Llama Advice Please

[m***@yahoo.com]

We have just adopted 3 female llamas (One is 4 years old and the other
two are 2 years old each). The llamas were very well cared for at
their previous location but so far we are really unable to approach
the llamas unless we have sweet-feed in our hands. All three llamas
will eat out of our hands but if we make any motion to get close to
them with or without feed they will run away. They will however let
us rub their neck/back while they are feeding. Is this normal
behavior? Any suggestions on how we can get them to be more social?
Would like to introduce the lead rope as they do have halters on.
Many books I have read talk in great length about the care of llamas
but not how to train/tame or socialize them. We are hoping to get our
4-H club/kids involved in the process but really don't know how or
where to begin. Any suggestions on how to develop a long lasting
trust with the llamas or does this come only with time? Should we
train them with the "Clicker Method", use sweet-feed to encourage the
desired behavior or what have you found helpful in training? I've
read in many books that say llamas are fast learners but what would be
a suggestion to make them feel more comfortable with us? Believe it
or not, they seem to love our collie and even allow him to run
underneath their legs. Seem to also love my younger children but
again shy away if anyone goes to close. Any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated, as we really want to provide the best care/
training for years of enjoyment. Thank you very much.

[Rick]

Post by m***@yahoo.com
We have just adopted 3 female llamas (One is 4 years old and the other
two are 2 years old each). The llamas were very well cared for at
their previous location but so far we are really unable to approach
the llamas unless we have sweet-feed in our hands.  All three llamas
will eat out of our hands but if we make any motion to get close to
them with or without feed they will run away.  They will however let
us rub their neck/back while they are feeding.  Is this normal
behavior?  Any suggestions on how we can get them to be more social?
Would like to introduce the lead rope as they do have halters on.
Many books I have read talk in great length about the care of llamas
but not how to train/tame or socialize them.  We are hoping to get our
4-H club/kids involved in the process but really don't know how or
where to begin.  Any suggestions on how to develop a long lasting
trust with the llamas or does this come only with time?  Should we
train them with the "Clicker Method", use sweet-feed to encourage the
desired behavior or what have you found helpful in training?  I've
read in many books that say llamas are fast learners but what would be
a suggestion to make them feel more comfortable with us?  Believe it
or not, they seem to love our collie and even allow him to run
underneath their legs.  Seem to also love my younger children but
again shy away if anyone goes to close.  Any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated, as we really want to provide the best care/
training for years of enjoyment.  Thank you very much.

Hi there,

It sounds like your llamas are pretty much adults. You may want to
contact the previous owners and ask what worked for them. This will
also give you an idea on how much time they spent working with their
llamas. As you get to know your new critters, you will find out who
is the top llama in the herd and who is not. This will all play into
how you approach your critters. Ideally, you have a small area to put
them in to start the process of introducing you the herd. Remember,
if you are working with the llamas in the pasuter, barnyard, etc., you
are in their home and you are the intruder. You need to prove to them
your are trustworthy and not always grabbing at them, puttting a
halter on them, or doing anything to them. We are in the barns
feeding, watering and generally cleaning just about every day. This
gives us the opprotunity for us the see the llamas milling about
without actually touching them. At average, we wout there about a 1/2
hour a day all year long.

Marty McGee has written some good books regarding llama training. You
can buy the book on Amazon and B&N. She gives you the ideal way of
worknig with llamas. Keep in mind there is no wrong way (save abuse)
to train YOUR llama. What works for others will not necessarily work
for you. You are the one who needs to begin the relationship and work
with the llama and live with training you give your critters.

We have found that gentle, consistant and very small rewards seem to
work for us. I keep a pocket full of grain with me and give the llama
a small nibble when a positive action is witnessed. When an undesired
action is witnessed, you try to attempt to figure what you did wrong.
Yep - that's right. "What did you do wrong?" I have found that our
llamas learn from signals we give them either through the lead rope or
some other way. If the llama is not doing the desired action, what
are you not providing in either guidance or surroundings that is allow
the llama to do something other then what you desired.

