# Training young goats to walk with leash and head harness



## farfel (Sep 4, 2011)

I saw a couple of previous questions on the subject , but not entirely satisified with answers.

I have two whether 8 month old Pygmy brothers and I want to leash train them with a goat head halter.

Beside treats as rewards, any other advice on how to proceed?

I started with one today and though he was happy to take the treats, walking turned into rabbit hops, jumps and laying on his side, or sitting like a stubborn camel, or just tugging against the leash.

Any specific suggestions are appreciated.

Farfel


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## blujenes (Apr 18, 2010)

I don't have any profound advice, but I'll tell you what I know from my experience. (Which isn't much.) 

Goats are smart. It works better to work slowly, with a little bit of pressure on the collar and rump. Sheep need sheer force, goats need to _understand_ that they aren't going to win. Let a goat win and it will remember. It will remember that it won when it was little, and try (and probably sucseed) when it's big. 

Talk to him quietly, and tug lightly on his collar. If he takes a step, praise him. If he balkes, don't pull hard on the collar, instinct will be to pull back. Push him along by his rump, while keeping pressure on the collar, making it obvious that's what he needs to follow.

Sorry, this is probably old news, but it's what works for me with my goats.


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## MaddieLynn (Nov 23, 2011)

1. Catch said goat and put halter on. 

2. Tie goat to fence and - UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION - leave him there until he stops fightig the halter. Make sure the lead's not long enough for him to tangle his legs in. 

3. AFTER he figures out that he can't get out of the thing, lead him around. Yes, he will hop and buck and scream and fall over. DON'T LET HIM WIN. Always end on a good note. Only about 10 minutes at a time. DON'T let him go when he's throwing a fit about it. 

4. Repeat step 3 every day. If you have a specific event you need him halter broken for, like a show, start at least a month in advance. And yes, rewarding with food when you stop (on a GOOD note) is very motivational. They think with their stomachs.


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## blujenes (Apr 18, 2010)

Yes, they do think with their stomachs, (Bring cookies to the barn and you will understand, and the hoof print bruises will take a few weeks to heal) and the good note is important.


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## Dreamgoat Annie (Nov 28, 2011)

Clicker training. With goats, works for everything. And if they balk, while standing at the goat's side doing all the kissy-clicker stuff, covertly reach back and pull the goat's tail forward toward his head. This gets them moving almost every time, then you can click-reward.

Sue (who clicker trains everything from goats to the water buffalo)


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Would you please teach a clicker training class? Please?


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## finnsheep (May 23, 2012)

Sheep do NOT need sheer force to learn to walk. I've never taught them that way and I have 40 head of mostly sheep with some goats that essentially walk happily with just being led by the head (though the goats are mostly led by the collar). Goats are no smarter than most sheep (and some goats are less smart than many sheep). They are both trained the same way. The difference is that goats in general are mischievious and sheep are usually more docile. I find my sheep are more likely willing participants and are usually far tamer than the goats naturally are. (I have Pygmies and Angoras- kind of polar opposite personalities.) 

Working with them when very young is the best thing to do. However, if that is not possibly, use short sessions and always end them on a good note, while the goat is behaving. They are smart and you don't want the training to "leave a sour taste in their mouth". Treats are useful, but don't overdo them. Some animals will work just as well if praised and petted. Mine love bananas and I just hold it out in front of them as we walk and they soon catch on. It's more of a gradual process for me and I guess I don't know how to really condense that in a few short sessions. I do know that they get bored easily and 5-5 minute sessions are better than 1 20 minute session. And don't do the training when they are very hungry- they just don't concentrate well.

You can use a sound like a clicker or a kissing or clucking sound to associate the training with the reward too. A bit of pressure is okay- the release of it is the reward often, like they do with horses- but do not drag or pull the goat. I don't think pressure works as well with goats as it does with some other animals.

Some goats really resent halters and you are better off using a collar instead.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

I am working on collar and leash training Skittles a young buckling I got from Pygmybabies actually am also working on getting him to let me touch him, he is very skittish. This being one of the goats that had the "Great Escape adventure" and got to be a "wild" goat for about 2 weeks.
So a week after he arrived I managed to catch him and put a collar on, yesterday(2 weeks later) we caught him and put a leash on, I didn't pull on him or try to lead him, he bucked, twisted, and generally threw a fit and I just followed him around holding the end of the lead.
Once he adapted to feeling the lead (and me shadowing him) I shortened the space between us until I could actually pet him, when he panicked I would stop at that point and wait for him to realize I wasn't going to hurt him, I ended the session with me holding him in my lap, petting and scratching all the fav places my goats seem to like. Now if yours isn't as skittish as mine you already have a head start. It just takes patience. Honestly don't know how long this took, pretty sure it was over 10 minutes, but when I work with critters I don't work by a time clock, if you accomplish even just a small step and your at a good point that's when I would stop the session.
I would train a puppy, a horse, a cow, sheep, goat... basically any animal this way. Its fear of the unknown that drives them to run.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I train my goats like I would a horse. I have a collar on and a lead. First I wait until the hysteria is over when they first fell caught. Then I apply a slight pressure- enough for them to notice but not enough to get a big reaction. 
Then I wait, keeping a level of pressure that is not comfortable but not scary, until they take even the tiniest, little bitty step forward. Then I relieve the pressue immediately. 
What I want them to learn is that giving to pressure gets them what they want- it makes the fool tugging on them let off. Once I get that small step a few times, I quit.
Then increase the steps in further training session.
I agree that a little touch on the back of the tail will get most goats "unstuck." 
I do not use food at all. Or rather the only food I use is already in the trail when we're doing the loading thing.


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## Dreamgoat Annie (Nov 28, 2011)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Would you please teach a clicker training class? Please?


<LOL> It's really easy. Most of the books and videos make it look way too hard. I was confused until I bought a book called "Clicking with your Dog; Step-by-Step in Pictures" by Peggy Tillman. It explains and _shows _everything very plainly.

Sue


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