Tools and
Guides to Help you!
New Primate owners are e-mailing everyday wanting to know
the best ways to care for their new family members. Remember, these
primates are NOT pets, they are companions for life.
My conversations with so many people have shown me there is a real
need to offer an additional help/programs. I have decided there is a great need for primate owners to learn the
proper techniques for taming and training, as well as many other aspects.
People acquiring new primates need guidance on Taming and
Training, plus
nutritional needs for their primates from infant into adulthood.
Nutrition is VERY important and plays an important role in their
lives. Too many primates are NOT receiving proper nutrition and
the causes of death are very known. I also see too many monkeys
destroying the house and not behaving the way they should in
captivity. It isn't the monkeys fault, it's the care takers.
They don't know how to properly tame and train these guys and think
that by spoiling them at this young age and not providing a balance of
taming and training these monkeys need, these monkeys as they grow and
develop into adult hood become tough to deal with, biting, and
uncontrollable behavior. Don't blame yourself.. There
isn't a book YET to teach you just how to have a great companion.
Even if there was a book, what could you possibly learn from a book?
If a person whom is qualified personally speaks with you and helps
guide you wouldn't you learn? Sure you would. With the amount of e-mails I receive in asking for help I decided to offer educational guidance in all aspects of primate care and
behavioral modification. I personally have been training Capuchins
for over 20 plus years. I also train Capuchins for service
animals for the disability. Just because my experience is high in
Capuchins doesn't mean if you have a Marmoset, Macaque, Spider, you
can't join.
Infants are my main goal since they are so fragile and need the proper nutrition and
attention. What you do and how you tame and train at the beginning of
this infants life is the key factor of having the best behaved primate
for the next 30 to 40 years of your life! It is so important primate owners received hands on help from day one
from the breeder/broker they
receive their primate from. Many breeders/brokers don't give you
the proper help to get you started. They are only interested in
the money. The good breeders send you my way to learn what you need to
know to have a great companion. I offer The infant care Program, and
will strive to make sure you know everything to get you started.
In this Program I teach you what you must know in behavioral
modification, Taming and Training your monkey. Bathing,
Nutritional, Vet Care and proper techniques to have a well behaved
monkey. The Infant Care program is designed for a complete year
to Juvenile stage. The program is $250.00 for a full month, this
program teaches you the basics or
$650.00 for the full year which teaches you a full range into juvenile
stage. The programs are held one on one. I don't believe
anyone can learn from e-mailing each other and I know I don't have the
time it personally takes to sit and write, plus many of the dial ups
are difficult for you to even receive your mail properly. I
offer every week, sat or sun to personally phone you, I
learn about your monkey and you learn what you need to properly do to
have a great companion. I know I am cheap as taming and training
just a dog is in the thousands for a 6 week course. It isn't
about the money, but my time to teach you is worth the time to explain
in full detail every week for you to learn.
Watch Lui Take his bath being trained by Lisa.
watch-v=ocl6VPfiFXM
Any Juvenile or Adult monkey can be tame and trained.
Just because they are older and set in their ways doesn't mean they
can't be good. I have taken many older primates up to age 17 and
changed the way they live their lives in their households. Never
say, they can't change. With the proper techniques and changed
housing and diet, many see a huge change. If I can take older
monkeys and make them great companions, so can you. Juveniles
and Adults do take more time and effort, but what you see in just
starting my Behavioral Modification class in this stage will pay off
in the end. Many care-takers at this point have gotten bit and
even gotten scared at this point as the monkeys control them.
They rank higher then their care-takers. It can be changed.
The Behavioral Modification class is a one year development class
one on one every week. I say one year because we have to take
this monkey and start from the very beginning and fix everything that
went wrong. The class is $1,650.00 for one year.
