New hamster owner, needs help with biting issue

JoJo1970 said:

I'm not putting down Dwarf hamsters but they are 'nippier' that the regular type hamsters. I've never owned one of those but have owned plenty of teddys, pandas etc. My 2 friends have owned Russian and they both say they are very high strung and biters. It might end up where you won't be able to change that behaviour. But keep persisting..i'm sure they are not all like that. Did I hear that Russian Dwarfs require company or am I thinking of something else? I know that other hamster definately do not have room mates. Maybe if this is true then he/she needs a buddy?
good luck

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Apparently not, if you read the other most recent thread about Dwarf hamsters in this forum. Some are good with buddies, some aren't.

Ivaaa said:

Theodor also seems to like climbing his wired cage, could that be a sign that he needs more room ? The pet stores usually keep the hamsters in an aquarium cage so I should get him one as well right ? I also researched that if hamsters keep biting I should use garden gloves so they can see that I wont harm them? I'm not sure can you tell me more about that?

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Climbing is instinctual for hamsters, regardless of the cage. It's exercise, but doesn't necessarily mean he needs more room. Still, I think the aquarium or bin cage would be the best idea, with an exercise wheel, of course, and plenty of time outside the cage. How did you try taming him when you got him? My first step is to enable trust; if they look like they're stuck on top of a thing in their cage, I'll put my hand level with it, and if they climb aboard I'll slowly elevator them down the floor of the cage. They learn they can trust me if they ever get stuck. If they completely ignore my hand, and jump down themselves(some have), then I'll slowly approach with a treat. A snag and run is still a good sign. But if you do it long enough eventually they'll snag it, and eat it sitting right there. And eventually they'll start taking it gently, and eat it sitting on your hand in their cage. Don't try and touch him at all if he isn't receptive. Focus instead on rewarding him when he even gets close - which is why offering a treat and seeing a "snag and run" is still a VERY good sign. Just keep up with that, and getting your scent on his things. Eventually he'll associate your scent and your hand in his cage with a treat, and eventually he'll learn to trust you, I don't think he's a lost cause..the only dwarf I had was nasty, but I'm sure now it was from bad breeding. She wouldn't bite if I put my hand in the cage, but she started charging to bite if I got my hand near her. She would not stand for being touched or held. One day my dad was offering her a Cheerio, and once she saw his hand, she bypassed the Cheerio completely, and lunged at my dad's finger. Your guy isn't doing that - so you're totally doing good right now, just have a bit of work to do, She died either by hemorrhaging her brain from repeatedly throwing herself against the aquarium walls, or gave herself a heart attack from all the stress she caused herself(because we were very gentle with her), and I STILL cried when I found her dead, even though I was never able to hold her, x.x I remember being so distraught after failing as a pet owner that when I found her dead I lugged her cage into the living room where my parents were and devastatingly told them to dig a grave.

That's what I'm saying - he'll probably be a ton more comfortable and thus easier to tame if you get him an aquarium or bin cage. Something I loved(because I've never tried a bin cage), is the SuperPet cage topper for an aquarium. It gives them the security of the glass down below, and the ability to climb wires if they love that so much up top. Another cage to consider is a Habitrail Ovo for Dwarves and Mice. I got one for my orphaned Deer Mouse a while ago, because he got real depressed in his aquarium, and he LOVED that cage.

You may be confusing receptiveness to touch with passive fear, which then, as you know, randomly turns into aggressive fear and he bites. It's kind of like how you're NEVER supposed to pet or comfort an upset animal, because the petting makes them think it's okay to be in that state of mind. It isn't. He's biting because he doesn't trust you, so you need to give him reason to trust you. Any amount of touching between you is a good thing, but it doesn't need to happen instantly. He's very well capable of touching YOU when he's ready for it. You can just lay your hand inside his cage and wait. A lot of the time they'll go about their business and completely ignore your hand. But if you do that several times a day, every day, eventually they'll get curious enough and wander over. There's lots of methods people use to tame. Use all methods you can think of that involve putting your scent on his things, and getting him comfortable with your hand just being there in his domain, but absolutely avoids you touching him. He'll come to your hand when he's ready.