# Goat lays down...



## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

New thing that Sully is doing.

I take them out every evening to browse for at
least and hour.

Well now when I start heading back to the fenced
in area. He lays down and eats. So that he does
not have to go back in. 

Is this a flipping solution? since he is already on the
ground.? I am not sure I can hold him down.
He weighs as much as I do if not more. 

I can get him up with a treat. He does not get the treat 
til he is up and moving.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: Flipping a goat*

Hello,

this is not a flipping reason, it's a "take him on a leash before he lays down" reason


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## DKalakay (Dec 24, 2009)

*Re: Flipping a goat*

Driggs my big Saanen used to dig in his heels every time he was headed for the pen. He's twice my weight so was impossible to move along so I'd give him a treat to move forward toward the pen. Didn't take long for him to figure out that if he dug in his heels he would basically get a treat. Now he gets a treat ONLY after he gets in the pen which he runs for now. The first few times, when he stalled, I just left him and went to the pen with the treats.
Denise


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

*Re: Flipping a goat*

He is on a leash by that time. 
That is the time I am going through the yard where
hubby has his plants that he is parinoid the
goats are going to eat. So I leash Sully.
first he goes down on his knees. to graze the
lawn. Then just lays down.
Last night. He was down before I even realized it.

But I was gone a couple of days and they had not
been out. they really missed it.

So how do I keep him from going down with the leash?
R.


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## DKalakay (Dec 24, 2009)

*Re: Flipping a goat*

That's the same situation I was in. Out for a 1-2 hr. hike/browse then on the lead through the yard with a battle towards the pen. You can firmly pull them along before they lay down. A halter rather than a collar helps although Driggs is so much heavier than I that didn't always work. I carried a screw- in stake with me, screwed it in the ground, clipped him to it, told him he could stay there until the end of time, and walked away. He hated being left. It was a pain but only took 2-3 times of being left before he started running to the pen to get an orange peel. 
Denise


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

*Re: Flipping a goat*



ryorkies said:


> So I leash Sully.
> first he goes down on his knees. to graze the
> lawn. Then just lays down.
> Last night. He was down before I even realized it.....
> ...


This needs to turn into a very uncomfortable situation so he doesn't want to do it again. I'd try pulling his tail and talking in a gruff voice to see if you can make him get up. You also might try squirting him with a squirt bottle or the water hose when he lays down talking in a "bad goat" voice. Do anything he hates until he gets up then use you "good goat" voice and act like nothing bad ever happened. Repeat each time he lays down and pretty soon he'll get the message.


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## jross (Dec 20, 2008)

*Re: Flipping a goat*



DKalakay said:


> Driggs my big Saanen used to dig in his heels every time he was headed for the pen. He's twice my weight so was impossible to move along so I'd give him a treat to move forward toward the pen. Didn't take long for him to figure out that if he dug in his heels he would basically get a treat. Now he gets a treat ONLY after he gets in the pen which he runs for now. The first few times, when he stalled, I just left him and went to the pen with the treats.
> Denise


My goats wouldn't lay down, but they would just avoid going into the pen, while chowing down on everything they could get to. So I started just opening the gate and calling to them, "Let's go boys. Who wants a TREAT?" When nobody responded I shut the gate and went into the feed room and made some noise putting a treat (some hay, some alfalfa pellets, etc) into the goat feeder. By this time one or all of them would be clamoring to get into the pen. If only one or two goats responded to my original request and went into the pen before the bribe was offered, then I would dawdle and mess around after giving them their treat before I would let the last guys in. They would get so impatient, hearing their rivals in there eating while they were locked out. I would take my time letting them in just to make them regret their misbehavior. It didn't take long before they all came running and crowding to get into the pen when our walk was over. I don't always give them a treat, tho. Just enough so that they know it's possible (like getting people to put money in slot machines). I don't want the treat to become seen as a payment, rather it should be something special that only the very best goats get. I think they know what the word "treat" means, because when I want one to come to me so I can mess with his pack, I say "treat?", wiggle my fingers like I may have something in my hand, and call his name. Unless he is into a particularly tasty bush or weed, he will almost always perk up and come to me. A dried up orange peel is the best treat I have found.

My approach to goat management is to try to make doing the right thing rewarding, and the wrong thing unpleasant. But I only resort to fear when kindness fails. I don't think you can train a goat to be as obedient as a dog. A dog really want to please you. A goat just wants to please himself. They will do what they want to do, what they think is in their immediate best interests.


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