# Can’t touch doe’s back legs



## BearHollow (Mar 27, 2021)

Hi! I have 2 year old who has always been difficult about her back end. You touch anywhere near her tail or back legs and she starts bucking like crazy. I even had the vet out because I thought something was wrong. Nope, just a diva. She is a FF and is due early May. I want to show her in June but it’s impossible to set her up because of her freak out. Any suggestions on how to train this out of her? I’ve been doing some desensitizing like you would a horse and it kind of works, but I also don’t want to stress her out too much while pregnant.
Any tips? I think she’s going to have an amazing udder and I don’t want to miss out on this show season.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

BearHollow said:


> Hi! I have 2 year old who has always been difficult about her back end. You touch anywhere near her tail or back legs and she starts bucking like crazy. I even had the vet out because I thought something was wrong. Nope, just a diva. She is a FF and is due early May. I want to show her in June but it’s impossible to set her up because of her freak out. Any suggestions on how to train this out of her? I’ve been doing some desensitizing like you would a horse and it kind of works, but I also don’t want to stress her out too much while pregnant.
> Any tips? I think she’s going to have an amazing udder and I don’t want to miss out on this show season.


I've had several maidens like that. For some goats it's almost like an instinctive reaction. Luckily most of them get over it after they kid so I don't usually have to train them out of it. But when I do, it's mostly a matter of having a pocketful of treats, touching the back end, then rewarding immediately. They soon learn to stand and wait for that cookie and then I can work my way down the back legs, etc. Good luck!


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## BearHollow (Mar 27, 2021)

Damfino said:


> I've had several maidens like that. For some goats it's almost like an instinctive reaction. Luckily most of them get over it after they kid so I don't usually have to train them out of it. But when I do, it's mostly a matter of having a pocketful of treats, touching the back end, then rewarding immediately. They soon learn to stand and wait for that cookie and then I can work my way down the back legs, etc. Good luck!


Thank you! I’m hoping this first kidding will make a difference but I’ll also worried she’ll kick the babies if they go near her. We’ll see how this goes!


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I agree, it’s pretty common in younger does. What I do is hold my hand on the ticklish spot until they stop bucking and just stand still, and then I take my hand away for 30 seconds or so, and then do it again. They learn that the only thing that makes the hand go away is to stop throwing a fit about it. 
I have found it is often a waste of time to even worry about it until after they kid. Most does settle down immediately after kidding, even if I did no desensitization before they kidded.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

BearHollow said:


> Thank you! I’m hoping this first kidding will make a difference but I’ll also worried she’ll kick the babies if they go near her. We’ll see how this goes!


She probably won't kick the babies. Some does do, but I don't think it's related to a ticklish back end. Kicking babies is more likely related to sore teats and a confused first-time mama. Fortunately very few mamas kick their babies away. Hopefully like most does she'll settle down and let you handle her willingly after she kids. I did have one doe who was fine being handled on the milk stand but hated being handled at shows. She didn't want me to touch her hips or hind legs if she wasn't being milked so I did have to work with her. I did as Ranger1 suggested and left my hand on her until she stopped moving, then took my hand away and offered her a cookie. She learned really fast that if she stood still she got rewarded. I didn't start working with her until the day before our class (I didn't know she had the problem until then!), and by showtime she was fine.


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## Lil Boogie (Mar 24, 2021)

BearHollow said:


> Hi! I have 2 year old who has always been difficult about her back end. You touch anywhere near her tail or back legs and she starts bucking like crazy. I even had the vet out because I thought something was wrong. Nope, just a diva. She is a FF and is due early May. I want to show her in June but it’s impossible to set her up because of her freak out. Any suggestions on how to train this out of her? I’ve been doing some desensitizing like you would a horse and it kind of works, but I also don’t want to stress her out too much while pregnant.
> Any tips? I think she’s going to have an amazing udder and I don’t want to miss out on this show season.


Put her on a milk stand if you have one or tie her with a leash and pet her head and slowly go back and repeat. It worked for my girl


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