# Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discipline



## tuper (Oct 1, 2010)

Hello everyone! (Hi WarPony! If you see this, yes, I'm tuper from HC!)

Just got myself two little Pygmies. An obnoxious buck and a doe. Thinking about getting Sonny's little (or shall I say unusually large) parts taken care of by the vet! 

My doe is sweet and adorable. She's not a problem at all. Sonny (the buck) is a riot and very sweet when he wants to be, although the bruise on my leg hurts like the dickens. I really do not want his rude behavior to continue, but am unsure how to discipline without causing more problems.

He has horns and definitely knows how to use them. The bruise came from him swinging his head backwards at me, tagging me on my inner thigh, right above my knee. He will let me pet him as long as I am petting on the top of his head. I try to touch the side of his face or his back and he tries to catch me with those horns. He's small, but I respect those things for what they are! I know the likelihood of death is small, but I don't really want any broken bones or holes in my leg....

I have horses and can work with the most ornery one of those. But give me a 40 pound goat and I'm at a loss, hahaha! I really do like the little bugger though. And yes, he stinks like mad. But I don't mind that too much. I just wish he was a little less obnoxious. I know it's "rutting" season, but to me bad behavior is bad behavior. I've only had him a week, any suggestions on how to correct him the correct way would be appreciated! :greengrin:


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Take a stick or crop. When he goes to butt at you, smack him right on the nose. He'll learn quickly who the boss is and to stay back. I think a spray bottle with water works too, but i've always just given a pushy buck a good smack. They learn quick.


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## pelicanacresMN (Dec 29, 2009)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

I have a really naughty breeding buck too. He is king here & he knows it. He can be really good..but then he can be really really bad. His rage started when we finally got the fence high enough to keep him from jumping out. He ran a million times around the pen trying to figure a way out (& it's a like half an acre). He will literally ram the gate repeatedly as hard as he can when I walk away from his area. The whole swatting him thing doesn't work..it just makes him more angry. He is just filled with way too much testosterone. 
I can walk him around without any problem & he is fine in the field with me but I literally have to climb over the gate quickly & stay out of his way when I'm ready to leave. 
So I pretty much know when he does his bad behavior so I try to avoid the situation. 
Do you plan to use your buck for breeding? You may want to consider getting him fixed if you wanted him to be more of a pet. I don't think I could tolerate a buck with horns that pushes his owner around for the heck of it.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

some of this behavior will be reduced when wethered (neutered)

a loud NO and a spray of water in the face might work but its hard once they start those behaviors especially in rutt season


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Hey Tuper!!! These guys give GREAT advice!!


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Hi Tuper!! Good to see you! I'm glad you're getting advice about your buck. I was concerned when you posted about his behavior. With those big horns, he could really do some damage, even without really meaning too.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

First off, if he is used to getting pet on the head this is a no-no for us humans.
If he starts to lower or swing his head you grab that beard yank his head around & a firm NO might help.
You might even consider a hot shot. I was severly reprimanded on another forum about this but when one of our first bucks was in rutt last yr he'd get between hubby & I & posture.
A couple of times of him walking into that thing was all it took.


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Also something I have learned about goats: they are smart. REEEAAALLLLY smart. Even if you discipline them directly with a pretty good whack, it only takes them a little while to realize they ONLY get a spanking for certain things. Once they figure out you are not just randomly whacking on them for no reason they will usually go right back to being super friendly if that is how they were before. So don't worry that he will never be friendly if you use a crop to spank him at some point.

I'm not sure if it is obvious because you just have the two goats, but with my 4 I get to see a lot of herd interaction. You know how with horses we see the way a mare disciplines a rude foal? Well, in a goat herd, if someone does something the herd queen doesn't like she kicks their butt six ways from Sunday. Not just by posturing at them and baring teeth or picking up a leg in warning of a kick like a horse does at first, but by jumping up and headbutting them with all they have. 10 minutes later they might be cuddled up together in the feed pile chewing their cud together, as if just moments before one goat hadn't knocked the other right off of it's feet and stomped on it.

My knuckleheads try to dash out the gate, I have a 4 foot length of broom handle I use to keep them back. Not to beat on them with, I jam it in the fence at shoulder height to stop them until I can shove them back in. But if they all rush in I do swing it and let them run into it. A few times Parsley and Thyme have run into it pretty hard and got a good crack on the nose. Not 10 seconds later they are POLITELY mugging me for hugs and scratches. because I am fair and consistent they trust me. They KNOW their boundaries, but they are goats and testing those boundaries to the point of blowing through them is in their nature, but they do not hold it against me when I get all "mama goat" on them and put them in their place.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Yup you got it right WarPony


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

WarPony, very well put!

I should have clarified somewhat about the head petting thing, it's mostly for the bucks. 
Last yr someone wanted to trade us one of his very nice bucklings. Well I know they handled his head way too much & let him push on them as a little guy.


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## tuper (Oct 1, 2010)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Hi Epona! Nice to see you here too!

Thanks for all the advice!!!!! Like I said before, I know horses, but speaking "goat" is something new to me. I was a bit worried about popping his little butt and him getting skiddish. But I do the same thing with the horses and they still tolerate me.......must be doing something right! Hahaha!

I have always wanted goats, and did some research on them. But I like to work with behaviors, and to be honest there isn't much literature out there about how a goat thinks. I see so many problems in horses and dogs because people just don't know how to read them. I didn't want to be that person with my goats!

Now I have to figure this potbellied pig out and we will be good to go! Hahaha!

Thanks again, I will keep you all updated on the progress!


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## Paige (Oct 14, 2010)

*Re: Brand new to goats, have a couple questions about discip*

Unless you plan on breeding the two, I would get little billy boy wetherd! Its not much fun to have a buck around that you dont plan on breeding withand it should help his attitude. Alot!


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