# How trainable are these stubborn lil guys?



## muddipuppy (Apr 13, 2011)

Ok. So I have two crazy adorable Nigerian Dwarfs, that often act like this out of pure love of life:
http://homeschooledchickens.blogspot.com/2011/04/nigerian-goats-nothing-to-do-with.html

Do you think they can be trained to respect an invisible electric fence? This is a wire that is buried underground that will give them a small-medium (adjustable) shock when they cross it.

Any training suggestions? So far, one seems to get it under supervision and the other is somewhat paralyzed with fear b/c of it. The second, Luca, is slowly learning that there are safe parts of the yard (that be


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## savingdogs (Apr 13, 2011)

I don't know if they can be trained to this, and I'm interested in what others have to say.

But what strikes me is this, what will protect your goats from predators if there is just invisible fence? At my place, my goats do not wander far from their pen even when the gate is open. But the fencing is more to keep the wild critters and neighbor dogs from getting THEM.


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## whetzelmomma (Apr 13, 2011)

I asked this Q a while ago, and didn't get much support. I personally think that my goats COULD be trained to this. Especially if there was something like electric tape just beyond the boundary that would be a visual barrier to the goats. I have an LGD so protection from predators isn't an issue, and I lock my goats up at night.


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## muddipuppy (Apr 13, 2011)

I have a 7 foot fence that surrounds my property. I just wanted to protect the deck from goat madness so we could still have a goat-free haven as well as for my veggies.


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## redtailgal (Apr 13, 2011)

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## savingdogs (Apr 13, 2011)

I know what you mean about wanting a goat-free haven. I'd like one around some rhodies and azaleas I have!


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## nifftiness (Apr 14, 2011)

I bet you could train a goat, but it wont keep a dog out. 
 I had that and have lost chickens and nearly lost a 3 week old goat 
Dogs will suck it up and take the shock. Iv had a neighbore dog come in the yard with the fence on Max also. I now have a real fence up. Its not often around here dogs are on the loose but the few times it has happened havnt been worth the loss!
If you have goats kid, theirs sumthing irresistible to a untrained dog about a goats kid cry.


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## dianneS (Apr 14, 2011)

It sounds like it should work, if you're only using it to keep them off the deck and away from the garden.  I would use the flags that come with the invisible fence system to give them a visual barrier.  I would train them the same way they recommend training dogs.

You can put them on a long leash and when the get zapped, you pull them and call them back into the safe area, that way they don't learn to freak out and jump outside the safe zone!  Then they may learn to do that every time they get zapped.

My one dog was paralyzed with fear too the first time he got zapped.  It took him about three weeks to get over it but he had the most respect for his boundaries out of the two dogs.

I think it will work for you.  If invisible fence kept my bull-headed livestock guardian dog in the pasture, it should work for goats!


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Apr 14, 2011)

I think you can. For some reason on our property except for the dumb sheep and my bunny chasing after the wild hares :/, our animals seem to know the property lines really well. We don't have any sort of fencing at all. The only animal we ever trained to stay on the property was our dog, yet even my goats who have been loose since February have not yet even attempted to leave the back yard much less the property. I'm sure that might change though once the snow is gone.


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## muddipuppy (Apr 18, 2011)

Well, we put in the invisible fence and the goats have been in intensive training for a couple of weeks. They are doing great! Once in a while they spook and make  run for it. Then the shock spooks them even more and they keep running, but overall, they are really starting understand where the safety zones are and where they end. Thanks for all the feedback!


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