Llamas and Llama Training
Llamas and Llama Training
Llamas are intelligent animals who make wonderful hiking companions (they carry the load) and all-around friends. I call them "friends" because they have such a zest for life, and so much curiosity about what is going on around them, that they are a delight to be with. They don't typically get attached to you in quite the way dogs do; it's more like the stereotype of the companionship of cats.... though I've had some mighty attached cats! But you get the idea.
Llamas are easily trained. Often about the fourth or fifth time you show a llama something you want it to do, like climb into a van or horse trailer, it understands. Try that with most dogs!
They get a lot of bad press for spitting, which they rarely do.
Photo credit: I took this one. That's my favorite llama, Lil Bit. She had a tremendous spirit. She lived a very long and happy life, too!
Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith
What Every Llama Should Know
Can you handle llamas? It's important to be able, so that you can get them to do what they need to. For example, if there is an emergency or if you want to go hiking with one.
This DVD can teach you a lot of the essentials. We produced it with noted llama trainer Bobra Goldsmith, and I've lost track of how many we've sold over the years. A lot of them went to people who were thinking of getting llamas and wanted to know what was involved.
Here are some of the things llamas learn to do, with the help of the DVD. (Sorry, you can't just show it to the llamas!)
* accepting your putting a halter on them
* walking easily with a lead rope, not pulling... they seem to naturally be better at this than dogs are
* loading into a vehicle, like a van, or into a stock trailer
Often llamas get what you are wanting them to do after you have shown them just a few times. Once they have it, they tend to keep it. They are amazingly smart! Llama training can be tremendously fun because of this. Bobra called her workshops "Training Llamas for Willing Cooperation."
Bobra and many alpaca owners have also used these techniques for training alpacas.
That's Bobra there with our girl Blossom. Photo credit: My husband Kelly Hart took that one.
Where You Can Buy the DVD - This link goes to our website; see below for getting it on Amazon.
- Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith DVD
You can buy it here, or find out more about it.
Llama Training on YouTube - A Selection from Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith: What Every Llama Should Know
In a couple of minutes you can get a sense of what's involved in working with a rather reluctant young llama. This video shows llama trainer Bobra Goldsmith approaching and haltering the young llama, with her helpful commentary.
LLama LLinks
- DVDs, books, and information on llamas
This site includes the full text of a book I wrote on llamas: "Living with Llamas." It also has DVDs on llama training (I've linked to one below), llama tshirts and other items from Cafepress, and more. There is now a free ebook available of "Livin - Llama entry at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
More general background on llamas. - Llama training
Article on my llamas site about how llama training is easy to learn, how it's important to learn, and the variety of methods that work in training llamas.
Training Llamas to Drive - No, not cars! Teach them to drive to cart!
Would anyone want to drive with llamas, we wondered when we first thought of producing a program on how to do it. The answer turned out to be yes, and this has been one of the most popular llama programs that we created.
- Training Llamas to Drive, DVD with Bobra Goldsmith
This detailed DVD goes into all aspects of driving llamas to cart: how to train, selecting carts, safety, etc.
Here's the cover of our llama driving DVD.
If you click on the image, it will take you to a page on my website about llamas where the DVD contents are described and listed.
Photo credit: Video cover by Kelly Hart
Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith DVD at Amazon
This is the same program we sell from our website, but it's often more convenient to get it at Amazon.
Please note that if you click through to Amazon.com from here and if you buy something, Squidoo and I may share a commission, at no cost to you. Clicking on some of the other links might also yield me some commission. I appreciate the income, as it enables me to spend time doing writing like this.