Lucky Goat Is Doing All Right

Dog?

As expected, after the bear attack on our goats I have seen little water time in the last few weeks. Lucky goat (his name is Cloud), Martha and I have made our temporary residence in our garage- bonding, nursing and generally calming the nerves of this, our remaining goat, while I am installing the new 11,400 volt bear deterrent system around the barn and his pen.  The first week Cloud and Martha were inseparable. Being out of her sight caused Cloud to call-out and often triggered the less desirable response of relieving himself on the mat in front of the door to the house. Thankfully this behaviour has mostly stopped. He has been a pill, but mostly he is a fine companion. My hopes is that we can turn him into a dog…….with horns. He already knew his name, come, walk and lie down. He is quickly learning no and maybe  go to sleep. I believe he may be catching on to my desire for him to be a labragoat retreiver. Cloud is a curious animal, getting into all the things that goats will(the stories are all true). He has affinity for anything plastic. Bags, labels on containers, cups, wire on machinery, you name it. If it is plastic he wants it! This is a problem, and he must be watched closely when he is out of his temporary pen in the garage.

Hanging in the garage for the last few weeks has been a lesson in needs. It is like a man cave and I am not sure the extravagance of a whole house is necessary. How much shelter do I really need?

In the last week I have begun to introduce him back to his goat palace and pen. He has gone there without a fuss and has spent some afternoons, locked in, by himself. There is no way to tell if he knows, remembers or has any apprehension about being in the place where the attack occurred. None the less, this has been his home for the last 11 years, and I think he is comfortable there, and there is no plastic to eat! One of our biggest fears is that he would not be able to adjust to life without his buddies. He is a herd animal and although the biggest goat in our little herd, he was more of a follower than a leader. He has done well so far. His preference is to follow us, our time-share dog, or even hang close to horses in their paddock.

As sit and watch him contently chewing his cud of newly eaten apple leaves, grape vines, clover and milkweed I know he can exists as an only goat, or a horny dog.

That helps.

Arf, Arf!