I just do not know what to do about my youngster and his feet! Have now had him nearly 6 months and still picking out his feet is a constant battle which i really do not enjoy!
He goes through good and bad stages- some days he will pick them all up nicely and then other days he snatches them back and kicks out and gets quite nasty about them! I must admit he has got a smack off me a couple of times when he has kicked his back feet out sideways narrowly missing me!
I'm not usually there when the farrier comes to trim his feet but the time i was he was fine, picked them all up and barely moved them to be honest, other than on the last foot when he was getting bored.
I just do not know what to do next- have tried clicker training and lots of praise, moving him in very small circles, getting cross with him and nothing seems to work.
He is so stubborn- first he refuses to pick them up and once they are up he will often pull them away if i am taking too long or waggle the back ones around while i cling to his feathers to keep the foot up! When he is having a bad day i don't bother picking them out at all- just pick them up and put them back down on my terms!!
But i just don't know why he is being like this- he knows what i am asking him to do and it has been 6 months- i can do anything else with his feet- wash them, comb his feathers and handle his legs all over and some days i can pick them out just fine with no problems. I just don't want it to be a battle and would like anyone to be able to do it! At the moment we are battling with it 3x a day as i don't know if he just needs lots more practise or what!
He goes through good and bad stages- some days he will pick them all up nicely and then other days he snatches them back and kicks out and gets quite nasty about them! I must admit he has got a smack off me a couple of times when he has kicked his back feet out sideways narrowly missing me!
I'm not usually there when the farrier comes to trim his feet but the time i was he was fine, picked them all up and barely moved them to be honest, other than on the last foot when he was getting bored.
I just do not know what to do next- have tried clicker training and lots of praise, moving him in very small circles, getting cross with him and nothing seems to work.
He is so stubborn- first he refuses to pick them up and once they are up he will often pull them away if i am taking too long or waggle the back ones around while i cling to his feathers to keep the foot up! When he is having a bad day i don't bother picking them out at all- just pick them up and put them back down on my terms!!
But i just don't know why he is being like this- he knows what i am asking him to do and it has been 6 months- i can do anything else with his feet- wash them, comb his feathers and handle his legs all over and some days i can pick them out just fine with no problems. I just don't want it to be a battle and would like anyone to be able to do it! At the moment we are battling with it 3x a day as i don't know if he just needs lots more practise or what!