# How to train goats to not be naughty.....



## savingdogs (Jun 28, 2010)

I realize goats are mischevious and naughty by nature, but I'm a dog person here, new to goats.

Can you train them like a dog to not jump on you and stuff like that? The naughty things my goats do are things like want to put their front hooves on me, eat my hair, or  butt me. 

What is the proper thing to do when they do that? Say "Off" and push them down like you would a dog? Bang them on the chest with your knee? (I have been afraid to do that) Give em a poke or slap?  Not for eating my hair, I mean for jumping on me. 

One of the three will gently lean into me, butting me, but it gets annoying. I think he feels it is a loving gesture. But I don't want to raise spoiled goats. When Donald butts me with his head, should I do more than just push him away? He is not detered very much.

Or when they are eating the wrong thing...like my roses or apples trees or heaven forbid the rhododendron. Yelling at them to get away produces no response! So I go over and slap their fannys. Am I doing it right?

Overall our goats are sweet and very loving and attached to us, but some of their behaviors I do not care for and I guess I want to know the proper ways to discipline goats for misbehaviors.


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## chandasue (Jun 29, 2010)

You could try the squirt bottle method. They HATE getting wet so spritzing them with a little squirt of water in the face might eventually deter them from the unwanted behavior.


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## glenolam (Jun 29, 2010)

Just like puppies, the younger you start, the better off you'll be.  You are their protector, mother, father, playscape, etc. so if you teach them off the bat what will and won't be acceptable, they'll get it eventually.

The squirt bottle method is a good one to help you along the way!


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## freemotion (Jun 29, 2010)

I saw the title of this thread and went.....  

Sorry, couldn't help it.....just remember this phrase:  "Its a good thing you are CUTE!!! 

As for plant eating, the only way is to contain your goats.  It is completely unfair to expect them not to eat from every dish in the smorgasbord, especially when their high mineral needs attract them to trees, with long roots that draw minerals up from deep in the earth.  Bring them into your yard on leashes only, for their own safety, too.  Many decorative yard plants can kill a goat, like rhododendron and laurels.


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## savingdogs (Jun 29, 2010)

Freemotion we do not actually ever allow them where the garden plants are, the rhodies and azaleas I mean. But the one time they escaped into there, those are the two plants they went right for. 
I was surprised because in the more natural part of our yard, they seem to naturally avoid poisonous things. But they were very naughty in the landscaped area, got into trouble the first SECOND! 
I do find this stripping off of bark annoying, thanks for explaining why they do that. 

I realize my topic was rather funny........but I'm a newbie here on training. They were excellent about their hoof trimming so perhaps we are not doing too bad.


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## freemotion (Jun 29, 2010)

I hope you don't think I was making fun of you....I was making fun of goats and all that we put up with!  You are a dog trainer, you will do just fine.  Just remember that dogs are predators and goats are prey, so their thinking is a bit different.  Their instinct is to eat REALLY fast then get out of Dodge.  They can strip an expensive yard plant in seconds flat.  All who own goats know this quite well!

I had a goat get out at night and kill a miniature rhody...very miniature.  It was winter, and she was ok.  The same goat ate some wild azaelea's in my woods that were growing rapidly in spring (we think) and she died.  It was a hard lesson.


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## lupinfarm (Jun 29, 2010)

:/ my goats make a beeline for the.. RHUBARB. It may be time to let that sucker go, no one eats rhubarb around here anyway. 

My awesome fear is that my girls will get out and eat the seed pods on our Lupins...


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## savingdogs (Jun 29, 2010)

Well mine already destroyed a small orchard (fenced off from them) and a whole row of peonies all ready to bloom. 
They have also destroyed the blackberries we wanted to have them destroy however, to be fair.


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