# Kid jumping on people?



## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Apr 3, 2010)

I think I need to address this ...

I have an 11-day old bottle-baby doeling. She jumps up on me like a dog, or if I am down low she has started trying to jump on my back. I usually stand up and. Just let her fall but today I left her out during the milking and she was making a huge pest of herself. Dh was trying to help me and shoved her off my back but I could easily tell that that just made her come back all the quicker .. It was an invitation to play as far as she was concerned. 

If goats are as smart as I hear, I'm sure I need to handle this properly NOW so that I don't someday have a 100 pound doe leaping onto my back ...

Thanks!!!


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## Scout (Apr 4, 2010)

2 words... Hot Shot.
Really, get a livestock prod and shock the living fire out of her when she jumps on you, she'll learn awful quick. May raise a few eyebrows of folks that couldn't imagine "hurting a widdle baby goatie-poo," but believe me, if you've raised as many bummers as I have, you learn quick that they need to be dealt with firmly the second they show undesirable behavior.


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## ThornyRidge (Apr 4, 2010)

my opinion having experience with bottle babies.. yes she will be friendly.. friendlier than most.. and may even be somewhat protective of you if other goats come around.. at least mine are. but when they grew up they stopped jumping on me.. and trust me I would much prefer a very friendly goat compared to the couple that are not and I have to chase them around for hoof trimming, meds etc...  I would not get too extreme with her or she may eventually distrust you and not be as friendly.. just my thoughts for what its worth.


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## RockyToggRanch (Apr 4, 2010)

Have you watched a real mama deal with her kids? You're the mama to this one. When she jumps on you, push her away like mama would. Make a sound or say no. Mama pushes them away with her head and grunts at them when she doesn't want to play. I just use my arm.


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## ()relics (Apr 4, 2010)

its normal goat behavior...look at how the kids jump all over their mothers...You are now the mother...They aren't dogs they are goats...all of my goats are all very tame...I would have it no other way...In the show ring and in the pasture the overly tame ones are easier to deal with than the "wild as the wind" animals...They will get over the jumping if you don't reward them for it.
...A Hot Shot??? Really...on an 11 day old kid??? I may have heard it all now.


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## lilhill (Apr 4, 2010)

()relics said:
			
		

> its normal goat behavior...look at how the kids jump all over their mothers...You are now the mother...They aren't dogs they are goats...all of my goats are all very tame...I would have it no other way...In the show ring and in the pasture the overly tame ones are easier to deal with than the "wild as the wind" animals...They will get over the jumping if you don't reward them for it.
> ...A Hot Shot??? Really...on an 11 day old kid??? I may have heard it all now.


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## Scout (Apr 4, 2010)

I wasn't aware that the kid was 11 _days_ old, I had 11 _weeks_ on the brain. That's a differant story then lol. Don't **** yourselves for heaven's sake.


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## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Apr 4, 2010)

Thanks everyone. 

I'm glad to know you were thinking an older kid. I was thinking it was extreme for a week and a half old baby but wasn't sure how to say so politely LOL. A 3 month old acting that way WOULD be a whole 'nother story!

And to clarify, what I meant by "like a dog" is that she sometimes stands on her hind legs to jump on me (which I actuly don't allow my dogs to do) or as of yesterday to stand at the kitchen counter that way because she was loose while I was preparing her bottle. I didn't mean to compare goats with dogs. Just explain that she stands on me that way as well as jumping onto my back with all four feet. 

I have a nanny and kid now. I haven't seen too much discipline yet, no. What I have seen is the warning lowering of the head that will usually have the baby stop pestering the adult before they butt her.

I'll work on it. She IS smart. She knew her name within two days. But she really likes jumping on me lol

the 5-week old buckling hardly ever actually jumps or puts his hooves on his mom. I guess I missed that lesson being taught.


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## RockyToggRanch (Apr 4, 2010)

I have a doeling about 2 1/2 weeks now, who is a bit more energetic than her twin brother. She's the one doing handsprings off the side of the barn with all 4 hooves. She jumps up on me a lot. I put her back on the ground and say no. She doesn't get rewarded when she jumps up, but is scratched and petted when all 4 feet are on the ground. She's very smart. She's learning.

Her sire was my first bottle baby. He was walked several times a day on a leash with a dog harness. He respects me and understands what I mean when I say no or good boy. He gets the tone of my voice. He's not perfect, but he's very well behaved for a buck.


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## dhansen (Apr 5, 2010)

We had a couple kids that always jumped on us.  We started "gently" using our knee to push them off, just as you would a puppy.  It did not hurt them, but eventually they figured it out.  I NEVER want an adult goat jumping on me and knew we needed to stop this behavior right away.


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## Ariel301 (Apr 5, 2010)

You might try a spray bottle with water in it, the ever-popular cat training tool. Goats, like cats, hate getting wet. Especially their faces. When she jumps up on you, or does something else you don't like, squirt her in the face with water. Then when she is acting good, make a fuss over her so she doesn't get scared of you and think you are the mean nasty person who always makes her wet. Usually a combination of this and pushing the kids away works for us. We actually let them climb on us and play like that for the first week or so, just to get them really lovey and sweet around people, but then start teaching them that it is no longer ok, just like a mother pushing her babies away at weaning time...they have to know the boundaries before they get too big. My buck did not learn that, and now as a large adult with nearly 2 foot horns, he wants to sit in my lap!


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## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Apr 6, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I can handle the water-squirt thing. I have trained several cats that way. I'm glad to know I did not ruin her. She was so cute (still is) and I'm a bit of a sucker for babies, so I'm afraid I have to admit that I DID indulge her a little at first. 

I learned firsthand about consequences from goats jumping. I was very late milking last night because I went to an alpaca shearing to help so I could learn something for my llamas (and I can't do the llamas the same way at ALL -- but I did learn some things). Milking is when Dakota gets her sweet feed but I wanted to give Amelia her bottle first. Dakota actually jumped on my back while I was feeding Amelia. Misty (the llama) was watching it all so I didn't want to be too harsh with Dakota. 

Lessons learned:
don't be late
if I am late, feed the baby in another place
don't turn my back and bend over in front of anxious goats!

More lessons to come, I am sure. Is there a book on this? The ones regarding the dairy aspects are not enough lol. 

Really I am chastising myself. I should have known better. I just really didn't think she would do that. Thankfully she only used 2 feet and I wasn't hurt.


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