# Stubborn goat, won't walk... any ideas?



## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I have a wether that I'm trying to train to walk for show but he just won't walk. I have tried dog collars, chains, prong collars and head halters and he just will not walk. I've been working with him for a week straight. He looks up at me the whole time the collar is on and then won't walk... he just falls down and won't get up whenever I put even a little bit of preassure on the collar. 

Is there something I'm missing? Any suggestions at all would be appreciated... he's supposed to be a showmanship goats for my five year old brother so he needs to be walking good soon. 

He's a boer/nubian cross... I know people say nubians are really stubborn but I had no idea it was this bad.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Do you have another goat that you could walk with him? Walk him with another goat and then in time, he should walk by himself.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

I hadn't heard that Nubians are especially stubborn, but I could certainly believe it! LOL I am trying to train my Nubian buckling to walk too, and he just balks and won't go. He is still on a bottle though. How old is your boy? If he is eating grain etc., maybe you could entice him with grain or treats, and just hold it right out of his reach. Then, when he's walked a little way with you, you could give him the treat as a reward. Kind of a "positive reinforcement" technique. Just a thought!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We have a young fullblood that is the same way, although I haven't bought a pronge collar to try <don't think it will really matter w/her>. The only thing we've found to get her walking is behind another goat, preferably her buddy. She isn't going to be a showmanship goat though, and her buddy will be in the same age class, so this works. Maybe get him walking behind another goat, and alternate who he walks behind so he gets used to walking behind different goats, even if it's not another show goat, a goat from your herd will do. Also I think it's probably very very important that your little brother spend as much quality time with him as possible if he isn't already? I am by means no pro, we have our own issues LOL But my 5yo daughter trained her goat who is almost 3mo old and she's over 60lbs -- my daughter is 43lbs, haha.

Last year we had a VERY stubborn young doe, and ended up not feeding her as much during the day so she was hungry in the afternoon, and I'd walk with the feed bucket, my son would lead her over, let her have a few bites, I'd walk about 10ft away, he'd walk her over, and we did this for several days, putting more space between the stops until she decided walking wasn't going to kill her LOL She ended up being a really good showmanship doe, in fact there were times at some shows that she got irritated with goats that bulked and stalled, and wanted to go right by them LOL


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Hon if he falls down it coould be that the collar isnt high enough & he is choking. Pull, release, pull, release. :wink:


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

My nubians have been SO EASY to leash train! My ND, though, will jump up in the air and slam is body sidways on the ground and scream like you were trying to murder him ROFL!


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

All of mine have been pretty good about leading. Had a few try to lead faster then you want to walk so we would make circles and worked them down into a good slow leading walk. 

I did have one buckling last year that would kneel down when you would try to lead him alone at first but we did lead with a buddy and that got better. So I agree with trying leading with a friend. Also if your guys love raisins like mine do, try putting some in your hand and use it to tempt them to move forward. If they do step or lean forward give him one as a treat. Since I have raised more horses in years past that some had leading issues you can try something similar, i would think, as a leading harness. So basically there is a rope or nylon strap that goes behind their rump and there is a strap that goes across the back to keep the rump strap from falling too low. This connects in front of the chest (i think with each end having a D ring) that you run the lead rope through. Have rope in right hand where it connects to halter and left hand where it comes from chest. Pull with right, if no movement put a little pressure on left.

You can do this with just a good length rope too. With colts I used a driving line and a leather. Ran driving line from halter down right side through leather, around rump to left side, through leather, back to halter. Same thing, right hand original part of lead rope and left hand part from the back through the halter. Just gentle pressure and reward with treat or grain when any forward movement is made.

Good luck and hope this helps.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

We bought him about two months after our three goats and he hasn't really bonded to them. He's been here a month and just doesn't have much to do with them. I've tried leading with another in front ad it just doesn't work... he's rather do his own thing. I've tried raisins and other treats but he won't eat out of hands. He does like leaves so I guess I can try that
I've done the pull, release with him and he just kind of sits there like "Really?". The collar is right under his jaw where it should be... I think he just doesn't like being messed with. 

I've just never had one so stubborn... I can pick him up after he lays down and he lays down again. Hopefully he just needs time and energy. 

I'm going out now to see if I can encourage him to cooperate with me... wish me luck!


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

It might be a long shot, but I've tried constant pressure with some success with goats who hate the idea of having to go somewhere they don't want to. start with light pressure and slowly increase it until they move forward, even if it's just shoving one foot kind of forward. Soon enough he'll learn forward movement means no pressure and he'll start walking with you to avoid that pressure. It's how I trained barclay, and all the kids get the same training.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

So sorry Dani, I hope and pray you can get him to walk. We DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND! Out of curiosity how old is he? The 3 babies we raised we started lead training about 6 weeks old, just putting a collar/leash on them and letting them get a feel for it then gradually teaching them to walk. 2 of them are 3 months old the other won't be 3 months until next weekend.

The two that we bought were born at the end of Dec, and we've had them a month. They are the ones we have had trouble with, and in our short experience with lead training goats, the older ones seem to be the harder ones to train vs. starting them out young.

The older one however has come a LONG way and does really well, and she's a treathound LOL But the others don't really care for treats yet.
It's just the younger new doe, and she's just like your wether, but when we bought them we penned them seperately for a couple of weeks so they could bond since they were not previously buddies.

Maybe you could try withholding grain a bit, and use grain as a way to lure him to walk? IMO if he's not hungry it won't work, so you gotta let him get hungry... so he'll want to move forward for the grain.


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

This is some what of what I was talking about http://www.equinemiracleharness.com/
To give you a better understanding how it works. Most animals move away from pressure (such as horses are trained). This applies pressure to the hind-end and gives you control over the body.


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

I have been right where you are. What happened with ours is my daughter almost killed him by choking him right after we got him and boy was he stubborn after that!

Have you tried pulling his tail when he won't walk? We tried everything - we would drag ours for a few seconds - choking or not, until he moved forward, then released. Then had somebody walk behind and pull the tail to get him moving. Or clapping behind them sometimes works. 

Young goats are generally afraid of dogs, so having a dog follow the goat might get him moving too. We have a heeler so that worked, but then she would try and mount the goat and that was that.

We also tied a lead rope on his collar and drug him from under the chin (so no choking). Eventually I guess he got tired of being yanked on.

That's all I have!


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Raisins? Mine will do almost anything for raisins...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> It might be a long shot, but I've tried constant pressure with some success with goats who hate the idea of having to go somewhere they don't want to. start with light pressure and slowly increase it until they move forward, even if it's just shoving one foot kind of forward. Soon enough he'll learn forward movement means no pressure and he'll start walking with you to avoid that pressure. It's how I trained barclay, and all the kids get the same training.


 That is what I do for stubborn ones..... Or ....I start by tying them up ...not snug... but not to loose either....so they pull on their own and learn that way...be there every moment though... in case the goat gets into trouble... only do this for no more than 15 minutes at a time.... I will pet them and offer treats... to make it a better experience..... then ..here and there ..will walk a distance away and allow them to pull the rope....I would put on a dog collar or something that will not choke the goat.... :wink:


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## starfox543 (Jul 7, 2016)

pulling up the goats tail as you tug on the leash encourages goats to walk.......sometimes!


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## Karen (Jun 22, 2010)

The old "tail touch" may help, if he starts/does not like his tail being touched! And I agree, having your brother spend lots of time with him is important!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

This is an old thread, funny that it came up though.

Just to go along on topic, we found that they do not like being sprayed, so having someone walk behind them with a spray bottle sometimes works.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yep, LOL, old thread.


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