# shock collars for goats?



## enchantedgoats

we have a petsafe wireless containment system that keeps our dogs within 90 feet of the control box. has anyone ever tried it on goats? if so with what results:crazy::dazed:


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## goatiegirl

I haven't tried it, but it seems to me they would just walk through to get the "goodies" on the other side no matter what...


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## Mystica25

Would be great if it really did work! The only thing with that, is it doesn't keep the wildlife from getting at the goats.


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## Trickyroo

I personally wouldnt try those on a goat. Their systems are much different to dogs. I would tend to think a goat getting even a mild vibration from the collar could send it into a panic or even scare it enough to make it sick. Just aint worth it IMO .
From what I have been told that some goats will get a shock from a electric fencing and instead of jumping away , they jump into it.
Not a good scenario . I think some of us here use the E fencing and had good results , Im not sure . But putting the collar on a goat might be a disaster waiting to happen.


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## Trickyroo

Goats not seeing the fencing would be another problem. I dont think they would be able to figure out the boundaries , at least quick enough anyways so they dont get hurt. Im curious to hear what others think.


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## toth boer goats

I agree, I don't think it will work.


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## clearwtrbeach

I agree I wouldn't use a shock collar on a goat. For one thing they can be very stubborn/determined and you'd end up with a goat shocking themselves and not wanting to go back through after they got out. I've had some that with even hot wire they'll push the limits.


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## dezak91

I'm thinking goats are hardwired differently and the shock will send them into a panic and then who knows what will happen after that. Not such a good idea I don't think.


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## enchantedgoats

it was just a thought.


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## Jodi_berg

A friend of mine uses one but uses the horse fence as the perimeter, she's had good luck with it! And her goats are fine,one was even pregnant and everything went fine in that department.so I think it can be used but the goats probably need some kind of visual barrier.


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## FaRmEr FrEaK

I do not think trying that is a good idea, When goats get scared that jump around and run I think if it shocks them they will get even more scared and shock themself again


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## keren

For those who are saying dont try it the goat will run through, I wonder if you have ever trained a dog to use one of these systems? 

Training a goat would be the same as training a dog. These systems come with flags on a line that you stake out to make a visual fence initially (with good dogs you can eventually take away the fences once they learn, but imo I like to leave the flags up). You put the collar on the dog and have him on a leash, walk the dog close to the fence. First there is an audible beep, then if the dog goes further they get a shock. The better collars have a mild shock first then a stronger one if the dog continues towards the flagged perimeter. In any case you are supposed to use the leash to direct the dog AWAY from the fence when they get the shock, so they learn the appropriate behaviour to the shock (and the beep before the shock) is to run away from not through the fence. 

I actually use this same method when training my goats to a normal electric fence, I have them on the leash, walk them up to the fence, let them touch the hot wire then run (with them on the leash) into the middle of the pen. So they learn to run away from it not through it. 

The problems people have with electric fencing and goats is when they expect the animal to just figure it out themselves, and the usual fear response is to jump forward. This can be resolved by training them on the leash like I do, or by using a hot wire inside of an existing solid fence so they have the visual barrier that they cant go forward, so they will naturally run away from the fence rather than going through. If they learn from the start that running through gets them away from the fence, they are almost impossible to re-train. 

Back to the collar fence, I think it could work and I considered it when I got my first two does, but I planned to get more and didnt think it was feasible to have to buy extra collars every time I got a new goat, plus I dont like leaving collars on them. I would consider it again absolutely if for some reason I had to scale back to only two goats. Mainly because we rent and the fences are terrible in most places, and I cant be building fences at every place then moving and having to do it all over again. I think if you wanted to try this sytem with goats you would need a visual barrier like the flags to remind the goats, and some time would need to be put into leash training them where the fence is and the appropriate response, otherwise if you left them to just figure it out on their own it would end up a disaster.


