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Post by Whimsy on Aug 12, 2011 6:17:24 GMT -5
Over the years I have seen the common remark that whenever someone comes across an aggressive chinchilla that it must have been abused in its previous home. People, this is not always the case. Aggression can be learned, or genetic. It can be reactive, or provocative. We have seen a wide range of chinchilla behaviors come through our rescue and even among kits that were born here. It is my firm belief that most of the time a chinchilla personality is more on the side of nature. But this doesn't mean that aggressive chins will produce aggressive chins or that sweet cuddle bugs will always produce in like. An owner with even the kindest heart can teach bad habits to their chinchilla, which can lead to aggressive behavior. One of the things I tell people is NOT to return a chin to its cage if it nibbles or struggles. This is reinforcing to it and it quickly learns to repeat those bad behaviors. On the flip side, we have received chinchillas from horrendously cruel and neglectful homes who remain the absolute sweetest chinchillas around. So, before you condemn the chinchilla's past, consider that the aggressive chinchilla you may be dealing with is a product of your own creation, or that you simply came across an animal that was born that way. On a positive note, there are tips and techniques that may help gentle a wild chin. But that is a subject for another thread.
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Post by bardete on Aug 12, 2011 8:03:09 GMT -5
I have a Chinchilla (Chinchi) who is quite agresive to me. He just seems to not like me, if I want to pet him he threatens to bite me, and if I come near to him he WILL bite me. he is also the dominant chinchilla and sometimes bites my other chinchilla (Geralt) while he is such a sweet little guy. Do you have any tips for me?
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missy123
Full Member
i love my chinnies
Posts: 123
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Post by missy123 on Aug 12, 2011 8:19:57 GMT -5
tegan spits, bites and barks at me (even weed at me a few times) while she is in her cage but as soon as she is out the cage and running around the house she is a different chinn. i think that is more of a protection thing like shes guarding her home, mum and sister..
while she is in the cage shes all front but when shes out she goes all quiet andwants to be held.. silly girl.
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missy123
Full Member
i love my chinnies
Posts: 123
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Post by missy123 on Aug 12, 2011 8:29:13 GMT -5
try introduceing something that smellsof you into the cage (something you dont mind him chewing to bits) i used a childs cuddely toy.. i slept with it for a few nights then put it in their cage...also using two could be good because then u have one to put in while one is being washed this way he will learn to recognise your smell. Then slowly start treat training him to come to your hands thru the bars i used rosehips witch worked well for my girls but even his pellet will make him come to you.... slowly and i mean slowly if hes a biter introduce your hands in the cage with some nice stuff in like some alfalfa hay or like i said the occasion rasin or piece of apple... Chinchillas are naturally interested in new things and will come to see what it is.. he will come to you but this can take time go from there see what he does or thinks. I recomend getting him used to your smell first and also calling him quietly and softly like baby noises..
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Post by Louise on Aug 12, 2011 9:08:24 GMT -5
We had a female chin from baby and she was from the start different. She was very aggressive and would run run run around her cage all the time. Like she had a baaaad adhd for chinnies. We put her to sleep cuz we feel sorry for her being so streesfull all the time.
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Post by bardete on Aug 12, 2011 10:22:04 GMT -5
I'm so sorry louise
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Post by Louise on Aug 12, 2011 12:13:12 GMT -5
Thank you bardete But I was totaly okay with it... (ofc I feel bad for her cuz she was clearly not happy) sometimes a dead chinnie is a happy chinnie. It was the best for her to sleep.
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Post by continuum2063 on Aug 12, 2011 18:56:56 GMT -5
hey dont feel too bad. My parents had a Dalmation that we were convinced was mentally challenged. it bit everyone and did the same thing; ran all over the place. We had her for about 2 years and she bit me four times (2 with stitches) she bit over 20 people and howled all the time for no reason. She would bob her head violently and shake and twitch sometimes. She also bit herself a lot some to draw blood (not bug related) finally one day i came home and we didnt have a dog anymore. Its sad but she was violent and clearly in pain. Its hard to cope but it was for the best. Hang in there!
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Post by chinnymom on Aug 12, 2011 20:12:36 GMT -5
continuum, the reason for the dalmation being aggressive could have been due to the fact that their brains can grow larger than their skull will allow, making for neurological problems. i have read it can be a common issue with the breed.
and i just wanted to touch on the advice about putting a stuffed animal in the cage (to get a chin used to your scent) - use a piece of fleece instead, not a stuffed animal, since the materials a stuffed animal are made of are not safe to be in a chin's cage.
