Before you make the decision to buy a monkey, you must consider whether you will have the amount of time that it will require to properly train your monkey. Monkeys make great pets; they are loving and affectionate animals, but you must remember that they are wild animals that they will require training if they are to be a good pet. You monkey will behave as well as you teach it, so training is essential. It will be no easy task. It will no doubt take a lot of time, patience, and consistency on your part.
Don't expect your monkey to be house trained. This is nearly an impossible task and very few have been able to achieve this, so if you are opposed to changing diapers, a monkey may not be the best pet for you.
Use the word "No" to tell your monkey that you want him to stop a behavior. It is best to tell the monkey "no" before the behavior that is unacceptable actually happens. Making a scene by yelling and giving the monkey attention, whether positive or negative, may encourage the behavior rather than stop it. It is never recommended that you use any type of corporal punishment with your monkey, such as hitting or biting.
Monkeys have a short attention span, so keep training sessions short and interesting. Using positive reinforcements is the best method to teach your monkey anything since it encourages a trusting relationship between the two of you.
You will find that monkeys, when in the wild, have a very forgiving nature, and even after a fight will spend time grooming and affection. When you scold your monkey for inappropriate behavior, be sure to give him/her plenty of love and affection to ensure the monkey that you still love him/her.
Keep in mind that those cute things that monkeys do as babies, will not be so cute once they got older and bigger. It is best to discourage these bad habits or behaviors while the monkey is young.
You will be better able to train your new primate pet if you know as much as possible about them. Read books and do research on the particular type of monkey that you own. You should also try and include your monkey in other monkey activities. Try and locate others that have monkeys as pets to encourage social interactions between your monkey and other monkeys. If for some reason you are unable to keep your monkey or you decide to get another monkey and your monkey had never been exposed to others of their kind, they may not respond well to them, causing problems for you and your monkey.
