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last scooped on: 11/5/08
Page design, photos, and written content by Gail Berk. Wallpaper: Tawny's fleece. Materials credit: Mandy Steward. © Gail Berk 2008. All rights reserved. |
Chapter 17: Spit War, Day 2 It's tomorrow already and I'm really dragging my feet this morning about the war ahead. I went to bed with a definate Plan A. But honestly, I just didn't think I was up to it just yet so by the time I was ready to go see my fleece-kids things changed again. Plan A became Plan B and I devised a new Plan A. Plan B will take effect in 3 days. Plan A is to totally ignore Tawny for 3 days. I will not even look at her. I'll do fun walkabouts with Bucky I'll talk so sweet to him. I'll give him treats. Heck, I'll give him her treats as well. This could work. She's been very social with me. She might miss it. Good plan. Didn't work. Here am I, greet-n-treat with Bucky when in waltzes Madam Princess from the pasture. She's quite used to Bucky getting greet-n-treats first but not used to me turning my back on her and continuing to give him treats. Honestly. She approached to check out treats and I cut her off. While my back continued to block her I continued doling out treats to my buddy Buckster. Here it comes. SPIT. Alrighty then, this is war. Bring it on little princess. I totally see this spoiled brat thing now. So new Plan C: NILIF, to follow Plan B. NILIF = Nothing In Life Is Free. It's a trick of my own trade. So once she's back on treat ration she will have to earn every kernal she's given. No more treats for just looking cute. Those are for Bucky. Even though new Plan A was to ignore her, the one exception is spitting. She started Day 2 Battle and I'm going to finish it. Good thing I brought the Assess-A-Hand. No time to get poor Bucky out of the pasture just yet, this calls for timing. Assess-A-Hand in hand I marched right up to her. SPIT. Hmm, I discover, it's not easy to merely press down on the nose because she dodges. So it came across as more of a bonk across the bridge of the nose. At least the hand is soft so I don't think I really have a problem with it. (Aside: Mind you I am totally against hitting animals. It serves no useful purpose. In fact more often than not, it backfires. But that's another story on philosophy.) With that Tawny took off to left field and I marched after her. Spit, bonk, spit, bonk, run back to the pen. Good thing cuz the hand fell off the stick. I didn't do too bad for not being prepared to go to war again. I expect this is how it will be for a few days. And in the end, Bucky got more treats and nothing for Miss Spitter. And not so much as a goodbye. Consequences. Hmmph. |
Chapter 16: Assess-A-Hand On one occasion a few weeks ago, there was a spitting match between Bucky and Tawny. Normally I wouldn't interfere with this because it's normal llama behavior. But by the same token, I wanted them to learn to refrain when a human is nearby...namely me. I discussed this with my llama mentor Barb and learned a trick of the trade: hold up my hand above my head and say NO. The principle behind this is that it makes me the highest and therefore the alpha (llama logic). Fat chance this little arm is going up higher than the spitting llama queen. But that gave me a bright idea while devising a spit-on-me-will-ya strategy. I remembered the Assess-A-Hand I had purchased ages ago and still had it on hand. This is a device created by a colleague for the purpose of safely assessing a food-guarding dog. Oh man did the lights go on late tonight. So Plan A is to use the Assess-A-Hand to reach where I otherwise couldn't and press Tawny's nose. Brilliant I am. |
Chapter 18: Spit War, Day 3 These won't necessarily be consecutive days, by the way. They will be the number of working days. Today I proceeded with Plan A, ignore the brat, but armed and ready with Plan B. Greet-n-treat with Bucky and here comes Mademoiselle Spit moseying on in from the pasture. She's looking for a handout. Not gonna happen m'dear. Assess-A-Hand is on hand but I'm trying to hide it behind my back (they're smart so I'm fooling no one). She loads, cocks, and aims as I approach her. Assess-A-Hand to the rescue. It thwarts her fire. Whoohoo! I locked Bucky outside the pen. Game on sister. By now I can actually see a spit-thought in her eyes. This gives me enough of a jump start to thwart it. I will find my princess again dang it. However, for today, it seems I have won another battle. She's backing down and we have no more spitting incidents for the training period today. Although I don't really want her to turn and walk away from me (avoidance), it's a better alternative than spitting (confrontation) to express her displeasure to a human. For now, I will let this point sink in. I may be creating another catch-me dancer but spitting is the greater issue. Later she will learn displeasure doesn't really matter when I want her to do something. Baby steps. There was not enough confrontation today to make me confident that I've licked the problem. And I can still predict there will be spitting when I am unarmed or when my back is turned. I see several more battles ahead. |
