“Pet quality” has negative connotations when you are talking about a koi or a dog. It means it is not show quality or even breeding quality, but it will make a dandy pet. When you are talking about a capybara, “pet quality” means that as a baby it is friendly and curious and will probably tame down nicely. Capybaras that are not “pet quality” can be unmanageable. They might be fine as breeding stock, or as part of a zoo herd, but a good breeder will assess their client and select an appropriate personality for you. Because they are so smart, capybara personalities vary widely. Still, if your capybara is skittish or aloof, it can be difficult to form a bond. Training becomes essential. The question becomes one of motivation, which means treats.

It doesn’t seem to require much talent to “target train” your capybara, because even I was able to do it. Dobby was more docile than other capybaras I have known, and he was willing to indulge me. Still, he demanded a suitable treat if he was expected to pay attention.

Melanie Typaldos has experience with a number of capybaras, and every one came with their own challenges. Snapper, her current pet capybara, is particularly uninterested in human interaction. He is unmotivated to engage in training, though he has learned to sit on command and raise his paw to shake hands.

Horse treats are generally safe for capybaras.

Melanie excitedly told me about these fantastic new treats that had turned his head. They are peppermint horse treats, conveniently the size of a nickel. Snapper was so excited about them that he followed her around, sat and held out his paw, begging for more treats. Finally she had a treat enticing enough for some serious training! Next day, he was totally uninterested in them. Dang, foiled again.

So what can we use to train a recalcitrant capybara?

So far, the only tried and true treats are corn on the cob (you guessed that one, right?) and raisins! In the wild, their diet is limited to a very select group of grasses and a few fleshy shrubs kind of like a yucca or bromeliad. In captivity far from their native habitat, there’s not much that they really like. At least not enough for it to become an enticing training treat. They are very fussy.

Dobby’s refrigerator

The sorry truth is that all we’ve got is corn and raisins. I got Dobby to walk up a ramp into the car with raisins, so that can work. If you have guests, romaine can keep them busy long enough for your visitor to get a photo, but honestly, they aren’t very motivated by treats.

Honoring our late visitor, Ginger.

They are easily distracted, and frankly, your requests don’t mean much to your capybara. They have their own agenda. If you have had success with something else, we’re all ears!

One more training video, featuring Melanie Typaldos.

~~~~~~~~~~

This post was brought to you by Stacy’s Funny Farm, a non-profit pet sanctuary and former home of Dobby the capybara. We hope you will be inspired to make a donation. We especially appreciate monthly giving- the PayPal portal offers that option. If you want to help but are short on cash, head over to Dobby’s YouTube channel. We’re monetized and those ads pay out nicely, so please watch, share, and subscribe. If you didn’t watch the videos, please go back and click on each one! No need to watch all the way to the end. Thanks!

Stacy’s Funny Farm is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

stacysfunnyfarm@gmail.com     EIN 47-1397412