My llama didn't like it

“If you're not getting the behavior that you want, try something different."

"You're not going to like this part."

Uh oh.

"You have to put ointment in his eye 3 times a day."

The vet was right. I didn't like that part.

Nav liked it even less. 🦙 Think 300lb toddler.

The first time was troublesome - head throwing, squeezing the eye shut, moving his head as far away from me as possible (llamas have a long neck!)

I needed to re-think what I was doing.

A different hold on the halter? Nope

Not in a pen? Definitely no.

Then I tied his head down low with a short line. You see, if a llama has their head in the air, it's part of a flight or fight (sympathetic) response. By tying it low I was getting the parasympathetic response - you don't put your head down if there's a predator nearby.

By tying it short I helped him practice not throwing his head around.

It worked pretty well, and he was always happy to get his treats afterward. He also kept coming back three times a day for a week, so he wasn't traumatized. Trust me, if a llama doesn't want to get caught, the llama won't be caught.

If you're responding to something in a way that you don't like, how can you change your environment?

What can you do to practice responding in a way that is better?

Be curious and keep trying new ideas until you find something that works.