lead training

[dutch007]

I was just curious as to what folks thought was the best way to start leading the kids with a leash. I tried tonight by going one at a time with them (I have 3,16week old wethers) but they just wanted to be back with their bothers and would jump and buck and carry on. When they would come toward me I would release the pressure on the lead and coax them along with a treat,then they would pull against me and repeat the bucking bronco routine. I feel that this is probably not abnormal behavior,but I guess they may be tougher to break since they weren't bottle babies. Once I let them off leash,they acted like nothing had happened and weren't harboring any bad feelings.

[Nanno]

I doubt you'd find bottle babies any easier to train to the leash, honestly.

Start by taking them all out as a group and have them just follow you. They'll soon learn that going out with you is fun because it allows them to explore new places. Before you train them to a leash in your hand, train them to a leash tied to the fence. The fence has a lot more patience than you and never gets tired. You can tie them up to feed, brush, trim hooves, or even leave them unattended (but watched!) so they can learn patience. Make sure you always keep an eye on them while tied. Goats can strangle themselves if they panic or get tangled, and it can happen very quickly.

Once you have them trained to tie, leading is easier because they've learned what the collar is for and to generally give to pressure. I always prefer to lead in a halter rather than a collar, but this is not necessary if your goats are still little. If you have two people to lead two goats, it will be better than trying to lead one while the other two lag behind. I never recommend leash training one goat by itself while the others stay in the pen. Everyone will cry and fret and your leash goat will strain and try to run back the whole time. If you want to work with a single goat, take him away from home entirely in the car and then start out in a totally unfamiliar place. Find a treat that your goats love, and use that to encourage them to keep up and not drag on the leash. Praise and give treats when your goat comes along willingly. Good luck!

[dutch007]

thank you! I let the boys out of the pen every evening and we walk around the property and they follow me around better than my dogs. I say come here boys and they come running. I will implement the techniques you passed on and keep you posted

[Charlie Horse]

What I find is that once they're off the property they tend to lead along naturally. Even adults tend to act like mules when you're trying to pull them away from the herd.