How tame is tame?

[moghedien]

I have a litter of 7 week old gerbils that I've handled since day one - just wondering, how tame is tame?

I advertise my gerbils as being very tame, and they're not afraid of my hand, some of them even run up my arm when I stick my hand in the cage. But none of them really jump in my hand to be picked up (though they'll sit in my hand in the tank and eat seeds). If I want to try and train them to go to my hand, how would I go about doing it?

And can you have gerbils that are considered friendly & tame even if they don't jump in your hand to be picked up?

[doomgerbiluk]

my own gerbils are very tame, good with kids and used to a noisy household
they do not jump on my hand either but love attention and are happy to be handled. they love coming out of the cage and climbing on me.

[sweetie]

Hey Mag,

Tame is a relative word actually. If they are interested in you and like interacting with you then I would say they are tame. They do not run from you, bite you, or thump every time you walk by.

I have different levels of tame. Sweetie, Bubba, & Bear are the most tame I have. They like the interaction and love to be handled. Then Honeymunch, Bandit, and Squirt don't like to be handled but would rather run all over and under me than be held in my hand. Then you have Blackie & Cowboy (FYI black gerbils)
who like to interact but really don't like to be picked up. They will run from you when you try to pick them up but once they are in your hands, don't bite.

Each gerbil has thier own personality and temperment. Each has different levels of tolerance with human interaction. There are no specific guidelines to define *tame*. It is a very subjective word.

[Ritzie/Admin]

I see tame as they can be handled easy and they don't bite! But there is a difference, my tamest gerbil could walk around freely and followed me when I walked around in my living room. And when I was sitting on the couch he would climb on me. I could always pick him up, he did not run away from me. But he never would sit still to be pet!

[RW]

I agree that tame is a relative term, depending on the personality and experiences of each individual gerbil. Just like people, some gerbils are more naturally friendly, some more timid or reserved.

I have several gerbils who will crawl into my hand to be taken out almost any time it's offered. Others won't, but are comfortable with being scooped out of their tanks to play. My least tame girl is the one who was mistreated before I got her. Compared to the others, maybe she wouldn't be considered "tame", in that she's not very happy about being held or handled, yet the difference between her behavior when I first got her and now is light years apart. She used to be terrified of humans and would hide in her house anytime I opened her tank, but now she runs to meet me to see what I have for her and will sit on my hand to eat. Sometimes she sidles over to my hand and leans against my wrist while she's eating her treat. I've had her 9 months and she still doesn't care much for being scooped or handled and, up till a couple weeks ago, wouldn't climb into my hand to be taken out, although she's begun to come around a little in that respect recently. So, while she isn't nearly as "tame" as my other gerbils, she's much tamer now than when she first got here. This may be as tame as she ever gets, but I think she's made amazing progress, considering her history.

RW

[doomgerbiluk]

RW that is a very good example
Gerbils are active animals. They can be cuddly, but that is not the norm. A gerbil which interacts with you is 'tame' but the level of tameness and the type of interaction are alld ifferent accordnignt o personality, time availalbe for taming and background.