Week One Recap!

First time eating from my hand - having to reach out!

It's been a quiet week on the blog, but an active one in the barn!  We don't have a real barn, but you know what I mean.  We are all trying to get to know each other and I'm learning that trust is not built over night or over a week.

I am learning that they are gentle and I must be gentle with them.  No more tugging at their necks, no more trying to force them to walk with me, but rather learning about them and their personality and gently showing them what I expect from them and what they can expect from me.  This is key!

Coming closer for food!

They are eating out of my hand, but they are still very frightened of me.  The slightest move and they're at the other end of the pen.  We have kept them in the pen except for walks this week, but I'm going to let them out into their pasture today and hope that they will come back in to the pen when I offer them their special pellets.  The hay is also located in the pen, so with the gates open, I'm hoping that they will now just come and go and we'll only close them in when necessary. We have redone gates, changed configuration of the pen and spent hours on the internet - thank God for all who have shared information and videos on working with alpacas.

Taking Sammy's picture and he just moved right up to the lens!

I've ordered two books to help me learn how to build trust, halter without threatening them and so we're going to relax for a few days and then begin again with a new concept in training.  I need to learn as much as they do and so, we will learn together.  Mostly they need to know that I will never hurt them and that will come, it just isn't going to happen as soon as, or like I thought it would.

Time will make all the difference and so time it will be!  They are so beautiful and really sweet guys, they're just not dogs or even cats when it comes to loving their master!  They are domesticated livestock and are unable to protect themselves except by running, and so it doesn't come natural to trust even those who feed them. I have to earn their trust and I will! Just as you see in the picture of Sammy, they are very inquisitive!  They check out everything and have now started  coming up to me to sniff my jacket even when I don't have food.  I just have to stand still and allow them to approach me!  Not easy for me, but essential for them!

Stay tuned for more pictures to come and updates on our training successes - mine and theirs!  :)