hamster freezes

Question
Occasionally my hamster will "freeze". I will have him out of the cage, letting him roam, and he will just freeze. I can do pretty much anything to him when he is in this state, and he will stay that way for about 2-5 minutes. He is not standing on his hind legs or anything when he gets like this. I had heard that they will stand frozen on their hind legs when they are listening to something, but he pretty much does it in any position. Should I be concerned? Otherwise, he is about 4 months old and very friendly and active. He is a black bear hamster.

Thanks for your help,
Jonathan

Answer
Hey, Jonathan.

The behavior you described is completely normal.  And yes, you're somewhat correct, when the hamster "freezes" he's simply focusing his attention on something.  This could be a new or different sound or smell.  However, this doesn't have to be in the position you described (standing on their hind legs).  All hamsters are somewhat different, and they will "freeze" in different positions, and the time that they remain in this position also differs.

So to answer your question..
No, you shouldn't be concerned with this as it's quite normal.
Good luck with your hamster... and if you've got any more questions, I'll be glad to help out.