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[Ichigo Kurosaki]

Hello everyone. I recently purchased Ichigo 3 days ago on Saturday. He is very cute. He is a baby, so I guess he is still not comfortable yet, but I would let him out for about an hour, and if he is good a couple more minutes. Since today, I let him out and when I put him back in he would make soft cherps, and attempt to stick his nose through the cage. I don't let him out long as I want because he is still learning his name, scolding commands, and rewarding commands.


I just sat by the cage, and he stuck his nose out, and reached for me. So I went by him, and he sniffed then he teethed on me. It was a little more tighter on my skin than before. Is this something wrong?

So I need some help. How can I teach him "No!", and such and more imprtantly his name "Ichigo"? Also, is the semi-aggrresive biting normal?

[chinclub]

Good luck with the commands!  Very few chinchillas will learn  "No" when they are outside of the cage.  They are just too curious and the more they understand you don't want them to go somewhere the more determined they are to get there!  Your best bet is just to chinchilla-proof your room so he can not get to places that are unsafe. That way you won't need to say "NO".   If your room is too big for that try letting him out in a smaller room like the bathroom (just remember to close the toilet seat and remove all soaps and cleaners)

He is coming back to stick his nose through the bars because he misses you and he wants out again.  Chinchillas are wonderful beggers!  Biting is also normal.  If you have food or lotion smells on your hand the chinchilla may bite harder because you smell like food and it will get confussed.
Chinchillas will also nibble on your fingers trying to groom you.  Its how they show affection.  Single chinchillas can get carried away and bite too hard not realizing it.  When you have 2 chinchillas in a cage they remind each other how hard is too hard. Since your chinchilla doesn't have that, and since he is very young he may accidentally bite too hard.  Try not to get upset with him, he doesn't know any better.  He is just trying to tell you he loves you and wants to be with you.

[Jo Ann]

Comands to a chinchilla are like "I dare ya" to  kid.  Only when he wants to please you will he agree with your "comands". 
      At first dust baths and treats are a reward (since he is young and can only have one treat a day, you will have to divide it into pieces so you can give it to him at different times), later, just a smile, a little scratch in his favorite place and a soft voice will be enough of a reward for him.
     The fastest way for him to learn his name is by calling his name softly ... every time you walk past the cage or go into and out of the room.  Repetition.
     Never yell or fuss at him, this will make him frightened of you.  Never chase or grab him, this will make him scared of you.  Chinchillas have long memories ... it is hard to earn their trust and very easy to loose it.
     Treat him like you would want to be treated, remember, you brought him to a place he is not familiar with ... to him, you are a giant (like Jack & the Bean Stalk) and he is in a strange unfamiliar place.
     When he nips you a little to hard ... try saying "Ouch!" in a high-pitched voice, then put him in his cage ... he should catch on sooner than you think he will.
     Always make sure you and anyone else always washes their face and hands before getting any where near the chin ... they might smell like a treat to your chin.  Never feed your little one through the bars of the cage, someone else sticking their hand/finger in might find out he thinks it's a treat.

 
Jo Ann

[Stacy]

All 3 of mine will bite at times. Buddy dose not mean to but he will get excited and try to open the cage door before I do and if my finger is there he bites but lets go as soon as he figures out its not the cage bar.

Roo bites when he doesn't get his way. Every night when its time to go back in his cage he has a fit and will bite me a few times but its never hard enough to really hurt. Its just enough to let me know he doesn't want to go back yet.

Taz is still young and has bit hard a few times. I don't think he knows yet that it hurts. I just do the ouch thing and pull back away from him. When I do that he does stop for awhile but a few night later he will do it again.

I think they grow out of it and will stop unless they have a reason to do it.

[Ichigo Kurosaki]

Thanks alot everyone. Great advice. Thanks so much. I have a question about newspaper, under the hay is newspaper, but some flaps stick up through the hay and Ichigo nibbles on it. Is this ok? If not would it be better to just use one large firm fitting newspaper so layers wont pinch through?

