The Steps of Goat Aggression

[Sanhestar]

What exactly does "tipping" mean in this context? My buck is a bit out of control lately, and he's already stabbed me once with a horn. I use the water bottle, water bucket, and even the slap on the nose and most times works but he still stands and stomps at me. I take him to the ground every time he gets pushy. Normally I just sit on him, because he's a ND and only around 40lbs. Should I really be more aggressive than that?

The aggression route isn't working for you and your goat. Wether it is from his or your personality or incorrect applied corrections is something that we can't evaluate from the distance of this forum.

The problem with correction based training is that you have to correct ONE time so hard and effective that the behaviour you want to repress will NEVER again occur. Few people are able and/or willing to do that to a loved animal.

This is called suppression of behaviour and normally does not take care of the cause of the behaviour only the display of the unwanted behaviour. As long as the animal has no outlet for the emotion that is causing the behaviour or an alternative method to communicate, the behaviour will re-appear in variation when the suppressing correction is applied without the needed force.

An alternate way to train is to use positive reinforcement and teaching the animal what to do. Rewarding wanted behaviour instead of suppressing unwanted behaviour.

If you look at yourself you will notice that you will try to find ways to circumvent anything that forbids you to do something that you love or feel you need to do it.

Your buck is attacking you.

Why? Look at what has led up to this escalation. How does he live, how old is he, keep in mind that it's the middle of rutting season. What are you doing right BEFORE he attacks you? What are you doing AFTER he attacked you when you are not tipping him over? Attacking you has  become reinforcing for him so there is something happening after the attacks on you that fulfill a need he has. Is it the need for attention because he lives alone? For a sparing partner? To be left alone?

Understand that he is acting instinct out of a deep seated need he has to express this way because he has not learned how to express it otherwise. Find the need and teach him an alternative behaviour that is not dangerous and gives him the opportunity to communicate.

Two examples: a toddler who is hungry will cry. Unless he/she has learned to either talk or point to the thing he/she wants to eat, crying is the only way of communication. It also instinct. All other forms to communicate hunger have to be learned.

Your buck is attacking. He is communicating something. What I cannot tell you right now. But you can teach him that instead of attacking - which is instinct - he can communicate with for example taking several steps back from you and touch an object in his stall. If he does this he cannot simoultaneously attack you. No need for aggression on both sides.

If you want to go that route, let me know so that I can write more about how you start to train with positive reinforcement.

Wether you decide to change the way you train or not. Be aware that a behaviour gets set deeper and  deeper into the brain the more often it is "practised" and therefore harder to re-learn. Meaning, the more he attacks you, attacking will become his "default" behaviour. Changing your setup in ways that remove his need to attack will give you both a brake to change your relationship.