[Darwin’s dad]

I need to find my (not so) Pygmy Nigerian (not so) dwarf cross, Darwin a new home. He's about a year and a half, not fixed and incredibly smart. I can't seem to make him realize I'm not a goat (he loves to play!) and with his beautiful and growing horns, he's developed quite the game of playing "hooky" on the backs of my knees . . . ouch. I've been told I need to show him I'm the boss (no longer the mama) and we have had a couple of wrestling matches (after he's busted through my chicken coop), but I'm not into playing the whole alpha thing. I'm happy to give him to a good home where he can be with other goats (makes me teary realizing this is the best thing to do), even though my neighbors love to see him walking around on a leash. He loves people but again, this new aggression is out of my league (unless others have advice?). I guess I'm not turning into a goat for him and he's not turning into a dog for me . . .although he's close. My original plan had been to get him a female but that would be way more than I can get into and am introducing parrots into my backyard aviary and can't risk TWO sets of horns busting through. I live in New Orleans (7th Ward) and welcome any inquiries to find my big "kid" a new home where he can make some amazing and equally rambunctious and smart babies that others will fall in love with!

 

[Tanya]

He is beautiful.

 

[Caileigh Jane Smith]

Wethering (castrating) him might be helpful. It might not stop the destructive behavior, but it would probably help. Just a thought.

I don't know what the market is like in your area as far as goat sales go...if someone has a small herd of goats for pets/brush control, that might be a really good fit for him.
Boy goats (I've got one breeding buck, one wether, and one soon-to-be wether) are such fun. They have these silly personalities that are so endearing. Hope you can find him a good home!

 

[MadHouse]

Is Darwin your only goat?
I think he does need other goats, even if you decide to have him neutered.
As for the “alpha thing”, a spray bottle really can do wonders, and there is no wrestling involved at all. You need to decide what behaviours are not allowed, and spray him in the face (or on his feet) while saying NO!, or whatever is your word for that, in a strong voice. I would give that a try if I were you. A small spray bottle that you can keep on you all the time, because you have to be consistent. If he can get away with behaviours sometimes, then it’s not going to work.
I was told on here, never to touch his horns, because it invites him to fight you. Repect him by not touching them, and teach him to respect you with water (almost all goats apparently hate water).
I once had a surprise bad behaviour from a buck when I was hanging up his water bucket and came near his food. He got the whole bucket of water on his head and never did that again.

 

[Damfino]

I strongly encourage you to wether Darwin first! Not only will it almost certainly improve his behavior, but if you still need to find him a new home he's more likely to find a good "pet" home if he's neutered than if he's intact. Getting him a female companion would not have been a good solution or fixed his problem. Intact male goats need a male buddy to keep them company and bang heads with. It sounds like you've put a lot of time and love into this fella so before you conclude for certain that he needs a new home, consider getting him wethered first and finding another wether companion for him to hang with. His behavior stems from a combination of hormones and boredom. Remove the hormones and find him an appropriate playmate and you may soon have your sweet buddy back again.