#monkeytraining

The last few days have been full of monkeys! And other non-human primates. Tonight, I give a presentation to Latin American veterinarians all about how training can improve welfare for non-human primates. It has been a journey through all my video files and many memories, including training this little lady. She was low girl on the totem pole due to her permanently damaged leg. We were training several in this troop of Japanese macaques to station at hanging targets to manage the group dynamics. When everyone learns their own station, it can help increase the confidence of the subordinates. They trust the dominant animals will stay at their stations. You will notice just orienting near by the station was sufficient and tossing food was safer and increased her comfort. Just one of 29 clips, phew! The targets are more from the collection from Animal Equipment by Stoney. www.AEStoney.com He has donated a set for the Global Online Animal Training Summit www.ATFGOATS.com drawing to be held during the live event. #stationtraining #japanesemacaquetraining #macaquetraining #monkeytraining #groupdynamics #problemsolving https://www.instagram.com/p/CEHs5U7lk53/?igshid=ep27jynajbe

Question: What do you do when both monkeys are trying to get on the scale at the same time? (In this example Callitrichids – tamarins, marmosets) Answer: Train them both to wait! You can teach each one to wait on either side of the scale. Feed one for waiting while you cue/prompt one to go to the scale. Reinforce the one on the scale and reinforce the other for waiting at the same time. Then cue/prompt the one on the scale back to his station and cue/prompt the other one to the scale. Same procedure…now the first monkey that was on the scale get reinforced for waiting, while monkey number two gets reinforced for sitting on the scale. Over time as this is practiced each will learn there is value in waiting and they won’t feel the need to always race to the scale because reinforcement happens other places too. In the past all the good things happened on the scale so that was the only place worth going. Now they will learn another place has equal value. They will just need to wait for your signal when it is time to go to the next location to get desired things. Send me your questions. I may answer them in podcast or social media. Link in bio @barbara_heidenreich #scaletraining #monkeytraining #tamarintraining #marmosettraining #callitrichidtraining #traintowait #animaltrainingquestions #barbaraheidenreich https://www.instagram.com/p/B7bexzEli5o/?igshid=1m5nstvy44egf

I don’t have a clip I can show you, so you’ll just have trust me the sweetest thing today was seeing an adorable swamp monkey insist on pushing herself into position for her daily injection of medication. Love seeing animals eager to cooperate in their own medical care thanks to Force Free training. #swampmonkey #monkeytraining #injectiontraining #veterinarycare