I loaded "the hand" with treats and stuck it through the fence for him. He was, naturally, cautious at first but was quickly nibbling out of the Assess-A-Hand. (So how come it took him 5 months to eat out of my hand?) I am in awe, llamas are particularly sensitive to smells. So I brought him back in the pen and fed him from "the hand"....just so Tawny could see that the hand can be a good thing, offering treats to good little llama girls and boys. Now she approaches wanting someathat. Bucky turned around and spit on her. I did nothing this time. I think she deserved to be spit upon. Eventually she, too, will be allowed to eat from "the hand" and I think it will then become clearer that the bonk is about the spit, and only the spit. I think, too, the conditioning of the Assess-A-Hand bonk for spitting will carry over to my own hand-raising. My reach will still not be higher than her but I expect as she starts to gain respect it will be about the gesture rather than the height. More good ideas for the device. I think this will be a super aid in leg and body desensitizing. And wouldn't it have made a good hook to reach under for cinches and belly straps while I was working on that with Bucky? I can see the llama community lining up now for their very own Assess-A-Hand. I am trying to contact the colleague who devised this gadget to see if she's ever marketed/patented it and where it can be obtained. I will post it a link if/when I get this information. |
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Chapter 19: Assess-A-Hand Revisited I'm not thrilled about using the Plan B technique. There is potential for making Tawny head-shy. But with respect to a disrespectful, spitting llama head-shy is the lesser of the two evils. It's not a perfect world. Following the day's battle with Tawny I had a curious experience with Bucky. As I approached the gate to let him back in--he's been the peanut gallery all along--he seemed rather curious about this hand thing and sniffed it when I poked it through the fence to him. I'm thinking, what if I put treats in it? |
Chapter 20: Spit War, Day 4 Today was rather uneventful. But if you're still reading this then you probably want to know how this is progressing. I should be on Day 3 of Plan A but you well know I could not ignore her for the previous two days. I will probably tack on another day or two of Plan A before moving to higher ground to Plan B. Ignoring went just as I was shooting for. As I was feeding Bucky from the Assess-A-Hand she approached. Bucky took care of that. He spit (at her). Twice. She took the hint and did not challenge either of us. She remained hopeful, but at bay. This is precisely the start I'm looking for. I love success. |
Chapter 21: Spit War, Day 5 I doubt if there will be photos for awhile. Training sessions with the princess are quite short. It's going rather well but not as well as I'd hoped. I am still not comfortable around her, don't trust her. Apparently the feeling's mutual. She is back on treats but she must earn them. I've not had a need to bonk her (and I'm ever so grateful for that) but I have thwarted a spit here and there by raising one of the wands I'm using to teach her to herd. Yep, that's what it's come to, herding. This is what you teach a cria (baby llama). She is to learn to take movement direction/guidance from wands. These are something like whips without the floppy part. I just know this is going to tick her off and we're in for another spit fest but so far so good. This is something I'm learning as we go because I didn't do it with Bucky. It's about me learning how to herd her where I want her to go and to take a leadership role that won't put up with tantrums. The technique I used on Bucky, you'll recall, was the Wing and a Prayer. The technique I'm using with Tawny is the Live and Learn. Bucky is learning something new as well. I'm trying out a new way to catch him to halter. I've been throwing the lead across his shoulders and letting him drag it. He thinks it's a blue monkey tail and has a brief fit but has learned from past experience that if he freezes, so does the monkey. And this working for him. A few hip-hops, then he stops. I can just walk right up to him and halter him. I think he thinks I save him. Now why can't Tawny see that? She's watching. |
