# How to train my 5 month old to set up?



## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

I need to train my doeling how to set up, how does one accomplish that? And when you're setting them up, what are you trying to achieve? I'm a big newbie in the showing world!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

When you set up, you are trying to get a goat in a position that the judge can easily disern their conformation. You place the front hooves directly under the goat, and the hocks of the back legs (hocks are like the "elbows" of the back legs) right under the pin bones (the pin bones are the part of the bum that sticks out, to put it bluntly, haha).










As for how to train them, every single day, touch them EVERYWHERE. It's not too late for a 5 month old, but if and when you have babies, this starts right away. Touch their legs, tummy, udder, and face. If she really hates this, hold her by the collar as you touch her, and once she stands still, reward her with a treat and let her go. Keep doing this until she's perfect at it.

Teach her to walk nicely. This can also be aided with treats. :thumb:


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

She's the sweetest baby I've ever had. Let's me touch her EVERYWHERE. Loves being brushed and stands still when I'm giving her a bath.


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

How do I get her to stand still?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Just a little bit of patience. If she moves out of place, move her back and praise her. Once she's stood still for a good few seconds, praise her and give her a treat. You can slowly lengthen the time that you expect her to stand (=


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

how are you training her? How my kids trained their goats to set up was walking a lap like they are in a show ring, then stop, and set up, then walk a lap, stop somewhere else, face away from the judge <me, standing in the middle lol>, then they'd do it again. 
If you don't have anyone that can help you train, then just pretend, and get her used to walking in a circle, going one direction, then the other, etc. This is just from our experience. Our does are really good about setting up, it's walking that some of them have a problem with...lol


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

I'm training her by walking up and down the road (no traffic), stopping occasionally and setting her up. I can't carry treats with me, because then she glomps all over me and won't cooperate. Is it possible she's TO nice? She leans against my legs when she's set up and won't get off.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Mine did that too! Just step away when she does that and make her stay in place.

She sounds like a perfect goat <3


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

She really is a great baby. I can't wait to show her next week. Thank you all for the great advice, I was working with her a lot today and she set up really nicely a few times!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

No problem! That's so great. If you get it perfect at home, there's a better chance of her behaving in the show ring =D


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

I have had a bit of experience showing, but this is the first year I actually want to win something. When I've shown before, the goat I was showing wasn't a great walker but when we got in the ring, she just followed me everywhere no fuss. Do you think it was because she knew me and wanted to be by something familiar?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Sounds like she was just a good goat, haha! Most goats I've seen in the show ring that weren't worked with a whole up fussed most of the time and didn't want to move. Of course, there are also the experienced goats that fuss and don't want to move ... just because they're goats XD


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Last year my son had a doe that refused to walk, it was horrible, we kept thinking he'd never get her in a show....
Once we went to her first show we were amazed, she was great! didn't throw herself down or act like anyone was killing her lol
In fact, she started enjoying showing so much, at the 2nd show, she was dragging my son around because the other goats weren't walking fast enough to her liking! That judge made the kids switch goats in showmanship....that poor boy never knew what hit him....
he went from a goat that didn't really want to walk, to a goat that was walking him LOL
We have some 'lazy walkers' here at home which is what I call them, but once they get into the ring they are pretty good. Weather seems to play a big part in how they act too. If it's really hot and miserable, they are more sluggish, if it's late in the evening/night they tend to be more jumpy.


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

^
So when should I train? In the morning?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Tayet said:


> ^
> So when should I train? In the morning?


Sorry I guess I should have explained it better, depending on the time of your shows, and what the weather is like it can affect their behavior, sometimes it doesn't but sometimes it does.

With that said, train whenever you want. If you can train some during the morning, and some in the evening, it might get your goat used to being worked with at different times through the day instead of the same time every day. Good Luck


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