Chat
11-14-2023, 12:06 PM
A whip is like an extension of your arm, so you can certainly use it to expand your personal space. I don't tolerate goats cutting me off, getting in my way, or fighting with each other in my space. If they cut you off, give them a swift kick in the side or hindquarters as they go by and let them know it's not a safe place for them to walk. If they start cutting each other off and/or knocking each other around within reach of your whip, use it to break them up and give them a verbal reprimand. When I don't have a whip (which is usually), I shout, clap my hands, and stomp towards the fighting goats to make them stop. They eventually learn to keep their altercations out of my area (which is fine – I don't care if they fight as long as it's not near people).
Tapping with a whip is usually all that's necessary, but don't make the frog boiling mistake with it! If you slowly up the intensity of your tapping until you get their attention, they soon learn to ignore it entirely. It's much better to make a quick, painful point so you don't have to repeat the lesson. I always start with a light tap, but if a goat ignores it I immediately go to a sharp smack. Next time they pay attention to the tap! Any time someone tells me their goat (or horse) is ignoring the whip it means they were using it incorrectly and desensitized them to it. Unfortunately at that point it could take several hard, painful whacks (in other words, practically a beating) to make them pay attention to it again and that's not what anyone wants! Make sure when you use the whip it means something, and if they don't pay attention at the first tap, make sure they pay attention at the second!
Good luck!
Tapping with a whip is usually all that's necessary, but don't make the frog boiling mistake with it! If you slowly up the intensity of your tapping until you get their attention, they soon learn to ignore it entirely. It's much better to make a quick, painful point so you don't have to repeat the lesson. I always start with a light tap, but if a goat ignores it I immediately go to a sharp smack. Next time they pay attention to the tap! Any time someone tells me their goat (or horse) is ignoring the whip it means they were using it incorrectly and desensitized them to it. Unfortunately at that point it could take several hard, painful whacks (in other words, practically a beating) to make them pay attention to it again and that's not what anyone wants! Make sure when you use the whip it means something, and if they don't pay attention at the first tap, make sure they pay attention at the second!
Good luck!