Training Pac-Man to Pull!
#1
Yesterday I thought I'd hitch Pac-Man up and start getting him familiar with the cart and harness. He's seen Cuzco pull it, and I've driven him without a cart, but now it was time for the real deal.
   

He was nervous of the cart at first and he didn't like being "trapped" between the shafts, so I had to keep a firm hold on the leash to keep him from "scooting." I had a particularly hard time keeping him from bashing me constantly in the legs with the shafts. His biggest problem is that he's a greedy little monster and doesn't pay attention to anything if he thinks he's going to get a cookie, so I kept getting smacked with the cart every time I tried to reward him for walking calmly or responding to "woah." I'm going to have to work on that!

I think I'm going to have the unusual privilege of training this goat to drive before I train him to lead with the cart. He leads well without the cart, but once he was hitched up he leaned into the harness, charged to the front, and stayed there. In the interest of not getting stepped on, run over, and shoved, I ended up letting him go to the very end of the leash where he walked ahead of me for a mile down the road and back. Next time I'm just going to skip the leash and bring the reins so I can walk behind the cart and drive him properly. It was hard to steer and stop with just the one leash.

When Pac-Man does stop, he starts again very easily with just a slight tap from the whip. I was hoping to walk him in the State Fair parade in two weeks pulling a wagon with candy in it, but I don't think he's going to be ready. I thought, because he leads so well without the cart, that he would lead well with it, but since that's not the case, I think I'll take Cuzco to the parade and keep working Pac-Man on driving. I don't want him to lose his interest in staying out front because it's much harder to teach a goat to drive than to teach them to pull. And if he's driving all on his own without encouragement, I'm not going to waste that rare gift! He can learn to lead someday when I've got the driving well established.
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#2
Very nice!
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#3
Pac-Man is a very talented goat. Cuzco is a great influence!
Goatberries Happen!
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#4
Cool! My kids want to build a cart for Thor to pull someday. Way to go Pacman!
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