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## Trickyroo

I have trained dogs with that sort of fencing. But IMO livestock will be livestock. If there is a will there is a way. I doubt the goats , all the goats are going to remember this sort of training. Maybe if you had one goat , sure , its possible. But a herd animal is going to follow the herd.
I just cant see a herd of goats fully understanding the limitations of a collar like this. You would have to teach each individual goat everything thats involved , barriers , flags , etc.....its just too much for a goat and a herd of goats to care or worry about IMO. They are hardwired much differently then dogs. Im not saying there arent any really smart goats out there  And someone who has the patience to teach each of their goats , and lets not forget refresher courses and some of the goats that "just dont get it" and never will. I just cant see goats having the mentality to understand what these collars are all about. Have you ever tried to reason with a goat ? How did that work for you ? This question is for anybody , not anyone in particular. If you have a pack of dogs that were trained very well on a invisible fence line and somehow next doors kitty wandered onto your property , and the pack of dogs went wild over seeing this kitty , do you think the invisible fence would stop this pack from charging through it , I doubt it. And like mentioned , if they do it once , its a done deal. Thats something I know a goat will remember for sure  It got through that fence and it was totally worth
it  Just saying.


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## Trickyroo

I also wouldn't chance my goats life with one of those systems either.
Too many things can happen , and we all know that.
And , by no means does it keep predators out. 
I also wanted to mention that I hope the OP doesn't feel like we shot them down on this . It was a very interesting thread .
One thing we all have in common here though , is the safety of our goats


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## Sensible

I don't like them, but it's not because I'm horrified at the thought of my poor "babies" being shocked. An invisible fence won't prevent dogs or other predators from having access to your goats. Anything mechanical or electronic can fail. A paniced goat can run right through the perimeter, and then won't want to come back in. All of those situations are reasons why I don't like them for dogs either, and none of them occur with a properly built fence. They are no substitute for a physical barrier. They are great electronic age gimmics for people who want to try to take the cheap, easy or the lazy way out, or for those who have to have the latest electronic gadget to hit the market. If I were to try one, I would follow keren's advice above. There's no reason to think that a goat can't be trained in many similar ways to a dog. I don't know if an invisible fence system will work with goats or not, but I don't like to assume anything.


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## keren

Trickyroo i dont think the plan was to use it for a whole herd of goats rather one or two? I can contain my goats behind two strands of electric, if they are trained, even though physically.tey could easily.run through. As i said i have no ersonal experience but i dont.think the invisible fwnce would be too different provided there was a visual. Doesnt matter where the shock.comes.from as long as the timing is right i think it would.work. Im kinda tempted to get obe and try it!


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## enchantedgoats

keren said:


> Trickyroo i dont think the plan was to use it for a whole herd of goats rather one or two? I can contain my goats behind two strands of electric, if they are trained, even though physically.tey could easily.run through. As i said i have no ersonal experience but i dont.think the invisible fwnce would be too different provided there was a visual. Doesnt matter where the shock.comes.from as long as the timing is right i think it would.work. Im kinda tempted to get obe and try it!


 like i said it was just a thought. i wouldnt do our whole herd but i thought about one or two. i have a housebroken nd (no she doesnt live in the house)who i think would be a good candidate and a very steep bank that she could graze. it seems like the majority is against the idea, but she is so smart as smart as any of the dogs. my plan was to have her eat that down but i didnt want to be right with her all day. i guess i'll go with portable electric fence, instead. but i still think it could work. :shrug:


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## Trickyroo

I understand , but I still don't think a goat is going to retain that kind of shaped behavior. I'm very interested in hearing about it if you do try it 
Im getting more and more interested in this whole subject now , lol

Enchantedgoats don't feel anything but great for bringing this idea to the table for discussion. No one shot you down , it was discussed , that is all.


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## enchantedgoats

thanks for all your opinions! i had an extra collar that i was thinking of using, but probably not. but it was fun to get a real good thread going.


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## nchen7

it may work on some goats, but others it may not. the lady I got my goats from had electric wiring as fencing, and most of the goats understood that if you touched it, you got shocked. some goats, even teaching and upping the amount of shock with a metal collar, they still don't learn and get out for whatever reason. and this is why I have the goaties that I have now!


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## winstonfiore

I tried it with the same 90ft PetSafe wireless containment system you have on my goat. It didn't work. I think it has potential, but even the mildest shock this system offers is very intense and sends the goat running in any which direction, until they're out of bounds and the shocking stops anyway. If only the collars offered more incrementally calibrated shocks as a function of distance from the transmitter. The further you get from it, the more intense the shock would become. That might work.


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## Justin steinmetz

worked for me with 18 goats





Shock collar used for goats by Justin steinmetz posted May 10, 2020 at 9:36 PM


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