HELP! Skittish Show Goat/Regaining Trust

[HappyFeetHens]

This year I’m showing a boer meat breeding doe at my county fair. When we first bought her, she loved me. I has her to wear I could skip a halter on no problem and walk her without any big issues, just training her to stay where she needs to be and such. She was super sweet, was cuddly and affectionate, and was so responsive to anything I did with her.
We took her to tag-in and my grandma who helped was a little rushed and tugged on her halter more than the goat was used to. After that experience of a different person and a new place she has been distant and skittish.
I can get her to eat from my hand or I can hold her food bowl and pet her but if food is not involved she runs. Other people being involved only worsens her problem. She is just traumatized by the “bad” experiences with the halter and I don’t know what to do.
Fair is at the end of July and as much as I need to spend entire days with her to get her to trust me again, I will be gone on a trip from June 8-17.
Any tips on how to help her regain this trust? It doesn’t seem like JUST food will help, especially because my other two goats hog the treats and are much more friendly. I don’t have problems leading goats in general, and she did have a great relationship with me, so I just don’t know what I need to do at this point to convince her I’m still her friend (lol). I think part of the problem is that she did have that trust and now it has to be rebuilt, rather than her not knowing me and me getting to know her and get her trust like I did before.

TL; DR: any advice on getting a show goat to trust you again after having some incidents that have scared her? How to regain trust with an animal who loved you and is now afraid?

I would REALLY appreciate ANYTHING. Any little tips could be a big help!

 

[HappyFeetHens]

Makes me sad that she doesn’t love me like she did before because look at how cute she is! Also gives you a bit of an idea on size/age if that matters. She’s about 6 months old and I would estimate she weighs around 55 lbs? Not for sure, she hasn’t been weighed since we got her. She weighed 45 when we bought her in early April and seems to me like she’s gained some weight and gotten generally bigger, both taller and more muscled. Anyway hope I can get some help here!!! I love her, really can’t wait to show, but I really need to repair that bond to accomplish anything with her! She’s got good genetics and should do fairly well with just her genes and natural skeletal structure but to wow the judge and keep focus on her, I have to be able to show her at her best!!

 

[cassie]

The only thing you can do is just take her out and lead her. Every day. You can give her a treat afterward if you like. I never worried about a cozy relationship with my show goats. They just learned what was expected and they did it. I didn't give them much of a choice. No, I didn't abuse them, I just led them and practiced showing them.

 

[HappyFeetHens]

Thanks! Good to know. I figured I would need that relationship to get her back to walking how she was before but works just as well for me. It takes A LOT to get a halter on her... I mean cornering her and having another person keep her there. Any tips on getting her to be more willing and easier to catch?

 

[cassie]

There are some peppermint horse treats that you could use as bribes. Goats like them so much people call them goat cocaine. You could give her a piece when you catch her and only then. I forget what they are called but I will find out.

Could you get a regular goat halter (not a show halter) that you could just leave on her?

 

[sunrise.superman]

My show goats would knock you down for a horse treat called Nicker Makers. I think Tractor Supply used to have them.

You don't have to have a cuddly relationship, but it's more fun that way. A 4Her I knew had her goat to show and he was just a pill. She decided last minute to take in my doe for 2 classes and had a blast bc she was a well socialized sweetheart...she also cleaned up on firsts and advancing to win 2 buckles for the night.

Try working her again without an agenda...just grooming, hanging out, doing chores w her nearby, building trust again. Work on haltering and move slowly, lots of treats, then to leading, etc. As with horses...if you act like you only have 15 min it will take an hour. If you act like you have an hour, it will only take 15 min.

Look into clicker training as well to increase consistency. A site hobbyfarms.com has a little tutorial on it I believe, but I'm sure there are others.

 

[sourland]

It's not about love. It's all about trust. Treats should work. Also try walking her along with another goat that is comfortable around you. The next challenge will be her allowing other people to put their hands on her as a judge might.

 

[HappyFeetHens]

Thank you all so much! I can’t wait to keep trying and use some of these tips and I will try to find some horse treats soon! I did buy a martingale collar which I think will help me to catch her and lead her easier than with the halter since they have a huge pen and she just runs! But we got the collar on her and I’m excited to start working on that. Again, thank you so much for all of this advice!!