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Chapter 22: Spit Happens, The T-Shirt My dad found this T-shirt. Isn't it great? You don't find this in a llama shop. What, like this never happens to anyone but me? I guess you might find this in a baby store or, like my dad did, order it personalized. He even got it in spit green. Thanks Dad. You know I love it. Might be a bad omen, though, if I wear it while training Tawny. So for now I'll wear it elsewhere. |
Chapter 23: Spit War, Day 6 I took a little time off. My dad came from out of state for a visit so I let it be a good excuse even before his arrival. I just didn't feel like dealing with confrontations. I am trying to overcome my fear. Fear? What's to fear? A little stinky spit never hurt anyone. Yeah, I know. That's what my logic was saying. But all the while my emotions were screaming, "That's aggression you idiot." And I don't fight aggression head on. It's just not how I handle it. There is, you know, the possibility a little worthless spit could turn in to a kick or a stomp if I don't heed the warning. Something like a growl that goes disregarded and then turns into a bite. "Well, idiot. The warning sign was right there. What part of grrr don't you understand?" But today I've run out of excuses. It's back to training, working on herding. |
I got this new pair of wands. They are used to direct llama traffic. One might need to sort out a single llama within the herd. The "tassle" on the end of the one on the right is for touching if necessary. The red tip on the one on the left is an encased clip for clipping on a catch rope so you can swing it over the head and around the neck from a distance where they feel safe. Mind you, I am talking about low-level, beginning training that one might do with a crea (baby llama). What I'm trying to do (new Plan A) is to re-establish a better relationship with Tawny by taking baby-steps like I did with Bucky. I didn't really think this was necessary with Tawny, given her more social background, but it seems this was what may have caused the spitting problem. I asked too much from her before she really knew it was going to be her and I forever after. Doing the same herding training with Bucky just gives me more practice and a comparison. |
This wasn't hard at all to do with Bucky today. He still has his suspicions of new things so it was easy to keep him at bay, albeit a small bay, of the wands and get him to do exactly what I asked of him: herding into the pen, circle clockwise, Whoa, change and circle counter-clockwise, and Whoa. When I laid the wands down on the ground he responded to a Come just like that whereby he'd earned himself some treats. Then came Tawny. She is more stoic than Bucky so I actually had to tap her with a wand. The little tassle thingy just wasn't enough compulsion to move her forward and away from the wand. I can clearly see, though, she is not afraid of these. I was concerned there for awhile that the couple of bonks a few weeks back may cause her to be head-shy. But to my surprise she waltzed right up for a closer look at them. Not really, I read llama minds and she was thinking there might be some treats near the handles where I was holding. Oh she's smart, that one. I didn't ask as much of her as I did Bucky but enough to earn her some treats. I'm trying to re-establish a relationship so I'm not ready to piss off the little princess by asking too much from her just yet. It will all come in good time. I'm in no hurry, I have many, many day-hiking years ahead of me. Not. Done with her and out to pasture, I brought Bucky back into the pen (with the wands of course) to work on the new and improved catch-me-a-llama trick. Oh he still skeedattles when he knows my intention but he continues to freeze once I throw the lead over his shoulder. I am so glad I discovered the blue monkey tricks. I think it's time to write a training-with-blue-monkeys book. |
Chapter 24: Spit War, Day 7 I've been avoiding this but I stuck my chin out and was completely prepared to go to war today and win. I had a plan and I had a mission. I fully intended to go head to head in that pen with her and not come out until I had the halter back on her. I expected plenty of spitting and my plan was to ignore it and complete my mission. Unsure as to whether or not I have reacted in her favor to the about-to-spit look, I decided not to look her in the eye. Armed with protective gear--sunglasses and a visor--I marched into the pen with a clear mission and no pussy-footing around. In hind sight, perhaps this is exactly what |