Adopting a unwanted or older Primate is a major concern and
many owners need extra help in this field. Too many people adopt
an unwanted or older primate not knowing what they have gotten
themselves into. It can even be a dangerous decision for a first
time monkey parent. Before making this decision just because you
want a cheap monkey, you may end up with the worst decision you ever
could of made. Anybody can raise a baby, it's raising a juvenile
or a adult. You have no idea what the life of that monkey has
had nor do you know why they are really trying to find a new home for
that monkey. It take a very experienced individual to take on a
un-wanted monkey.
People need to find other primate care takers in their state for
babysitting and vacation stay.
I have found there is a great need for a primate day care as well as a vacation stay
facility in my area. My request has been that the care take place in a home environment.
Even your home, if you have a family member or someone that your
monkey knows. Being a primate care taker, I know it is hard to
go away from your monkey, but you need to. Find a
relative/family member or friend in your area and make sure your
monkey knows them, that way when you are gone, it won't be so dramatic
on your monkey. I get requests all the time and have had monkeys
flown into my home just so I can baby-sit.
MonkeyZone.com provides the following at no charge to members and non-members:
Vet referral
Education on health care and vaccinations
Emergency primate counseling for illness, and accident
Additional Services Available
TAMING AND TRAINING ONE ON ONE
I offer Intensive Counseling on our
taming and training techniques through my two programs, which includes leash and
collar training, behavior modification, diaper training, physiological
well-being and many more techniques. Many primate owners let
their monkeys roam freely in their house without their primate being
tamed and trained first. Many issues arise later on as the
monkey gets older. This is not the only issues that arise,
biting, uncontrollable behavior is just a few.
Service fee is listed above for you to pick the program that best
suits you and your monkeys needs.
Note: Many primate owners want my personal help, although the
time and effort working every week intensively with you in detail takes
time. I want to make sure your monkey stays with you which is my
goal. My time and effort in helping you every week is
intense, and timely. I have so many requests and have offered
freely, which I can not do anymore. My time is worth the help I
give you directly.
If you are interested in Monkeyzone's Taming and Training program, Please e-mail us.
I would like to take a minute of your time to
tell you the importance of this web site and the training that Lisa
offers, if you are going to buy a monkey or as I did bought one and
then was left all on my own to figure out how to raise her correctly
be advised there is no books out there to tell you how to raise a
capuchin, I have searched and search. the lady who sold her to me will
not return phone calls or e-mails. so I looked and looked for help,
finding this web site was a God send! Lisa charges $650.00 for a year
of phone training which breaks down to $12.50 a week (SO SO VERY CHEAP
FOR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU RECEIVE) I signed up 2 weeks ago and have
learned so very much about my baby and how and what to fed her and
when, also the trick to no more cutting diapers :) after Lisa tips and
proper nutrition my baby has become so much more active and has
stopped biting and even loves her baths. the best thing you can ever
do for yourself and your baby or even a grown monkey is hook up with
Lisa, you will not only find a wealth of knowledge but even better a
good friend.
Christy
TAMING YOUR MONKEY!
Written by: Lisa
President/Founder of MonkeyZone
Monkeys are usually a one-family pet and will not be too
responsive to strangers until they have made friends with them. If they are not
bothered or teased by a stranger, chances are they will not bite. They are clannish
and suspicious of anything new or strange; so when friends drop in to see your new pet,
advise them to go slowly (do not just extend your hand), keep at a distance and do not try
to make a quick friendship with your monkey.
If you buy your monkey from a pet shop, chances are it will
already be wearing a collar or harness. Even so, you should inspect the collar or
harness to be certain that it is the right size and kind. I have found a small dog
or cat collar or harness to be the most satisfactory from the standpoint of safety and
comfort, they are a soft nylon. They do not wear the hair off the waist of your
primate. They are much cleaner and last longer than a leather collar or harness.
