# How do I get her to quit jumping on me?



## lighthousebright (Mar 12, 2014)

My one-month-old kid keeps jumping and putting her front legs on me. How do I get her to stop? I've been gently kneeing her (like you would a dog) and telling her either no or down, but she keeps doing it. Even mama is starting to paw me.
How do I break this habit?


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## TheGoatWhisperer (Jan 18, 2014)

pinching their ears works for me..sounds mean but goats bite each others ears when they aren't happy with what the other goat is doing. lol


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

that's a hard one....babies just jump, they jump on their mom, each other, tree stumps....most grow out of it....:-D


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## goatsintheozarks (Aug 1, 2013)

My 7-8 month old Nubian doeling does this, and she is TERRIBLE!!! She was eight weeks old (or thereabouts) when we got her, and when she started this habit she was lightweight and it was cute.

Stupid me.


She is now NOT lightweight, and it is NOT cute! I can't walk across the pen with any feed without getting her hooves bang me every few steps. Her sister, thankfully, does not do it. 

I'm trying shoving her down and telling her 'no!' so we will see if she gets the message. Poor baby. It is my fault that I let her start it, but it is ridiculous now. I nearly get shoved over when she does it from behind, especially on muddy days!


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## goatsintheozarks (Aug 1, 2013)

Actually, that is her in my profile pic...back in her lightweight days. She isn't super-tall yet, but she IS heavy. no more picking her up for cuddles! She's a rich cinnamon colour and her name is Spice. 

Super-sweet goat, and ever so friendly (as are all my gals!).


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## lighthousebright (Mar 12, 2014)

I want to break this habit now before she gets to that point. I'd love to snuggle and hold her, but I don't want to her to try to get attention that way later.


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## goatsintheozarks (Aug 1, 2013)

Believe me, you want her to stop BEFORE she gets big! :-D


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

When she is bred and going to have babies of her own she will stop for sure  But until then, try a spray bottle.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

lighthousebright said:


> My one-month-old kid keeps jumping and putting her front legs on me. How do I get her to stop? I've been gently kneeing her (like you would a dog) and telling her either no or down, but she keeps doing it. Even mama is starting to paw me.
> How do I break this habit?


Knee her like you mean it, accompanied by a stern "NO!". Side-stepping or stepping back a few steps also works for me, but it does take longer for them to get the message.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Yep, I agree with Ms Scamp. Skip the gentle and actually MEAN it. Pull her ear might help too. It is cute when they are little, but it doesn't take long before it isn't cute anymore!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The only thing that worked on my buck was the ear pulling and I am the biggest anti ear puller in the world. The knee works for the babies I have now but they are not even half as bad as my big was. I agree with the saying no part and the biggest thing is to keep it up don't put up with it for a sec.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

My girls learned fairly quickly that they wouldn't get any attention unless all 4 feet were on the ground. Now they come up and just stand in front of me for petting.


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## rhinestonesniper (Mar 22, 2014)

I'm also looking for advice on jumping goats. We are first time goat owners  We have 2 buckling that LOVE to hop all over us, they are 3 weeks old. Do we let them continue since they're just being kids and might grow out of it, or should we start trying the ear pulling? If yes on the ear pulling, do we just give it a little tug and let go...or how does that work? The goats are pets, and we don't want to hurt them or have them not be friendly if they don't like it.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Having dealt with this for so many years with ALL of the kids. We just kinda gave up. But a bop on the head stops em for awhile, a knee just pushes em back far enough so they can get a running start. Ears or noses are good. But for the most part we have to many to even try. You get out there with 20+ kids trying to jump on you, you either ignore it or run for your life


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

^You get out there with 20+ kids trying to jump on you, you either ignore it or run for your life^

LOL:ROFL::slapfloor:

Clicked here because my little 3 month old has this cheeky little habit of standing up on me to 'talk' straight to my face.

I kind of didn't tell her off when she was tiny because it was real darling, and I figured she would grow out of it ... I knew better but hey she was so gorgeous.

She's sort of growing out of it, does it less, but she still does do it occasionally and had me in a spot of trouble tonight with putting a leg through the camera strap so I'm working on growing her out of it quicker!!

Right now what I'm doing is "drop her" ... that is if she puts her feet up on me I either step aside suddenly or knock those feet aside so she just falls suddenly.

It worked on her mother. Hopefully it will work on her too. If it doesn't I'm going for the spray bottle idea above.

She's not a bad case though!


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## happyhogs (Oct 12, 2009)

I broke both my boys of the jumping up habit and the pawing my legs for attention with the ear thing....no pulling involved, just a bit of a pinch.....mine hate their ears being touched and always have so it sent the message loud and clear.

The one thing I have never been able to break them of though, mainly because once they have done it, I can't reach their ears, is a full blown jump-on! If I bend down whilst in their vacinity and they see a horizontal back, there is an immediate competition for 'king of the castle'....Teddy weighs around 75lb, Tumnus around 65lb and the pair will take a running jump to see who can get on first.....ouch!!!

Despite the fact that every time it happens, I have immediately stood up (and sometimes that's from the face-down sprawl they have left me in!!) shouted at and chased them for a stern smack, they still seem to find it amusing. I am acutely aware of them when bending and avoid it in their presence but every now and then I forget or think I can sneak in a bend to pick something up or scoop berries and bang! on they jump!!! :greengrin:


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

99.9% of the time they grow out of it as well. By the time they are a year old they are usually tall enough not to need to jump up. That and by that time they have been nose slapped enough that they learned not to. Granted this is for standard sized goats. I have no idea how long it takes smaller ones to grow outta it.


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## cteague (Aug 17, 2013)

The small ones don't. Mine or a year old. One still jumps up everyday "usually" at feeding time. The other one every now and again he will. They are pygmy.

Sent from my SCH-S738C using Goat Forum mobile app


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

It's the same with dogs. The little ones seem to never stop bouncing and jumping in your face, while the large dogs usually keep their feet on the ground.

I only have two goats so at feeding time I just tie them up to the fence. No more jumping on me for food! They learned to patiently wait as I fill the feeder and get their grain, then get all excited and wag their tails when I come to let them loose.


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## lighthousebright (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions. They worked.


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