How to Discipline a Goat

Goats are highly social herd animals who can bond strongly to their human caregivers. Though most people don't actively train their goats, goats can learn many words and are capable of doing many of the tricks dogs can do. When goats behave aggressively, destroy property or engage in other problematic behaviors, it's important to discipline the goat in a way that discourages the behavior.

Things You'll Need

  • Goat treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Teach your goat to associate humans with rewards by giving your goat a treat or petting it every time it approaches you. Goats who enjoy human attention are much easier to discipline than goats who don't. Avoid petting the top of your goat's head. This encourages the goat to butt humans and can be misinterpreted by the goat as aggression.

    • 2

      Ignore behavior that is annoying. Most goats will instinctively chew on almost anything. If your goat approaches you and chews on your pants or fingers, simply walk away. This teaches the goat that chewing causes it to lose the object it wants to chew and also discourages your goat from chewing on you to get attention.

    • 3

      Flick your goat's ear when it behaves aggressively. Goats nip each other's ears when they are annoyed, so ear flicking is something that is easy for the goat to understand. After flicking your goat's ear, walk away from your goat without speaking or making eye contact.

    • 4

      Redirect your goat's attention when it is about to do something annoying or dangerous. If you see your goat approaching a child in an aggressive fashion, call your goat away from the child and give it a treat. When goats are allowed to behave aggressively, even if they are punished afterward, the aggression frequently gets worse.