Naughty lil chin

[Sugarised]

wow my past hour has been F-U-N!
Those of you who have read my posts will know my lil chin is new to me and i'm still trying to get him to trust me, and me learn about him...

Well he started to perk up a bit, so i thought ok, bit of bonding/play time. Went to his cage, and he came straight up to me, so i gave him some loves. Wonderful! He started to crawl up my arm, so i thought good, means i wont have to get him out the cage if he can come to me....ooooh no. over my shoulder he went! Good job i'm so short! as he went down right to the floor-in the non-chin-proofed-room. Soooo many new smells and things about he went nuts, hid under a unit and started barking. He is stubborn, so treats wouldn't tempt him out. I got his cage right by where he was so he could go back in to safety? No, having none of it.

I shifted as much chewable stuff out the way till he darted to the chin room, I shut the door and thought, as he wouldn't go in his cage, he obviously wants a good run (ive edited the circles he ran around me in the non-chin-room) so i let him run around and have a dust bath. Does he calm down? no. Starts digging at things he shouldn't get to and chewing bits off, so i get the bits off him and then he does a wall of death round the bathroom. Fortunately he tired quickly so i could put him back, but wow....sooooo much chin poo to clean, and i nearly had heart failure he was loose in an unsafe place, then trying to chew stuff!

He's sulking in his cage now. bonding may have taken a step back...

 

[Pleiades]

This type of thing happens. Chins are great little escape artists. You should use the dust bath as a lure to get him back to his cage though. Don't let him roll and then go back out into the non-chin proof area.

If it's really an emergency to get him back into his cage, I know some people throw towels over their chins to quickly scoop them up. This immobilizes them temporarily, and they can't see you when you approach to pick them up. I've only done it once, though, to break up a squabble, and my chins have since wised-up.

He'll likely forget about his sulking this time tomorrow. Their attitudes always improve when they know there's something in it for them (playtime).

The ideal situation is having the chin cage in the chin-proofed area/room! (Whether it be a playpen or whole room) This way, you can easily train them to go back to their cage when playtime is over. Most of them prefer to have a 'safe haven' to retreat to anyway; I've found my boys like going back into their cage if just for a split-second- just to make sure they can!

Good luck!

 

[cindyv3737]

I've had many nights like that. New chins and being new to them is always a learning process. I agree with keeping the cage in the chin proof room if you can. When I let Shelly out for her playtime she will run into cage for power naps and then pop back out. It's her safe place and she knows it is all hers. i've gotten her pretty well trained on going back into the cage. I'll look at her and say night night and she will follow me right into her cage. Sometimes she will even jump up to the top shelf and lay down. Good luck with your new baby/houdini. If a chin thinks it can escape it will try.

 

[Jazicat]

"If a chin thinks it can escape it will try."

This is so true. Edgar has a way of always getting into trouble but you can't help but laugh as they are doing it most of the time.

We recently started letting Edgar come and go from his cage for play time. I really like that it really makes play time more fun for both of us. Usually I just shake the treat jar and he goes straight in if he's had a good run. No treats for Edgar out of the cage though or we'd never get him back in.

 

[harbingerofdoom]

gotta agree with the idea that the cage should be near the play area. i have my [what passes for a] dining room area blocked off and cleaned up so they can just pop out for free run time and they still have their cage to hop into should something spook them. they also have a few cardboard boxes here & there on the opposite side of the room for the same thing, but they get a larger area to run in this way and i can just move a couple things and they are ready to be let out.

as for escaping, herb will now be so bold as to grab my hand and try to drag me out of his way so he can try to get out when i dont want him to... and this is the same chin that only a month ago did nothing but hide bark and nip at me if i so much as dared to stick my hand in the cage. in some cases, if shiftyness doesnt work for them, they will resort to outright trying to manhandle you...lol

(its actually pretty funny having him grab my hand and yank and tug on it to get it out of his way...)