Rookie here: How to keep goat from jumping on us

Ohhh, lol. So he was probably helpless with laughter....

Good progress though. I went down there today and he did not jump on me at all. He was rewarded with scratches and lovin's.

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Becky

I also was having that with a small doe, not really a danger issue but annoying none the less. I did the knee in the chest ( I have trained dogs) and it worked well. 2 times in a row and she realized it wasnt fun to jump on me anymore.
I think you may have to try several techniques depending on the goat, I imagine some are more dominant and stubborn than others.

Now who has the fix for a small nubie that runs then stops in front of you, just in your tripping zone? !

I am by no means an expert - pretty new with goats - but my 2 wethers gave me a bad time for awhile, too. First, I think you should never, ever, ever push them in anyway at all - they will always win, and pushing will encourage them to push back. I don't even pet my boys on the tops of their heads because I don't want to encourage them to use their heads. They only get petted on the sides of their heads.

I started training them by "flicking" them on the ears when they jumped up. It kind of worked, but not consistantly and it didn't feel right to do this.

What worked like magic for me was a SQUIRT GUN !! I squirted them in the face when they jumped up - or when they crowded me. When they crowded me, I would squirt them once and say "back". It worked like an absolute charm I always keep the squirt gun hanging on the fence, just in case someone forgets their manners.

One of my wethers would also challenge my kids and I by rearing up at us. I had to throw him to the ground and sit on him several times to break this habit. The last time I sat on him, I had to stay there for well over 30 minutes until he completely stopped struggling. He has been good ever since (although I keep my eye on him).

When they were young and acting up, I was very nervous. I knew I had to get them behaving well before they got so big and strong that they hurt someone.

Good luck.

If they do rear up, and you need to "throw" one down - you reach down and grab the 2 legs on the opposite side of the animal. You pull these 2 legs towards you and the goat falls over. Then watch out for flailing feet and hold him down until he stops struggling - probably at least for several minutes. I have heard there is some danger with dropping them like this - I think maybe it was something about the stomach twisting - but it happens rarely. I felt it was worth the risk, because if he kept rearing up and being aggressive then we weren't keeping him......

Carry a water pistol or a small spritzer bottle and give him a squirt. Mine can't stand getting wet and will back off from a squirt of water right away.

Never let a buck think he can push or play with you. He plays by different rules.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

Like this guy!
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/o...illy2008-1.jpg

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

It's a behavioral problem that needs to be correct, by whatever means necessary. It's interesting, but my animals know who on the farm they can pull stunts with. My wife and oldest son always complain that the goats are ornery and try to knock the feed bucket out of their hands or block their way when they go through a gate. I don't normally have any problems at all when I do the chores, though I am more prone to swatting someone on the nose who bothers me.

I agree with that, some of the animals DO know who the pushover is.

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"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap."

Curious how those of you who train dogs do the knee in the chest maneuver with a chihuahua? LOL

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LeeAnne, wife of Tim's youth, homeschooling mother of twelve seventh generation Texans.

Swede Farm Dairy

Dairy Berries

For a chihuahua, I'd just ... well, never mind. I truly dislike those dogs.

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Alice
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"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

People say I have very well behaved goats so I guess I will tell you what I have done. I had a pasture goat that didn't always get fed well so she was very food obsessed not her fault. So I would walk in she would jump up I would say in a stern in control voice Lily down! of coarse she didn't so I gently put my hand on her chest and gently pushed her down while saying Lily down! So she puts action with words Lily down means I am not standing on her. I also held the food up in the air and told her she would not get it and would stand there till she was down and I could walk to the barn. If on the way she did it again we went back to the beginning. She quickly learned to behave and she got her food much quicker. To keep order while eating I taught her what Lily up! is. She use to be in milk so her place is at the milk stand and the baby eats with her on the side of it. So I would say Lily up and lead her up on it. She learned that one in less than 5 minutes. So now all I say is Lily down! Go to the barn and Lily up! The Lily down is not for me anymore it's for the gate. They all run and the trio pops there heads over the gate. This is what I am working on now with them. I won't go in with the food till everyone's off the gate. And they have learned when I say down to get down off the gate. But they still get on the gate in the first place is the problem. When I get in the gate they are excited but on the ground and follow me when I say to the barn. One time someone else had to feed Lily and they were shocked they had not said anything yet and she was already flying towards the barn and up on that milkstand wagging her tail ready for the food.

So very true! Lily is an angel everyday for me. If I am not around and someone has to milk she will sometimes put a foot in the bucket or get shifty. She never does that to me. In fact I was having a hard time trimming her hooves and she stood there for an hour before she got shifty. She's very good and a perfect beginner goat!

Also don't leave until you've won. My buck has never tried this on me. If he starts acting funny in any way I stomp at him. So far he knows wow she's the boss. He has found himself on the ground twice with horns to the ground for getting out of hand.This was with another goat. He was being was to rough and trying to hurt him.

It's just chaos around here. Unmanaged chaos. I've got the bruises to prove it. When I have a bucket of grain everyone is hopping and jumping on me. I push them down and say "no" but I don't think angora's are the smartest goats....the prettiest, yes....smart, no.

I told my husband the advice I got here about tying each of them up and he said that would take forever to accomplish. I really wanted him to put up the hooks for me and give it a try.

AKA a Bronx cheer.

Raspberry is rhyming Cockney. It was called a raspberry tart because is sounds like a f**t. It helps those of us who are too prissy to say things like that.

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God bless,
Bonnie
Opportunity Farm
Northeast Washington

"While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all." Galatians 6:10

Well, he isn't so much jumping on me anymore, but he is crowding the feed door and jumping in there, very aggravating. I have:

Spritzed, blown, pinched, stomped, yelled, shoved. I have flicked, rasberried, kneed, begged and reasoned.

I had to laugh at the post about angoras being cute but dumb, he is half angora. And so cute while he is being so bad, that adorable little face...

We're still working on it. At least he doesn't jump on ME anymore.

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Becky

This thread inspired me to get Frankie to stop jumping on me...I use my knee and it worked....fast! I make sure to give him scratches when he doesn't jump. He is so funny, he comes running up to me and I can see his mind working.."I should jump...no wait...I shouldn't jump...ok, I'll stand here a second and see what she does" LOL What a good boy

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Teach only Love...for that is what You are