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Old 04-27-2016, 12:35 AM   #1
Billy
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Default Chinese or Dwarf?

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to get a hamster soon and am trying to decide between a dwarf and Chinese. What sort of characters do they each have? I'm after the calmest and friendliest

Thanks!
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Old 04-27-2016, 12:56 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

It's not all down to species as each ham has it's own character but generally Chinese tend to be a bit skittish & shy by nature so taming takes more time & patience than with the Russian hams (I guess that's what you mean by dwarf).
Three out of four of my Russian hybrids have absolutely loved out of cage time in the play pen & been very interactive both in & out of the cage, the other was a little nervous out of the cage but still loved cuddles!
My Chinese tend to prefer to interact in the cage although Zeki's new & still getting used to out of cage time so who knows! Still very friendly little characters all the same.
Chinese love to dig & burrow so will often prefer to spend quite a lot of their time underground, great fun to listen to but maybe not what you want.
How friendly they are will depend on their own individual character & you won't know what that is until you've had them a while with either species, it will also depend on how sensitive you are to their needs & character, letting a ham be itself without any expectations of what it should or will be usually reaps the greatest rewards!
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Old 04-27-2016, 03:02 AM   #3
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

Good answer from cypher, I've never had a Russian ham but my Chinese are shy and have been slow to tame. They both run across their cages to sit in my hand for treats but it's taken a while and although they like to come out and play in the bath it's not for long. They used to be happy in the playpen too before I binned it during a major disinfection. They don't need much interaction from you but both mine like to have a little bit of attention and communicate it to me if they are finding something especially fun which is cute. They have the most amazing eyes and pretty colouring... I think they are lovely and they've never bitten me
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Old 04-27-2016, 04:36 AM   #4
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

I would recommend as a first time dwarf owner to get a Russian hybrid as they are easy to tame and much more social! The Chinese are skittish and you might not see much of them as Cypher was saying. I've had 2 Chinese & 5 Russians, 2 robos & 1Winterwhite hybrid. If you want to interact with your pet faster & more on-going like I was saying I'd go for a Russian if your a first time owner. They go into a cup for easy transport & they for the most part enjoy taming bins. With Chinese you can have taming set-backs & mine don't forgive me for long periods of time. But both my Chinese were/are laid back personalities. If you get one that is more active it might be a lot more fun. If I get a Chinese again I'd definitely look for the most active one in the litter. Hope that helps...also like Cypher said you won't really know until you bring them home what they'll be like. At the pet store if you can put your hand in the tank of whichever species & get the most active one that shows the most curiosity that would be the best pet. That is if your adopting your pet from a pet store.

If you want a laid back one be prepared for it to hide most of the time. Just my experiences. Russians are always fun. Robos are a good option if you want a pet you can enjoy watching but really not be able to hold.

Then again I just rescued a 2+yr old Chinesey that I'm having to adjust to her behavior which is pretty much never seeing her...
Don't mean to be biased just cause I'm frustrated with my Chinesey right now

Last edited by Cinnamon Bear; 04-27-2016 at 05:31 AM.
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Old 04-27-2016, 06:29 AM   #5
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

It really is a matter of the hamster's individual personality which is not something you're always able to find out when getting a hamster from a pet shop.

I've had several Chinese Hamsters over the space of four years and all have been different and not all have been skittish or hard to tame. My first two boys were both tame within two weeks despite the fact that they were from a pet shop but yet I've had a girl who took several months to tame. However, once I'd got there she was the loveliest little thing in the world and we had an amazing bond.

At the moment I have two Chineseys and they too are very different. Jessie, my girl is a friendly little thing and will come and say hello if she's out and about in her cage but she's also completely nuts and is too hyper to be held properly. James, my boy is prone to laziness but is an expert digger and loves nothing more than snuggling in my elbow. James was from a breeder so was already tame when I got him.

I have only had experience with one Hybrid and she's had a few difficulties. She literally could not be touched when we first got her and is the only hamster that we've ever had that has drawn blood. She belongs to my sister and it took quite a while to gain her trust and whilst she will be held, she is very territorial when in her cage and that's something we've not been able to break her of.
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Old 04-27-2016, 07:52 AM   #6
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

That is true about Russians I had 4 biters out of 6 (including the winter white) The only 2 that don't bite are Cinnamon & Koala Bear

But my Chinese bites too my first Chinese didn't bite. I think as a whole you can find biters in any species but maybe less in Chinese & robos overall

Last edited by Cinnamon Bear; 04-27-2016 at 10:31 AM.
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Old 04-27-2016, 07:56 AM   #7
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

I've only had one bitey russian out of 4 so I don't tend to see it as a problem, Mickle was a territorial biter to begin with bless her but I think you can work with them & respect their space it's not so hard to get to a point where you can do the necessary in the cage without a problem & they don't usually do it out of the cage so handling is too hard.
Never had a bite or even a nip from a Chinese... yet!
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Old 04-27-2016, 08:48 AM   #8
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

I had a change of heart, maybe adopt a Chinese especially saying you like laid back dwarves, Russians are higher energy. Chinese hammies are wonderful!
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Old 04-27-2016, 09:34 AM   #9
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

Not quite sure what you meant by Russians being higher energy CB but that does remind I forgot to say that Chinese are a bit faster than Russians, maybe a lot faster! So if you're new to hams it might be easier to begin with a Russian which while still quite fast movers are easier to handle.
Chinese are wonderful & once you have one there really is no going back lol! but I love the Russians too, I can't choose & have to have both to be totally content
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Old 04-27-2016, 09:51 AM   #10
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Default Re: Chinese or Dwarf?

Chinese are faster in speed, but what I mean is that my Russians jump up & down the sides of their tanks looking for attention. They want interaction with me (in my experiece) where the Chinese seem to appreciate attention but the more quiet ones are just as happy to be left alone. Just the two I've had were/are that way.

Best thing to do is handle the different species & pick whichever animal steals your heart

Last edited by Cinnamon Bear; 04-27-2016 at 10:33 AM.
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