Chin biting when picked up - help please

[xkatxrinax]

I've had my chinchillas for over a year now and they are very friendly and bonded with me, they're never scared of me and love to jump on me and play on me, they don't care for petting but that's just their personalities But one of my chinchillas absolutely hates being handled, she will bite me very hard if I try to hold her for any prolonged time, she has drawn blood a few times. I take care to hold her comfortably but still she bites. I transport her to her play room by sitting her on my shoulder or arm and supporting her which she's fine with but obviously if I need to give her a check up or do anything like that with her it's impossible. I was just wondering if there are any tips I could try to get her out of this habit? I got them when they were 4 months old from a rescue center where they were looked after very well from birth but never handled much... so maybe this is why she hates it?

 

[Newt]

How long are you trying to hold her for? I think most chins hate being held longer than a minute or two.
If you need to hold her longer for a check up or something, then maybe you should just get some thick tough gloves, so she learns that the biting doesn't work?

 

[xkatxrinax]

Ya some gloves might be a good idea, i'll get some of them thick gardening ones. I don't try to hold her for very long because well I can't she freaks out so it has only been a minute or two at most. Thanks for the reply

 

[seachin]

Try blowing in its face when they're biting. They don't like that and usually they'll associate the two and stop. But I also think you need to work on trust building with the chin. There may be other dynamics that chin doesn't like which only you can figure out based on your situation. For example, I have one chin that doesn't like that I hold her after her cagemate. She wants to be held first...perhaps visual or scent issues. Another one gets annoyed if I don't scratch him behind the neck first. Chins are weird but usually you can figure out what works well by trying out new things.

 

[MyzarandGemma]

Biting sucks and can hurt, but it can be worked through. Do you put your chin down after she bites you? If so, you are only reinforcing bad behaviour. A tap on the nose with a firm 'no' accompanied by continuing to do exactly what you were doing before will cue the chin in to the fact that biting will NOT get her way.

My chin boys tried biting for a while, but once they realised that their biting in no way affected our behaviour, they stopped. Believe me, it was hard. They drew blood a couple times. But we prevailed and now I don't think they would ever try biting as a way to get their way.

 

[seachin]

Agreed! I love how half the time when I read comments on this forum I could apply the same techniques on small children for the same desired result

 

[MyzarandGemma]

Agreed! I love how half the time when I read comments on this forum I could apply the same techniques on small children for the same desired result

Ha ha! Right!? Chins are like perpetual two year olds.

 

[xkatxrinax]

Ya I'm guilty of putting her down when she bites because it hurts so much... which is the worst thing to do probably because as you said it's reinforcing her behavior. I'll do my absolute best not to put her down anymore. Ya xD they are like 2 year olds, and I don't think it's a trust issue i've had them since they were babies and there's no other trust issues, the chin in question will run up to me asking to be perched on my shoulder to be put back in her cage at the end of playtime and she's all over me when I play with her with no hesitation, it's just being held in my hands that sends her loopy. She's only bonded to me and doesn't like anyone else not even my partner whereas my other chin just loves everyone that comes through the door xD

 

[Cuddlebug]

Another thing to keep on mind is that if you put them down when they struggle, you are teaching them to be royal pains if they don't want held. Instead, wait until they calm down for a short time before putting them back.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Mr. Whiskers sometimes gets pissy and (I think) accidentally bites out of frustration when he doesn't get what he wants.

I both blow in his face and give a tap across the nose and say, "NO biting Mommy!!! No bite!!!" I then immediately leave the room. I'm like, "There's your attention, pal!!!".

I've had very good results with negative reinforcement, which means that if he acts up when what he wants is to get attention from me, I immediately leave the room, denying him what he wants most.

Chins are very smart and learn quickly. I broke him of the nuisance habit of biting and rattling the cage bars and running his nose back and forth while doing so using this method. His beautiful whiskers for which he was named were getting damaged. It only took several days.

As he's gotten older, it rarely happens. I have learned though, to do anything like feed/play/pet/give treats to him and The Snuggler (a neutered, bonded pair) BEFORE I do Little Two Paws (intact). I don't know if he can tell by LTP's smell that he is not neutered and that makes him jealous. I do tend to anthropomorphize my chins, in case you haven't noticed.

Good luck with your baby...

 

[xkatxrinax]

Thank you for all the help i'll take all your suggestions into account and do my best not to give in a put her down, hopefully it works soon thanks again!