Chat
12-13-2019, 09:27 AM
Poor little buddy! Goats are funny about things. Some hold deep grudges and others do not. Can you get a leash on Topo when you're feeding him? For future reference, one thing I've found is that goats are much less upset about unpleasant procedures if they are physically restrained by something besides me when I work on them. Putting them on a stanchion or tying them to a stout fencepost helps keep them still without making them feel as though they're being trapped by me personally. It also prevents them from running away immediately afterwards. Then I can love, scratch, pet, and feed treats until they settle down and forget the unpleasantness.
That said, some goats do have a very long memory for past "wrongs". My goat Sputnik is one of them. I've never had any other goat hold a serious, long-standing grudge over having his ears tattooed. It took me a long time before I could catch Sputnik or put my hands on him again. One thing I did was I spent a lot of one-on-one time with him. He didn't want me to touch him (he was actually born not liking to be touched but the tattooing made it much worse). Instead of touching him, I used treats to get his attention and win his trust. I really had to retrain myself because petting animals is instinctive for me, but it always put Sputnik in a bad mood so I had to remind myself not to use touch as a reward. I had to use food rewards to get him to accept touch. Releasing from touch was also a type of reward. While he was tied up, I would put a hand on him and as soon as he stopped jumping around and stood still I removed my hand and gave a treat. He eventually learned to love being saddled and to tolerate all kinds of touch.
Hopefully Topo was not born with an innate fear of being touched like Sputnik. That's hard to work with (but obviously still possible). Hopefully Topo is more like my little doe Sadie. Poor Sadie had a terrible scur that was curling back into her head and it had to be removed last August when she was over a year old. It was very painful and a long recovery process. She was terrified of me for several months. For a few weeks I couldn't even get within 50 feet of her. Phil had to catch her for me. It took time, but eventually I was able to scratch her butt as long as she was occupied with food or there was another goat blocking her view of me. She loved butt scratches but for a long time she would dart away if she realized it was me that was itching her. It's only now in the last 2-3 weeks that she's finally forgiven me and lets me pet her, feed treats, etc. She still doesn't let me touch her head, but at least she doesn't dart away at the sight of me any longer.
The good news is that Topo's behavior should not rub off on Abe. If anything, it's usually the other way around. Abe's trust in you will help Topo overcome his fear. Teach both of your boys to stand tied while you brush, mess with feet, etc. I find that I have better control when I tie with a halter rather than by the collar. With a deeply mistrustful goat like Topo, using a halter can prevent him from horning you. I don't like to smack a goat for horning me out of fear. I'd rather just prevent the behavior until he gets over his fear. I teach all my young goats to look forward to haltering by giving them a treat as soon as the buckle is fastened. Once Topo is securely tied, calmly brush him and pick up his feet in a gentle but no-nonsense way. If he kicks, bucks, tries to lay down, etc., go with him and reassure him, but don't let go of the foot until he stands still. If he stands for even a second, put the foot down and give him a treat. He needs to know you are a gentle leader who takes charge but is worthy of his confidence and trust.
Let us know your progress and if there are any other questions. I've found that even the most difficult goat can be worked with if you apply the right technique. Make sure you are always bold and confident in the way you move around your goats. If you tiptoe around them like you're timid, this can make a goat aggressive toward you or fearful of you. Best of luck, and keep us posted!
That said, some goats do have a very long memory for past "wrongs". My goat Sputnik is one of them. I've never had any other goat hold a serious, long-standing grudge over having his ears tattooed. It took me a long time before I could catch Sputnik or put my hands on him again. One thing I did was I spent a lot of one-on-one time with him. He didn't want me to touch him (he was actually born not liking to be touched but the tattooing made it much worse). Instead of touching him, I used treats to get his attention and win his trust. I really had to retrain myself because petting animals is instinctive for me, but it always put Sputnik in a bad mood so I had to remind myself not to use touch as a reward. I had to use food rewards to get him to accept touch. Releasing from touch was also a type of reward. While he was tied up, I would put a hand on him and as soon as he stopped jumping around and stood still I removed my hand and gave a treat. He eventually learned to love being saddled and to tolerate all kinds of touch.
Hopefully Topo was not born with an innate fear of being touched like Sputnik. That's hard to work with (but obviously still possible). Hopefully Topo is more like my little doe Sadie. Poor Sadie had a terrible scur that was curling back into her head and it had to be removed last August when she was over a year old. It was very painful and a long recovery process. She was terrified of me for several months. For a few weeks I couldn't even get within 50 feet of her. Phil had to catch her for me. It took time, but eventually I was able to scratch her butt as long as she was occupied with food or there was another goat blocking her view of me. She loved butt scratches but for a long time she would dart away if she realized it was me that was itching her. It's only now in the last 2-3 weeks that she's finally forgiven me and lets me pet her, feed treats, etc. She still doesn't let me touch her head, but at least she doesn't dart away at the sight of me any longer.
The good news is that Topo's behavior should not rub off on Abe. If anything, it's usually the other way around. Abe's trust in you will help Topo overcome his fear. Teach both of your boys to stand tied while you brush, mess with feet, etc. I find that I have better control when I tie with a halter rather than by the collar. With a deeply mistrustful goat like Topo, using a halter can prevent him from horning you. I don't like to smack a goat for horning me out of fear. I'd rather just prevent the behavior until he gets over his fear. I teach all my young goats to look forward to haltering by giving them a treat as soon as the buckle is fastened. Once Topo is securely tied, calmly brush him and pick up his feet in a gentle but no-nonsense way. If he kicks, bucks, tries to lay down, etc., go with him and reassure him, but don't let go of the foot until he stands still. If he stands for even a second, put the foot down and give him a treat. He needs to know you are a gentle leader who takes charge but is worthy of his confidence and trust.
Let us know your progress and if there are any other questions. I've found that even the most difficult goat can be worked with if you apply the right technique. Make sure you are always bold and confident in the way you move around your goats. If you tiptoe around them like you're timid, this can make a goat aggressive toward you or fearful of you. Best of luck, and keep us posted!