# doe head butting people



## Penannophia (Sep 23, 2012)

Hi All, I have a Nigerian Dwarf doe that thinks it is okay to head butt people in the knees. If you hit her on the nose or pinch her ears she just gets mad and rears up on her back legs and comes after you even harder. Any ideas on how I can get her to stop? She is four years old and a recent rescue so I don't know much about her history. I'm very concerned that she is going to take someone's knee out one of these days.

Thanks


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

As old as she is, this behavior was likely never nipped in the bud but was reinforced by "playing" with her in that manner.

I think the quickest way to stop her would be to leave the pen when she starts this and don't give her attention, reward her with treats if she behaves.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

As old is she is, she's either wild or a learned habit. Posted from my website, can be used on any goat but not the 1st or last one when a doe is pregnant. -

Here on some ways to stop aggressive behavior in a goat -


Anyone, any size can throw down a goat. Catch him off guard, grab opposite feet one front, one back and turn him down in one swift motion. Sit on him and wait until he relaxes to let him go. You shouldn't have any more trouble, but if he tries again do it again until he gets the point.
Another thing to do is when a buck in rut is and goes to bleat at you, grab his mouth/nose as hard as you can, don't let go and pop him really good on the nose with your hand or an old wrapping paper tube.
Make them back up. When they are young, practice charging at them and making them back up. We have a seven year old that keeps our kids on their toes. She is always chasing them and loving on them. It teaches them at a young age that the human is the dominant one. Plus it definitely helps them growing up to be more friendly and loving.
For standard goat - full grown goats, a fiberglass crook may help to add an additional five feet of distance between you and the goat and to also help throw down the heavier goat.
 If after trying all this and your goat still remains aggressive towards you or anyone else, you may want to consider a butcher shop or selling the goat. If you choose to sell the goat, please inform the new owners of your goat's behavior. Not only is it the right thing to do, but you could be liable if something happened down the road.


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## Arkie (Sep 25, 2012)

Putting up with such behavior from any living creature on my own property, or in my own home (or anywhere else for that matter) is so foreign to my nature it's almost beyond me to fathom it. Would you never spank a child? While brute force, punishment, PAIN are certainly not the answer to every problem, never make the mistake of believing they aren't the answer for some of them! I would never condone torture of any lower species (certain conditions in some instances with humans,,,,,,,) but I *WILL *dominate them.

Bob

Bob


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

My older Nigerian dwarf did this. I did try the ear method and like yours she became angry, but when she came to butt me again I just kept going after that ear, holding it firmly, and pulling her away from me. She did stop. I would also grab her by her scruff or collar, make her look me in the eye and say, "NO." That worked as well. She really is such a good girl, just needed to be shown some manners. She doesn't act up at all anymore.

I've heard a watergun works well too.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm with Bob on this one. I've never had a goat that tried to hurt me, but if one did, it would get my foot in it's face and then some! LOL 
It sounds like she developed some really bad habits. Is she mean like that all the time or just gets in her 'moods?'
I honestly wouldn't know what to do other than what was suggested on getting her down on the ground and sitting on her.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

I too am with bob and woodhaven. Keep it up just like children consistency, be it the ear tug and/or a shake and no. My big boer buck got so food aggressive (the only time he ever is). I did the ear tugg a few times now he doesn't try to push me over to get out the gate while I'm bringing food in.


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## pixie (Dec 30, 2012)

.Don't know if this would help or not, but my Billy gets sort of aggressive at feeding time, and starts charging the fence if I don't get the food in there fast enough to please him. It really bothers me, so I have been trying different things along with a very firm NO!! It has been way too cold to try a water spray bottle here, but yesterday I used the flat of my hand against the base of his horns with a NO. He was absolutely shocked! He backed off sort of shaking his head like She touched my horns! I can't believe she touched my horns! I did only enough pressure for him to just feel it, but he backed off and behaved himself. The KING was very surprised. Kind of from a lesson I learned from when my human baby was still in diapers, I could make a popping sound on the diaper and that was enough of a shock factor that it worked. Lesson learned. I expect Billy will continue to need reinforcement for a while, but the less I have to do the more I like it.


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## pdpo222 (Jun 26, 2011)

For really aggressive goats, I go with the Vinegar and water mix in a squirt bottle. Right in the eyes. It will burn, their eyes will water, but won't really hurt them. I put the bottle on the Stream setting. Some goats are good after the first dose. Some need it again. Then most of the time if you want, you can just hook the bottle on your pocket as a reminder to the offender. Just another thought on the problem.


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## rollinghillsfarm (Sep 21, 2012)

My bottle baby Lewis (a pygmy) got into that habit and we would grab him by the scruff, put him on all fours and hold him there, look him in the eye, and say "No!" firmly. We would do that every time he tried the butting thing. He's smart - it didn't take him long to learn. He stopped that behavior quickly and we haven't seen it since. He's not mean or bad-tempered; he just wanted to play with us like goats play and he had to learn it was inappropriate with people. I would guess that your little girl needs to learn the same thing.


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