[ChinchillAZ]

If you're going to use newspaper, I recommend using newspaper with no print.  The inks have the potential to be toxic.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Most inks in news print are soy/vegetable based and are quite safe.
You can check with your local papers, they will tell you what the ink is made from.
I just find the printed stuff, if they are walking right on it when wet/peed on, leaves tracks all over the wood shelves.
If it's under the wire, no worries at all. Even a little he may get a hold of from below shouldn't, but do check and see what's being used in your area for inks/dyes.
I buy end rolls from our paper for about $4.00. Not only do I get loads of unprinted news print, I get a great tube when it's all gone.
Voice commands work so much better in a small herd.
When I call a name and say NO, they stop dead in their tracks.They may go right back to the bad deed though, and I have to fix it so they can't.
Like I have this one that tries with all his might to get up to the treat dish. I swear he knows it by sight.I call "Chichi NO", and he'll stop for a second, but if I don't block his route he's right back at it.
I have several that try to fight with a couple of low cages, they can't but the ones in the cages end up bouncing off the cage walls wanting to get into it with the ones on the outside. 
I'll shout their name from the other end of the room and stomp my foot on the floor.The culprit will dart under the cage, and wait for me to turn my back when he's right back chastising the one still in the cage again. I end up placing something in front of the cage, just to keep everyone calm.
It's become somewhat of a routine, but there is no doubt mine know " NO" where ever they are.
Marissa, a br V female stopped this after I started catching her in the act and would put her right back in her cage. Even if she just got out. Now she hardly bothers with the lower cages. She wants out more.
On the biting we all seem to feel the same.
You and they will learn what each nip means, and to tell them from grooming nibbles.
Just like kits learn from Mom when it's to hard, you can teach them.
All I do is respond to each case. If it's a nice grooming nibble, we take turns. I'll scratch them for a few seconds, then they'll groom me.
If it's a little too hard I say ouch, pull away, and then put my hand back so they can learn too nibble nicely.
If they bit and bring blood they get scolded and put back in the cage. If they are in the cage when they do it I scold, then ignore them for a spell.
The I go back to talking sweetly and try putting my hand in the cage again.
It really doesn't take them that long to learn, and it's so much easier when you have just a few chins. Like under 30
I've been keeping track of how long it takes them to learn up, and for the first time am training newborns.
Well these last 2 kits are just under a month. I have always put them in a small cage while the parents get their run, and I clean the cage. When I'm putting them back, they have to come out on my hands, I sit them on the stool with my arms around it, and open the flap door. Saying up, up, I'd put them back in the cage. Now they will climb to my forearm and up in to the cage by themselves. So it took them 3 weeks to learn this routine.
I want them to learn this before they get to their now homes, I think it will be so much easier for the new owners. It does take time for them to trust, so if I can get them used to these things before I sell them, I think it will a little less stressful for us all.
I couldn't possible do this if I had any more chins then I have now.
Oh I have to tell you this one.
Jessie a rescue standard I've had fro about 2 years tried to pull me in his cage, though the wires.
I'm aways stopping during the day to give him a scratch, and some days he gets so excited he clenches my knuckle skin and pulls my finger in as hard as he can. He does it with Hubby too. Now when he does we'll open the cage door and he'll jump right out to us.
I guess he's training us too. Come in or take me out!

[Jo Ann]

I agree 100%.  They can be trained to do certain things by repetition, reward and watching others, but as Debbie pointed out, they will often return to do the "no-no" again when you turn your back ... if it was fun and or interesting for them.  One advantage you have is that chinchillas tend to want to please.
   One of the main things, when teaching anything/anyone, is to be consistant and praise.  Changing the rules is confusing to the one that is trying to learn.
    Smaller numbers are much easier to work with than large numbers. 

 
Jo Ann

[Jenova]

As a new chinchilla owner I have found it very useful just to learn his mannerisms. He knows what he is allowed and not allowed to do because he gets a firm 'no' if he's chewing something he shouldn't and the if he doesn't stop I gently push his nose away. Of course this only makes him want to do it more but now I can tell when he's going to do it because he goes really, really quiet just before he going to be naughty. 

So when I hear the patter patter of feet stop I know to check what he's doing just around that corner. Unfortunately if he finds a scrap of something he shouldn't have then that usually involves a chase to get it back, which he loves. Usually if I offer him a treat he'll drop whatever he's not supposedto have to take that instead.

I think the most important thing to remember when training a chin is to use rewards and not punishments. If he does something you like remember to reward it and that will mean he will be more likely to do it in the future.