Huxley non agressive biting

[dwarfessy]

This is about my sweet russian (Campbell/hybrid) Huxley. I posted this in another thread but it is a slightly different topic. He is a complete sweetheart 98% of the time, very tame, except for the fact he has started biting a bit!!! He is about 9-10 months old, but has been with me for less than a month after rehoming from a girl who had to move.

This does not seem to be aggressive biting, but to give last evening as an example, I was letting him roam around on my bed, which I have allowed before and he is used to. I was lying down on my side so I could watch him a bit closer, and he came over and bit my nose! I didn't jerk away, just moved him gently so he was no longer biting (I look a bit like rudolph now) and let him continue wondering, as he is a lovely boy. He then came back a minute later and bit my lower lip!! This is not the first time he has bit me in a non aggressive way as he will do similar things if doing tub training etc. He tends to stick closer to me when out and about than my other hamster will, he will follow my feet if he is in his ball etc. Just don't know what to do with the biting! Sometimes in the morning he will bite my finger and try and pull my finger back to his house so he can sniff and lick it in there, but that doesnt really hurt much. He is toilet trained now as well

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do? He now has a big bin cage, with loads of hidey places, flying saucer, karlie wonderland wheel and plenty of play things and a healthy diet. I handle him every day, but no longer shock him, always talk as I go into the kitchen and so far so good on that front. I am averse to punishment training (i.e. put him away if he bites) and my pain tolerance is pretty decent, but I don't want to hurt him one day in jerking from too hard a bite!! Just wish he would not bite me, especially on the face!

[cactus]

My two hybrids do this. Victor does it if I try to stop him biting something he shouldn't, like the fabric of the sofa. He gave me a rather nasty nip the day before yesterday! I just distract him with toys and keep blankets away to stop the temptation. Maybe you could keep Huxley distracted with a few toys on the bed to nibble? My other hybrid nips if you're in her way. If I put my hand out to stop her falling she'll bite it because she's the princess and how dare I try to stop her?! :mad: If we've had a playtime where there's been no biting then I give them a treat, it does seem to have reduced the biting a bit. It takes a long while for them to get the connection but mine seem to be getting there, rewarding them for a 'no nip' playtime is only using positive re-enforcement so you don't have to feel mean about using it, which is a big bonus :)

[dwarfessy]

Thanks for the reply. I think I will try the positive re-enforcement bit :) . The previous owner never found a treat that he liked so probably never tried this, but he likes a few I have. I've been taking things real slow with him and it seems to have been working on most fronts so I am prepared to take loads of time with him :)

[cactus]

I think time and positive re-enforcement will go a long way towards helping him kick the nibbling things he shouldn't habit :) It's helped both of mine go from nasty attitudes to the occasional annoyance nip when I stop them doing something they shouldn't. It's good you already have some treats he likes, we spent ages trying to find something Holly would have. It turned out she likes meal worms and millet.