If you’re considering whether or not you can make your goat a house pet, or if your goat can be trained like one, then you should know what issues may come up when training your goat to become a house pet. Questions such as, Can I train my goat to go outside at the right times, the way I train my dog?
Truthfully, Goats are not capable of controlling when they poop and will most likely have to wear a diaper when residing indoors. They can, however, be trained to pee in certain areas, such as litter boxes, when the urge overtakes them.
So what difference does this all make for those of use who want our goats to be able to come inside with us? The answer involves looking at what your goat needs, such as a goat litter box and diaper. Or, you may have to give up on your dream of keeping your goat inside the house.
Dog versus Goat
Goats are actually pretty similar to dogs in their abilities to be trained as a house pet. They may even enjoy living indoors with their human companions. However, The issue that differs between most dogs and a goat, is the ability to control when they relieve themselves.
Contrary to how other pets are able to control themselves, a goat is not so easily taught to follow the same methods. Goats are not physically capable of holding back their urges to poop.
Thankfully, even when they struggle to go at the right time, their pellets are typically small and almost unnoticeable. However, even though their pellets are so small in the outdoor world, an indoor world may not take so kindly to all of the poop pellets within your home.
(Source: Are Goats House-Trainable? | Animals.mom.com)
Having a Diapered Goat
Having the knowledge that a goat cannot be trained to hold in their poop, it then becomes important to know what options you have to work with. Unfortunately, the best solution thus far, has been to put a diaper on your goat, so as to not worry about them relieving themselves indoors. Which, even then, may still happen if you’re not paying attention.
You will still have the work of changing their diapers at certain intervals Each day. Which can only be avoided by two things.
1: Letting your goat live back outside so they can more freely go where they want to.
2: Learning your goats natural bathroom patterns, organizing a schedule to let them out during these times. Which will reduce the likelihood of them going in the confines of your home, as well as allow them to go when they naturally need to.
Tip: It is not recommended for a goat to have to be inside regardless of being bathroom trained or not. Like all other animals, they need room to roam, get into trouble, and naturally relieve themselves.
(Source: Are Goats House-Trainable? | Animals.mom.com)
Peeing Outside versus Pooping Outside
Contrary to how they poop, goats are surprisingly capable of being able to control when they pee. This can be a challenge however, since once they begin to pee in a certain area, they seem to continue with the habit of peeing in there every time that they go. Breaking such a habit can be difficult, but it can be done.
If you can schedule their time outside to diminish the chances of them pooping inside, then you can focus on training them not to pee in your home either. It will take a great deal of patience, but they will eventually be able to learn to go in a specific area.
(Source: Are Goats House-Trainable? | Animals.mom.com)
The Dawn of the Age of Goat Litter Boxes
Goats are capable of being litter box trained. Which can come in very handy when it comes to not only indoor training, but outdoor training as well. As sourced below, the experience of one such outdoor trainer, was that her goats could be taught to go in specific areas that she had designated.
The way that she was able to make this possible, was by observing where they tend to most often go. As they seemed to go to the bathroom in the exact same areas, it became clear that putting a litter box within that area, was the way to begin their training.
She made a wooden box frame large enough for the goats to be able to fully turn around and squat in. A box which the majority of the female goats easily took to. However, it was surprisingly a greater challenge for her male goat.
With persistence however, even he was eventually convinced. She explains that she had to continually move his piles of pee and pellets into the box until it became habit for him to do it himself. She states that over time, your goats will be trained to the wooden frame as a visual cue of where to go.
Even if winter rolls around, and you have to lay out straw and hay everywhere as a bed, the goats should be trained enough to go to the frame wherever you had it place.
Tip: If pee does get onto the ground outside of the litter box, you can use ash to soak it up. Scoop up the ash and throw it away once it has done it’s job.
(below is a video of litter box training a kid goat)
(Source: How to Train Your Goats to Use a Litter Box (and Save $40 Easily) (morningchores.com))
The benefits that come with litter box training
*You can save money on only spending it on the litter box itself, rather then wasting it on extra straw or hay that they once used for their bathroom.
*You will also be able to save yourself a great deal of time by only having to clean the litterbox, rather than the entire barn or varying areas around the house.
(Source: How to Train Your Goats to Use a Litter Box (and Save $40 Easily) (morningchores.com))