Chat
05-29-2019, 09:19 AM
Think about how these same behaviors will look when your babies are over 150 lbs. A baby walking right against your leg is no big deal, but a large goat doing the same thing could knock you right off the trail. A baby rubbing his head on your leg is kind of endearing, but will it be endearing when he outweighs you and has huge, sharp horns? This is a good age to start discouraging some these behaviors before they get big enough to put up a successful fight about it. When babies lean on our legs while walking, I bump them out of the way with a kick. I bump them every time they brush against me until they learn to give me space. As they get older, they may brush you harder as a way of testing whether you really mean what you say. In those cases I give a good, firm kick and I'll verbally reprimand them at the same time.
I don't let goats rub their heads on me, but if they offer their heads I will rub and scratch around their horns. They just aren't allowed to push into me or demand rubs. One thing to keep in mind with goats is that they are not dogs and they don't perceive our actions in the same way as dogs, nor do they beg for affection in the same way either. Our problem is that we often see them as dogs and perceive their actions in the same way as if our dog were doing the behavior. Goat herds and dog packs operate very differently, and goats are a lot more likely to view affection in a sexual/dominance light. Even wethered goats have this sexual/social structure hardwired into their brains and it makes them more likely to view our affectionate actions as an invitation for them to engage in a dominance game. When I pet and scratch my goats, I don't let them rub me back or lean on me in response. Allowing these subtle body cues is an invitation for them to up the ante and eventually start to challenge you or people with you. I treated our first goat too much like a dog and it came back to haunt me. He was a behavior management problem for the rest of his life. Our goats now are treated more like horses. We can be friends, but they are not allowed to do things I wouldn't let my horses do. We emphasize good manners and personal space (and by golly when they get to be 200+ lbs. with giant horns and you take them around kids, these things become super important!). I initiate affection and invite them into my space, but the goats are not allowed to demand affection or push into my space. Hopefully that makes sense.
I don't let goats rub their heads on me, but if they offer their heads I will rub and scratch around their horns. They just aren't allowed to push into me or demand rubs. One thing to keep in mind with goats is that they are not dogs and they don't perceive our actions in the same way as dogs, nor do they beg for affection in the same way either. Our problem is that we often see them as dogs and perceive their actions in the same way as if our dog were doing the behavior. Goat herds and dog packs operate very differently, and goats are a lot more likely to view affection in a sexual/dominance light. Even wethered goats have this sexual/social structure hardwired into their brains and it makes them more likely to view our affectionate actions as an invitation for them to engage in a dominance game. When I pet and scratch my goats, I don't let them rub me back or lean on me in response. Allowing these subtle body cues is an invitation for them to up the ante and eventually start to challenge you or people with you. I treated our first goat too much like a dog and it came back to haunt me. He was a behavior management problem for the rest of his life. Our goats now are treated more like horses. We can be friends, but they are not allowed to do things I wouldn't let my horses do. We emphasize good manners and personal space (and by golly when they get to be 200+ lbs. with giant horns and you take them around kids, these things become super important!). I initiate affection and invite them into my space, but the goats are not allowed to demand affection or push into my space. Hopefully that makes sense.