Until your monkey becomes collar or harness wise, it will twist
and turn, trying to escape. Let your monkey get use to it, by letting your monkey
drag the leash behind them when they are out of the cage. I always leave my monkeys
restraint on while they are out of the cage at all times so I can have control at any
time. Until your monkey becomes accustomed to you and its new home, it will be best
to leave the collar or harness on all the time when they are out of the cage. Never
leave a collar/harness and leash attached to them while they are in the cage. Your
monkey could get tangled up and not to mention seriously hurt. By learning how to
restrain your monkey from inside the cage while you are attaching the collar or harness
and leash, you can prevent them from darting out of the cage. By restraining your
monkey when you open the door also helps to break them of the habit of darting out and
trying to escape. They soon realize that they have to wear a collar or harness with
a leash attached before they can come out.
If you have adopted a juvenile or adult monkey, for the first few
days or even weeks it is best to leave it in the cage to get use to its new environment.
Getting a collar on it might be difficult in the beginning, you need to build trust and
respect from your monkey. Place the cage where the monkey can be with you while you
are watching TV. or working. Every time you go near the cage, stop and speak to your
monkey, call it by name, and offer food or a treat. If your monkey grabs for food,
try not to jerk your hand away; the sudden movement not only startles the monkey, but also
gives it the idea that you are frightened, it will try to bluff you whenever possible.
In a few days or weeks, you will find that your monkey isn't as
frightened when you approach the cage. Now is the time to try and open the door a
little and have direct contact. Have treats, food available while having contact, be
careful not to tease or intimidate your monkey. You may get bitten, but don't jerk
away, take it very slow. There are monkeys that will attack right away and others
that really want your direct contact and attention. All monkeys are different in
personalities, but if you feel your monkey wants to come out of the cage, be certain that
when you open the door you have a firm grip on your monkey, whether it be a arm, tail,
scruff of the neck, ect.. Open the cage door slowly, your monkey may either do one
of two things, make a wild dash in hopes of escaping, or it will cower in the back of
the cage and refuse to come out. If the first occurs, you will be glad you had a
firm grip on it. Should your monkey become timid and afraid to come out, don't be
impatient! Sit down and talk to it while reaching your hand towards it. Offer
a piece of its favorite food. Try to coax it out, but never grab your monkey and
pull it out. If you still haven't succeeded in getting it to come out after trying
for ten or fifteen minutes, don't get excited. Close the door of the cage and walk
away and try later. After you have succeeded and have attached the collar or harness
and leash, then you should take your monkey out several times a day for social enrichment
and exercise and also a get acquainted period. Lead your monkey around so it will
become accustomed to the collar or harness and leash.
If your monkey fights against being led at first, sit down and
talk to your monkey in a calm, caring voice until it overcomes its excitement and fright.
When adopting a juvenile or adult you shouldn't put your hands on
a new monkey--to pet or play with it--for several days or even weeks. I offer the
newcomer something special, such as a few raisins, some nuts, fruit, vegetables or a
mealworm. I hold the treat until the monkey comes to take it from me. In this
way, it learns to trust the hand and knows that I am not going to grab it or hurt it in
any way. When using food to get acquainted with your new monkey, be careful to
avoid teasing it, even if unintentionally. Never offer a tidbit and then jerk it
away. This will accomplish just the opposite of what you are trying to do. If you
are trying to get the monkey to come to you, hold the food far enough away so that it must
move to you and let it have the treat when it reaches you.
When it is time to put a new monkey back in it's cage, you may
have to use a little persuasion, especially the first time or two. You can guide the
monkey in the cage first and unfasten the collar or harness and leash and shut the door.
Usually if you give the monkey a piece of it's favorite fruit or a treat and let it
see you put it in the cage, it will go in after it. After a few times, it will
realize that the cage is it's home where it is fed and protected, and should it get out,
it will return to the cage instead of running away. To help imbed this idea, always
give your monkey it's first real meal in the cage. By watching to see what your
monkey selects first when you feed it, you will soon learn which is it's favorite food.
Then use this particular thing to the best advantage by letting it help you tame
your monkey. Most monkeys prefer grapes, so I use them as a special reward.
