How to Train a Capuchin
The training process for a capuchin monkey can be either easy or tedious depending on your monkey and your personal training style, but if the monkeys are allowed to reside indoors without training for too long, the process of taming the monkeys can be nearly impossible. An untrained capuchin can be dangerous, turning to biting and destroying homes. However, with adequate supervision and precautions, a capuchin monkey may be well behaved and enjoyable. With persistence and hard work, almost any capuchin can be an adorable, well-behaved lifelong companion.
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Instructions
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Fit a harness to your capuchin. Make sure that the harness is not so loose that your pet can slip out or not so tight that you cannot easily slip a finger between it and your monkey. Leave the harness on the capuchin when it is outside of the cage so that it can grow accustomed to it.
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Place your capuchin in its crate and remove the harness. Feed it treats and speak to it soothingly while it is in the crate so that it understands that it is not being punished. Eventually the capuchin will realize that its crate is its home and not a place of punishment.
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Place the harness on your monkey whenever you remove it from its crate so that, with time, it will understand that it must wear the harness before darting out. When the monkey is in the crate, keep the crate close to you so that the monkey does not feel alone; leave the television or radio on to keep the capuchin company if you are preoccupied.
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Offer your capuchin a treat and say its name in a calm manner whenever you go near the cage so that you pet will grow accustomed to you. When you feed it treats, make sure not to jerk your hand away or hold the treat out of your monkey's reach, as this will either teach the monkey that you are afraid of it or that you are spiteful toward it.
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Practice leading your monkey around on its leash in short intervals, stopping to give it treats or to praise it. The capuchin will grow accustomed to walking on its leash and will come to enjoy it.
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Warn visitors not to reach out to or tease your capuchin, as this may cause it to lash out or bite. Your capuchin will need lots of time to grow accustomed to people other than its owner.
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Grab your capuchin by the scruff of the neck and place it in its cage if it bites you or otherwise misbehaves. Do not speak to or offer treats to your monkey while it is being punished for at least 15 minutes. This will teach your monkey not to misbehave again.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are seriously injured by your capuchin or if you believe that you are in danger and cannot control it, contact animal control or another animal professional immediately.
References
- Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Digital Vision/Getty Images
