It goes without saying that all animals, whether indoor pets such as dogs or outdoor animals such as ponies and donkeys, should be trained. While training may take different forms depending on the animal, it should focus on teaching good manners and how to respond in certain situations.

Some owners may believe that a pony or donkey that isn’t going to be ridden doesn’t need to be accustomed to wearing a headcollar or being tied up; however, there may be times when they will need to do just that, such as when the vet or farrier visits, or in an emergency. So, it pays to make sure your animals learn the basics.

All owners should want their animals to be happy, and none should put them through stress. However, a fine line separates dominating an animal from asserting authority, and we aim for the latter when teaching the basics of training.

In this article, I'll focus on training miniature Mediterranean donkeys, the breed I own. My three donkeys are all seven years old and have not been ridden. They are fine when the farrier visits every six weeks, although they can occasionally strop if they aren’t feeling very co-operative; overall, the experience is usually fine. However, due to a couple of very traumatic routine vet visits, they have become wary of strangers recently, and it is vital that I help them regain trust in the vet.

Donkeys are highly intelligent animals, and training allows you to harness that intelligence. Therefore, gentle, patient training can be a positive experience for both the owner and the animal.

The first steps when training a donkey are the two commands that reinforce your approval when you are happy with their behaviour and your disapproval when you are not; each must be used with the correct tone. So, for example, if he is being good, praise him with the words ‘Good boy,’ using a positive, pleased tone. If he is misbehaving, use a firm ‘No.’

I recently introduced clicker training for my donkeys to reinforce positive behaviour, as they are, on the whole, well-behaved; however, I would like them to be more amenable to routine vet procedures. I am trying to fine-tune certain aspects of their behaviour to prepare them for future vet visits, which is why I have introduced the clicker.

At present, the donkeys are very wary of the head collars because they signal that someone other than me is coming to see them, which causes stress. So I am slowly introducing the head collars, letting them sniff them, and immediately rewarding the donkey when it responds well. I click and reward with a treat.

The clicker produces a distinct ‘click’ to mark the precise moment the donkey performs the desired behaviour. For instance, I use it when introducing the head collar before a vet or farrier visit.

Over time, as soon as my donkey behaves as I want him to, I click and reward him with a small treat so he associates the clicker sound with a treat, rewarding good behaviour and helping him quickly link the click to a positive outcome. Clicker training is relatively fast and encourages the donkey to think through tasks calmly and methodically. It can be very beneficial for shy or skittish donkeys, especially those that have been abused or experienced trauma of any kind, as it helps to build trust and replace fear and force with choice.

Once the donkeys understand how the clicker works, I can start a vet desensitisation plan. I will follow up in a few weeks to let you all know how things are going!

You can find Allison on Instagram countryliving_writer or visit her website https://allisonlee.co.uk/https://allisonlee.co.uk/