I can't tame my degus

[help]

I have had 2 male degus for about 8 months now, i got them when they were 6 months, and they weren't tame then.
Ever since i got them i have been working non stop, trying to tame them. I manged to get one to stop biting, and now one lets me touch his head while the other lets me touch his back, but that is as far as i have got.
They are very sweet, and i would love to hold one. Does anyone know what i can do?

[Sunshinemeg]

How are you trying to pick them up? It is very important for a degu that you dont pick it up from above, this will really frighten them. i suggest you try and pick them up with a garden glove so that they get used to being handled, and even if they do bite, you wont feel it. then over time they should allow you to pick them up without a glove.

[johnZ]

after 4 years and 2 years respectively, my two males jump in my hand when it's time to clean their cage. the older one has so mellowed out over time that he lets me pet his tummy all the time and will even curl up in the palm of my hand and go to sleep, provided that hand is inside his cage. they still won't sit still when being held though, they last about 10-30 seconds in my hands before the struggling ensues. it takes a lot of time and a lot of patience, a lot of treats and a lot of trust for Degus to be fully comfortable with you touching them, just give it time and they will come around. younger males are usually hyper and full of energy 24/7 it seems, but the older they get they really seem to relax and mellow out. my two boys will even let complete strangers touch them now, but when they were young they would either run to the back of their cage or scream at the top of their lungs if someone new tried to touch them. just give it time.

[Sunshinemeg]

Hi JohnZ. I have to agree with you, male degus tend to have energy 24/7! My degus are all of different ages, and the older they get, the mroe relaxed they become, I think people really need patience when it comes to taming degus. they are very intelligent creatures, and will learn to trust the right people over time! ;D

[Heddy]

Hello,

one doesn't bite anymore and you can touch the other one already? I wouldn't call that nothing!

It can take quite a while to tame a degu and I heard from people, who had rats, too, that they never got there degus as tame as their rats...obviously, they are still not domesticated completely.

One way that we got recommended to try (and we were successfull!): Put some grains on your hand and hold you hand in or right in front of the open cage door. First they might only smell, then they pick it up and next they sit on your hand. Every time you experience a success put the grains a bit furhter up to your arm until they are on you joint. The degu will be too tempted by the tidbits offered, that he will climb up you hand...and one day it will just remain sitting there while eating the grains.

Our boys were horribly shy, when we got them. Now, after about 10 month, they jump up the mashes to get as close to you as possible and chew the door until we open it.

[Bosley]

That's reassuring to hear - mine were mistreated and neglected when we got them, so they don't care to be handled much yet - Mabel in particular chirps and runs every time! Mama and Timothy will come and sniff, even put paws on my hand, but they still will move away if you try to pick them up. I'm working with Timothy the most right now simply because I don't know if the females are pregnant and don't want to hurt them or the (possible) babies - i've read they miscarry easily. I can usually manage to get him out of the cage and hold him for a while, and when we clean the cage (tank) we put them in balls so they can "explore". This also provides an opprotunity for handling.

[Sunshinemeg]

We have a chinchilla cage adapted. We added doors to the sides that are connected with a chain at the side, this means they act like a drawbridge, dropping down to form an extended platform. The degus then come on here and are out of the safety of their cage and more willing to interact with humans. It has greatly helped in the taming of all of them!
Worth a try I'd say!

SUNSHINEMEG ;D

[taz13]

I have trained my two degus Ears and Fat Boy, just to the sound of the bag of treats.

It seems that this one bag of carrot treats, they here the bag and right away stop what they are doing and climb to the second level. There, they climb the mesh and wait for the lid to open.

I have tried different treats, but nothing.


Ears, will even take the treat from my mouth.

Later
Taz13

[tmcammond]

I just got my degus a week ago. They are 3 and a half monthes old. They will not sit still. I think they are females but I think the person who sold them to us messed up and gave us a male and a female.
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to tame them and make them stop biting?

[Heddy]

Hello tmcammond,

you can easily look up, whether your degus are the same gender, by putting one at a time in a not to small glas bowl, cover the top and you can have a look on their privates through the glass. If they look the same, you are alright, if not, it is very likely you got a boy and a girl ;D Saves you waiting till they are tame.

In order to stop them biting, you have to win their trust. Basic rules are: At the beginning, never "hunt" the degus. Attract their attention (like with "sweets") and let them come to you rather than you trying to get close to them. As soon as they know, you are no monster, you can actively approach them.

[ra]

Actually, this is a cross post from the meeting place, hope that's ok:

Viril would nip at me and draw blood the first week I had him when I offered my hand to jump up. I started to scratch him under the chin and around his face when he went to nipping. If he bit too hard, I'd close the cage door and leave for awhile. He hasn't bitten me in the past two weeks and in fact has learned to "jump up" into my hand for a treat!

Since he is a lone Degus I hand feed him before leaving for work in the morning and again around 7:30 - 8pm. I have noticed he likes a good run after he eats then settles down around 9pm. So I will let him be for an hour or so after he eats then go back and offer him my cupped hands to sleep in for a bit. He likes to rub and snuggle a bit too. I'll put one hand in the cage sideways so he can rub on my palm then gently scratch him. He will stand so I can scratch his belly - even lift his little arms to say scratch here!

ps This is our third week together and I haven't attempted to pick him up yet. I allow him to step up or down off the roof of his house into my hands to hold him. Much less threatening to him.

[Sunshinemeg]

Just a thought, but it occurred to me that people might be mistaking friendly behaviour for biting. If a degu likes you, it may decide to groom you just as it would another degu. This can sometimes appear quite rough, as is the case with my two baby degus. The grooming they do on my hand can hurt! But thats all it is, they are being friendly in grooming me, then its my turn to stroke them! Its bonding, but can be painful! The two babies try and groom the adults, and when they do it too hard to them they get in serious trouble!!!

SUNSHINEMEG ;D

[ra]

Sunshine. I sometimes wish I had fur on my hands when Virgil decides he wants to groom me!!! He does gently nibble up and down my hand.

Last night I gave him a good scratching under his chin and behind his ears. He hopped into my hands to visit a bit and was chirping like a cage full of finches!! Happy Degus. He was grooming my right hand which was ok 'til he started down the soft skin on the inside of my wrist! Yow! Those little chisle teeth cut right through soft skin. I did want to react and frighten him so I just gritted my teeth a little and moved my wrist to ask him not there!. I'm sure they don't understand we have thin skin.

[Sunshinemeg]

thats true Ra, their skin must be tougher!!!

I have noticed that my degus dont like jewellry! they hate my rings, and bite at them when grooming me!

SUNSHINEMEG ;D