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made the difference today. I walked right up to her and flung the lead across her shoulders. Mind you, she has not had the benefit of blue monkey training so throwing the lead across her shoulders was not expected to stop her like with Bucky. My intention was merely to have the lead available once I caught her myself...and is exactly how it went. The hard part was the stinkin' "dance" I had to do just like I used to do with Bucky. But once I caught her, hanging on till she stopped dragging me (hog-tying a calf comes to mind), I snapped the lead around her neck and led her to a fence where I could short-tie her. This was surprisingly easy. And so far, without a single spit incident...that I know of. Remember, I have on my armor and may not be aware just yet. Once short-tied to the fence I put on her halter. She did not object at all. Now what? Mission accomplished and in less than 10 minutes. So I attached the lead to the halter and walked her around the pen a little bit. Again, without incident. Certainly looks like my princess has returned. But time will tell. Without a battle she hasn't learned anything, she's only not objected. So sooner or later she will probably catch me off guard again. Meanwhile, little missy is going to wear the halter full-time again. There's probably some subdue affect it has. If so, I can use all the help I can get for the time being. The other thing is, I've been present in her life for yet another 6 weeks since the spit incident so that's just 6 weeks longer she's gotten to know me better. |
Chapter 25: Spit War, Day 8 After the success with Tawny two days ago I thought I'd skip a day before we continued "spit" training. Instead, yesterday was a Bucky day and we went on a walkabout in full gear. He had issues again with the older calves. He just does not get that they are behind a fence. HE can't get over a fence, where does he get the idea a calf can? We'll just resign and say he has cow issues. Don't we all have some kind of issue? I like alternating days. Yesterday Tawny wasn't having anything to do with me anyway. She remained in the outfield of their pasture and didn't seem to give a whip about greet-n-treat. Since it wasn't her day I gave it no never-mind. But something registered. I figured next time I worked with her I'd better be prepared for another one of her hissy-fits about doing something she didn't want to do. And boy did I read that right. I walked into the pen with a purpose today and she was in the outfield ignoring me again. So I did a greet-n-treat with Bucky and then marched out to herd her into the pen. I have missions now, remember? Bucky knew something was up so held back a little, yet still curious. You gotta love that about llamas. I shut him out of the pen and I'm quite sure they both knew what was ahead. I threw the lead over Tawny's shoulder with no problem. On these missions I still avoid eye contact so I don't do something inadvertently to reinforce her spitting. I'd rather not know about it. It really isn't all that bad, just a little stinky. I caught her and...SPIT. I KNEW it! Didn't I tell you I was expecting that? While I was fussing too long with the lead and then hooking it to the halter, I could hear the spitting but could feel nothing. A little whiff but not so bad. Could be my imagination but it seemed less and less frequent as I continued with my mission and perhaps it was because I was not reacting one little bit to it. I didn't even scold her. Once I hooked the lead to the halter I pulled her had down. Can't spit in a lowered head position. So the walking around the pen today was again cooperative. We'd just take a few steps, I'd say Whoa, and she'd get treats. Gotta make her think this is worth her while. Hopefully next week Tammie will be up for a walkabout and I can really make these lessons worth Tawny's while. Nevertheless, I should think that in a week she'd learn there's no sense in wasting good spit on me. I reported to Tammie at the end of our lesson. Two new pieces of information came my way. One is that they don't necessarily spit at something. Sometimes it's just straight up in the air which seems a little more passive-aggressive. In a herd they'd shoot it in the air just to indicate something's going on they don't like. I'd say this is what Tawny's been doing. The other thing is, they don't like the taste of it. Tammie has observed llamas cleaning out their mouths afterwards practically gagging on it. Good to know. All the more reason to believe that Tawny's wasted efforts to deter me will leave her with yet another reason to knock it off. |
