definatly something about Dom spot being naughty lol.

Thanks again I really appreciate your replies

Sarah x

[Hamster Widow]

That really is a great bit of advice Souffle... I for one, will certainly keep it in mind... its funny but I forget that they are animals with their own set of instincts

[sarahh]

Hi just an update

Today I have bought Mya out of the boutique range at P@H one of those chew hanging toys a pink one of course lol, she has tried it out several times also I hid a couple moneky nuts in her cage and she found them within seconds lol. I will only be giving moneky nuts once a week if that as I know they are fattening. All the other hams liked finding them too. Anything else I can get for her? In her cage she has her hammock, budgie mirror with things she can turn on them which she does turn them, edible lofa ball and now the hanging chew toy.

The trouble is she gets bored alot quicker then the other hams.

Sarah x

[souffle]

Try getting some of the nuts in really hard shells from the supermarket (the ones you need nutcrackers for) It will take ages for her to get in to them :lol: Also cardboard boxes and pipes from the plumbing dept in B&Q make great tunnels.

[sarahh]

Hi Souffle

Thanks for that I will get some. What nuts do you recommend? I don't want to get the wrong ones and it makes her poorly.
Cardboard boxes and pipes good idea I will get some. Also thinking about maybe a new cage for her maybe a cambridge.