I repeat, never offer a monkey anything and then hold it so that
it can't get to it. This creates resentment, not trust. Try not to let the
monkey bite you. Even a trial nip by your monkey requires an immediate
reprimand! Grab your monkey by the scruff or it's neck and unleash the monkey and
place it in the cage and shut the door. Walk away, do not look at it or talk with it
for at leash fifteen minutes. By giving a Time-Out, it will teach your monkey that
you won't tolerate such behavior, be firm in letting it know you will not stand for such
actions. A monkey can inflict a painful pinch, not to mention a serious
bite!
TRICK TRAINING YOUR MONKEY!
ONLY FOR
MONKEYS AT STARTING AGE OF 5 AND OLDER.
Article written by: Lisa
President/Founder of MonkeyZone
It is only natural that once having tamed your monkey, you will
want to train it. Once the monkey is properly tamed, training is simple.
Trick Training can only be started when your monkey is fully developed
and is an ADULT! You can not trick train a infant or Juvenile.
It takes years to first Tame and Train, then trick training will be
enjoyable and fun for both the monkey and you.
Training is mostly a matter of repeating the same thing over and
over until it finally becomes a habit with the monkey. The most important thing to
remember is that you must make certain your pet understands what you want to do.
When you decide on a trick, show the monkey what you want by putting it in a certain
position. Always repeat the same words with the same actions, and it will eventually
associate the action with the command. Don't try to do too many different things all
at once. It is better to concentrate on one trick at a time and work on it until it
is perfected before introducing a new one. My monkey (MugWhy) sometimes will go for
months without doing what I want her to do and then she will give a perfect performance
without rehearsal. I do not like to over train. Monkeys do many clever things
of their own accord, and if you cultivate these natural actions, so that they will do them
whenever you want them to, your pet will appear to be very well-trained and will be much
happier in performing for you and your friends that if they do a number of things that are
artificial or strange to them.
Obedience is the first and the ut-most important lesson in
training. Let your monkey know in a kind but firm way that you are the boss and
will not tolerate any foolishness. You can do this and still make the training
periods fun for your monkey and yourself. In training MugWhy, I have found it better
to work for short periods, several times daily, at the same time of the day, than to work
for one long period. In other words, work for fifteen or twenty minutes, three or
four times a day, then play for a short time after you finish the lesson. By using
brief periods, you don't tire the animal and you aren't as likely to loose your
temper. If you should find yourself becoming impatient or cross, STOP AT ONCE!
Put your monkey away for a while and give your nerves a chance to calm down. Never
strike your monkey while trying to teach it. If you strike or hurt your monkey while
teaching, it will associate the hurt with the trick and will be afraid to try it
again. When MugWhy does something incorrectly, I scold her and then show her again
and again how the trick is done. When she does the trick correctly, I praise her and
give her a treat! Marshmallows and fruit loops work real well, not to mention
yogurt covered raisins.
When MugWhy was a baby I introduced
her to water at three weeks of age. I tried to put my mind into perspective thinking
what would or how would Capuchins bathe in the wild. I thought of a stream of
running water. This took place at the kitchen sink, by turning the water on and
making sure I had a tiny stream of water coming out. I didn't want to scare her in
any way, so I gently put her under the running water, without getting her face wet.
I lathered her up in Johnson's baby shampoo, again not her face, then rinsed her
off. She cried a little but in time she soon loved to take or get a bath. I
have heard allot of different opinions about bathing, like the shower works better, a
bucket or bowl of water works wonders. Not all monkey like the same thing.
I also trained MugWhy to wear
clothes, although it isn't one of MugWhy's favorite things, I never have pushed the
issue. It isn't important to me if she wears them or not. I started out with a
little dress or shirt, and I put them on for brief periods. I would play with her to
distract her from the clothes. If she starts to pull or tear at the clothing, I
would take her hands and say "NO!" I never left clothes on while she was
in her cage or by herself, for once she tears off the clothes it is very difficult to
convince her not to do it again. Eventually she did wear clothes with no
problem. Always be certain that the clothes are loose enough to be comfortable and
don't bind your monkey anywhere. I found if clothing doesn't bother movement, it
won't bother the monkey and will last longer. Unless your monkey is like MugWhy and likes to rip them apart.