Anyway, back to your critters... if I read your message correctly,
your llamas still have their halters on. We have found this agitates
our llamas over a day or so. The first thing you may want to do is
get he halters off and give them a bit of reward everytime you put it
back on. There are techniques to putting the hatler on and off as
well.

I hope that helps. We've had llamas for over 7 years now and have had
good success in the show ring ni Michigan. I can't say we have won a
lot of ribbons but have done well enough with the teenage handlers to
seem to realize what is working and not working.

Regards,

Rick Boesen
Olivet, Michigan
www.FiberArtFest.com
www.QuesoCabezaFarm.com

[Susan Gawarecki]

These sound like perfectly normal llamas to me! In general, llamas
don't like to be caught or touched much. But they do learn fast, so any
of the several training methods available would yield good results.

The first thing you need is a catch pen (or stall) about 10x10 ft that
you can get them used to entering. Perhaps feed them in there. It
helps to set up a funnel with fence panels if you need to herd them in.

Once they are confined you can attach a lead rope and work more directly
with them. You should remove the halters when you are finished working
with the animals. Llamas are especially vulnerable to suffocating from
ill-fitting halters or halters that get caught on something.

I'm sure you will enjoy your new friends. Be sure to write and let us
know how things are going.

Susan Gawarecki
Pathfinder Farm
Andersonville, TN

Post by m***@yahoo.com
We have just adopted 3 female llamas (One is 4 years old and the other
two are 2 years old each). The llamas were very well cared for at
their previous location but so far we are really unable to approach
the llamas unless we have sweet-feed in our hands. All three llamas
will eat out of our hands but if we make any motion to get close to
them with or without feed they will run away. They will however let
us rub their neck/back while they are feeding. Is this normal
behavior? Any suggestions on how we can get them to be more social?
Would like to introduce the lead rope as they do have halters on.
Many books I have read talk in great length about the care of llamas
but not how to train/tame or socialize them. We are hoping to get our
4-H club/kids involved in the process but really don't know how or
where to begin. Any suggestions on how to develop a long lasting
trust with the llamas or does this come only with time? Should we
train them with the "Clicker Method", use sweet-feed to encourage the
desired behavior or what have you found helpful in training? I've
read in many books that say llamas are fast learners but what would be
a suggestion to make them feel more comfortable with us? Believe it
or not, they seem to love our collie and even allow him to run
underneath their legs. Seem to also love my younger children but
again shy away if anyone goes to close. Any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated, as we really want to provide the best care/
training for years of enjoyment. Thank you very much.

[henrywierenga%]

We have just adopted 3 female llamas (One is 4 years old and the other two are 2 years old each). The llamas were very well cared for at their previous location but so far we are really unable to approach the llamas unless we have sweet-feed in our hands. All three llamas will eat out of our hands but if we make any motion to get close to them with or without feed they will run away. They will however let us rub their neck/back while they are feeding. Is this normal behavior? Any suggestions on how we can get them to be more social? Would like to introduce the lead rope as they do have halters on. Many books I have read talk in great length about the care of llamas but not how to train/tame or socialize them. We are hoping to get our 4-H club/kids involved in the process but really don't know how or where to begin. Any suggestions on how to develop a long lasting trust with the llamas or does this come only with time? Should we train them with the "Clicker Method", use sweet-feed to encourage the desired behavior or what have you found helpful in training? I've read in many books that say llamas are fast learners but what would be a suggestion to make them feel more comfortable with us? Believe it or not, they seem to love our collie and even allow him to run underneath their legs. Seem to also love my younger children but again shy away if anyone goes to close. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as we really want to provide the best care/ training for years of enjoyment. Thank you very much.

[Bruce Atchison - author]

I don't have llamas but I think I understand your problem. Prey animals
become frightened when humans take too much of an interest in them. How
about using the method rabbit folks use with new bunnies. Hang out with the
llamas but don't show interest in them. If they're anything like bunnies,
they'll come over to check you out. Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm just
an admirer of llamas. I especially love the graceful way they move.

Sincerely,

Bruce Atchison - author of When a Man Loves a Rabbit and Deliverance from
Jericho. Both books are available at the www.bruceatchison.blogspot.com
page.