Author:
Michelle Arnold

Date of Publication:
December 2005

Publication:
New Zealand Alpaca Magazine, December 2005, pp. 53-55

Excerpt:
There are different methods to use when training alpacas. This is one way to approach training which I have found successful after training over 70 alpacas. Fear of the unknown is paramount in the mind of the alpaca. Their normal line of defence is either flight (running away from) fright (standing rigid) or kushing (sitting down). These are normal ways for alpacas to cope with the stress of training. Using a non-confrontational and non-threatening approach to training allows your animal to trust you and makes it much more pleasant and rewarding. By not wrestling every time you put a halter on an alpaca, you avoid the possibility of hurting yourself or the animal. It is time-consuming and patience is needed, but the benefits of having an alpaca that happily accepts the halter and leads easily far outweigh the disadvantage of the time involved. Your alpaca will have self control when being handled or attending shows etc. and be more marketable for the pet market.

Read the rest of the article: https://www.alpaca.org.nz/index.php/download_file/view/1078/319/