Many monkey owners primates wear diapers, for it is quite a job to
diaper train a monkey, and just when you think your monkey is fully diaper trained, you
turn your back for a moment only to look back and find they have ripped off the diaper,
and for most it is a game. Frustrating yes, but always a challenge to try
again.
You can train your monkey to do allot of cute things, like sitting
in a chair. I started by showing MugWhy the chair and letting her play with it, by
tipping it over and jumping up and down on it. I found if you get a little toddlers
chair works well. When MugWhy got accustomed to the chair, I helped her sit on it.
Of course she thought it was fun jumping into the chair, but now was the tough job
of getting her to stay seated in the chair. Her tail fit through the back of the
chair, so I held her tail while she sat in the chair, rewarding her for sitting there.
It was a easy task for MugWhy to sit in a chair, but not for a long period of time.
Just enough time to take a picture!
Walking on the hind legs comes naturally to some monkeys.
Since MugWhy was little I had a belt around her waist and a leash to follow. I have
found when we walk around the house, she started to grab the leash and walk upright.
Now, it is a habit for her. Monkeys will stand straight up and walk backwards on
their hind legs, this behavior in capuchins comes naturally especially when they greet
newcomers. It is a sense of threat. I keep MugWhy's leash on her, she has
learned to carry her leash in her tail. She also has learned how to keep her leash
from getting tangled. Walking upright is a wonderful exercise for monkeys hind legs.
Anytime you plan to use a "prop" in a trick, such as a
chair, ect.. let your monkey become accustomed to the object before you try to do anything
with it. In this way, the fear is overcome before you start working with the prop.
Toys that I have mentioned in my recent articles, can help you in your training
periods. Most monkeys like to play with a ball, and if you use it only during
training periods, they soon learn to "play ball" with you. At first they
can catch it and never give it back to you. But after a while, throwing it back and
forth, they soon learn to toss it. Their aim however, isn't too good, but you should
pretend to be a good catcher.
They like bright and shiny things, and of course, noise
makers. I don't like to give MugWhy soft rubber objects, or anything coated with
harmful paint. Especially a paint containing lead. Be sure there are no sharp
edges on metal toys,because they might cut themselves. Nearly all monkeys will spend
hours playing with their reflections in a looking glass. This provides amusement for
them, and not to mention great fun for anyone watching; but here again a word of warning,
use a metal mirror instead of a glass one.
I have found, if you start with the simplest and easiest tricks
first, they will become very successful. Don't expect too much from your monkey,
something that you think may be easy, may be beyond the ability of your monkey. And
remember, you have the idea and you know what you want the monkey to do, so it is up to
you to give the idea and show it how the trick is done. Try to make the training
periods interesting and enjoyable to your monkey, and you will find they are more
profitable and enjoyable for you also. A monkey that is happy and enjoys performing
is one that has been trained properly, loves it's trainer, and works for the fun it has
and gives others. A monkey that works for fear of a beating is a sad animal and the
chances are strong it will not live very long, it will pine away and die rather than lead
such a miserable life.
I have tried to give you the basic methods that I use in my
training, I am really not into trick training. Although I have said it before, I
repeat that kindness and patience are the most important rules to remember and follow in
training your pet. I also feel that obedience training is more important than trick
training. You owe it to yourself, your friends and your pet to see that it is well
behaved. A few simple tricks will increase your enjoyment of the time you spend
with your monkey. Real intensive trick training requires allot of time, and unless
you plan to use your pet professionally, it is hardly necessary.
There are many techniques I have not mentioned in the above articles for
behavior modification. I have helped many primate owners deal with behavior problems
and also offer internet taming and training for you and your monkey. If I can be of assistance, Please
contact Lisa
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