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Post by Jamie on Aug 12, 2011 22:42:39 GMT -5
continuum, the reason for the dalmation being aggressive could have been due to the fact that their brains can grow larger than their skull will allow, making for neurological problems. i have read it can be a common issue with the breed. and i just wanted to touch on the advice about putting a stuffed animal in the cage (to get a chin used to your scent) - use a piece of fleece instead, not a stuffed animal, since the materials a stuffed animal are made of are not safe to be in a chin's cage. Sherry ....Ive never heard that Lucky had 2 stuffies and you know Baron and his Mr Turtle what I had always heard was no sewn on eyes there has never been one chew or bite on any stuffed animals here not by the chinnies or the rabbit Its like the only thing in life they dont chew.... maybe you've seen and heard different I always recommend stuffed animals as company for lone chinnies in fact I just bought a stuffed chinchilla toy from a Canadian company yesterday. mmmmmmm good to see you Sherry Hugs jamie
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Post by Jodi on Aug 13, 2011 0:15:32 GMT -5
continuum, the reason for the dalmation being aggressive could have been due to the fact that their brains can grow larger than their skull will allow, making for neurological problems. i have read it can be a common issue with the breed.. Really? I've never heard of this. I know they are prone to epilepsy another health issues. I have several friends that are Dalmatian breeders, Ill have to ask them. I've heard it explained by a vet as a myth with dobies but not Dal's ? Weird and interesting Jodi
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Post by chinnymom on Aug 13, 2011 0:28:08 GMT -5
but Jamie, what about if they chew the stuffie apart and get at all the poly fill inside? or eat the thread that the stuffie is put together with? i wouldn't want to see a chin get an impaction from somebody suggesting putting a stuffie in a cage
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Post by Jamie on Aug 13, 2011 5:09:12 GMT -5
but Jamie, what about if they chew the stuffie apart and get at all the poly fill inside? or eat the thread that the stuffie is put together with? i wouldn't want to see a chin get an impaction from somebody suggesting putting a stuffie in a cage I agree of course ...wouldnt want to see them get an impactation either of course... its just Ive never seen a chinchilla chew a stuffie ..and I guess if I did I would do just like I do with anything they chew thats not good for them..remove it. Of course ...then Id have to remove my doors, my walls, my baseboards, window blinds, .... LOL) you know my sense after having chinchillas for 13 years is ...if they are going to chew fleece..then certainly dont get a stuffed toy ... I have never had a chinchilla chew fleece either I appreciate the concern....for sure we dont want them eating whats inside a stuffed toy...just never have seen or heard of a chinchilla chewing , or even nibbling on their toys like that hugs Jamie
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Post by charliebunny1 on Aug 13, 2011 7:35:36 GMT -5
there is a big problem with dalmations that they have bred out a certain gene in them whilst trying to created better spotting which causes many problems also. however their are a few people in American and one woman in UK that have bred dalmations to pointers as they are the same body shape, and actually bred this gene back in creating healthy dogs so that hopefully soo we will get rid of these sick lines. now that crufts and the kennel club have changed breed standards finally we are seeing much healthier pure breed dogs coming through which is great but t definitely took too long.
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Post by Jodi on Aug 13, 2011 11:15:53 GMT -5
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Post by mia060411 on Aug 13, 2011 13:52:20 GMT -5
My chinchilla is also kind of aggressive, when i just put my hands as if i am going to pick her up, she barks at me. I have not taken her out for her playtime, because is so hard to put her back in, she would spray urine and sometimes bite. Her cage is at the top of a stand and have no where else to put her. This is why now i am trying to gain her trust completely and then give her playtime. The bath tub trick doesnt work with her anymore, she jumps out of it very quickly. If i dont try to picck her up she is really sweet to me, she would jump on my shoulder and hop on my hands and sometimes lets me scratch her. But as soon as i move my hands she jumps put of it. Any tips??
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Post by narnibird on Aug 14, 2011 23:00:42 GMT -5
I wouldn't say the abused chins here (almost all of them) are aggressive, but they all come in extremely defensive. I think we've had a few aggressive chins, as in, intentionally biting to draw blood, but for the most part that can be explained by brain injuries or else severe abuse. Not counting the chins who are basically wild.
Though, it's like with anxiety, I think. You can find perfectly well treated chinchillas who suffer from extreme anxiety, it's just how it works.
Mia, have you tried letting her come on to your hands, to travel to playtime? We do that with several of the chins here who hate to be picked up for anything.
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Post by dymoneyes on Sept 8, 2011 18:18:27 GMT -5
Mia I know what you mean. My chinchilla does not like to be picked up & it's hard to put him back in the cage after playtime. What I did was make the play area an extension of where his cage is so he goes back on his own to his cage & I just close the door.
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Post by Alison on Sept 19, 2011 13:59:20 GMT -5
Before I ever learned about the whole fleece thing they all had stuffies and none were chewed. Apollo was such a horn dog I kept a small towel over his stuffed hedgehog so it could be washed.
Apollo also went through a biting stage with me and it was when he sensed I was stressed right out. He didn't do it for the first 4 years then bit for a couple months then after I figured out with the help of the vet what was going on he didn't bite again for the last 2 years I had him.
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Post by Jay on Aug 10, 2015 17:07:01 GMT -5
I have had my Chin for a couple of years and out of the blue, he barked at me when I got him from his cage and took him to my office space, he normally spends hours at a time with me there, but today, he after barking when I picked him up he sat on my foot and yelled at me... He has never reacted this way before. Later on, he played as usual, but this concerns me.
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