# Gone Goat Crazy (indoor goating)



## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

We're going on our 4th month of being GOATHERDERS!! Just love saying that! Our herd consists of Oreo who we believe to be about a yr old ND. When she came to us she was already pregnant, and she had little Feta a month or so later.Feta is now 8 weeks old. We are so happy with our little goats! They fit great with our family and get along great with the dogs. Our friends and family think we've gone a bit mad as we keep the goats inside quite often and have them sleep in the house. We don't use straw, but packing quilts for bedding. The goats are house trained and will tell us when they need to go out, potty training the baby is going so well she rarely makes mistakes, but we change their quilts daily. We change the quilts because we feed alfalfa and won't keep it in its container, and Feta loves to splash the water because she gets attention. Our friends say that we're going to get worms because we kiss their noses, and the dogs pick up bits of poop and then kiss us. Our big dog Kitty is Spanial/bull or boxer. Med size but thick, she has no problem with little Feta jumping and climbing on her. The goats and dogs join us for tv every night switching off spots, yes goats sit on couch /in our laps and cuddle. When we go to bed they are locked in the bathroom with a baby gate, their food and water, and they have an igloo dog house in there for privacy. The bathroom has forced heat so we took the bottom off that dog house so they have a vent halfway in which them that keeps them warm and happy. Often we will set the tv on a timer for an hr or two when we're tired and their not. They are happy to watch TV and go to sleep on their on. They are not allowed in bed. I try to put them outside during the day, but we've had wind, rain, and snow. I don't want to be out there on crunchy frozen grass, their not going to eat that. Soon as it's warmed up we plan on moving them outside there is another igloo on the deck, they still can watch TV with us, it's just putting them out the sliding door instead of the bathroom at the end of the day. Same distance either way. We walk them with the dogs, and they all are loved equally. Do you think we're crazy?? Any reason we shouldn't have the goats inside? Ppl are surprised when they find out the goats are inside, we invite them to see them, they say they though they would of smelled a goat, never less two. Minis are allowed in our city limits, I'm just surprised there aren't more! But, I do worry about what they say about the worms always returning, and if we and the dog's need to take precautions.
hlala::lovey::crazy::whatgoat:artygoat:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

All right, you are officially driving my spelling gene insane now. Please please spell goatherder right


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

LOL OK..spell correct usually catches it. I wish someone would help me know if it's Nigiarian or Nigerian????


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Nigerian.


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## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

I love it! I've always wanted to keep goats in the house. Can I ask how you potty train them? It's Nigerian


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

When Oreo came to us she was about a yr old, so we started by giving her a treat each time we took her out on the leash and squated. We took her out every hr or so slowly getting up to two hr. Within a week or so she caught on. potty=treat. We made sure after she peed to stroke the underside of her tail to stimulate poop. We noticed she went to bed when it got dark so we made sure to take her then too. At first I would take her out in the middle of the night, that became unnecessary after awhile as long as took her out first thing in the morning at 5. It helps that we are retired and took shifts.Before the month was over Oreo knew if she cried for a treat we would take her out, soon it was crying to go out for the treat. Grapes worked good as she would only get one.!Goats are very very smart, once they see something they remember it and with most animals that ppl train repetitive actions is the best way to train almost any animal along with a treat or reward of some kind. I used to train dogs and many of those took longer to train them Oreo has.Feta is learning as she grows, she is good on the leash, and potties each time she goes out, now she is finding her voice she has called out a few times. Treats were phased out after 6weeks, Feta had been born was carried out with Oreo since day one and thinks this is how goats live.Goats aren't really dirty animals, they won't eat food thats dropped to the ground or floor.I do like them in the yard as much as weather permits, they are kept in their room unless supervised. If I am watching TV or something with them I take them out a bit more often as they do get nervous and poop more often.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I'm not sure why the goats would pose a worm problem. As far as I can tell, dogs carry more worms than goats and their mouths are probably a lot dirtier since dogs eat poop and carcasses and rotten garbage. Goats don't. As you've already observed, goats are very clean animals. Nice work potty training them! My bigger concern with keeping goats indoors is their insatiable curiosity and propensity for jumping on high things. How do you keep them from wanting to climb on countertops, tables, dressers, and shelves? How do you keep them from rooting through your kitchen cabinets and office files? The world is dying to know!


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## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

Neat! Maybe someday.. lol


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

LOL they are always supervised in the house when not in their room, they are only allowed in their room, family room, and kitchen. Oreo doesn't seem interested in climbing on anything but the best spot on the couch! But little Feta is curious of a few things like the papers in bill box..guess the old joke about my goats ate my homework could really happen!.She tries to get on coffee table, and in my Palm tree's planter. A few squirts from my water spray bottle towards her feet, and a firm NO get her to quickly move along. We have a standing fireplace that we use at night, she loves to check out the stuff on the fire wood when it's brought in each night like it's a new chewy/climbing toy. There are different things she is allowed on and some she's not. She may jump into chairs, but not allowed on the tables. Or kitchen counters or stove. I just squirt water her way, missing quite often, but she hears the water and goes running for Mom - and usually a sip of her milk. Water training is kind and effective, have used it on birds, dogs, cats, horses and it seems to work!


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