Goose afraid of me

[keith14]

Hi, I have a goose that's 5 weeks old so she's still a baby but I tried to let her swim and put her in the water but I didn't know she would get scared of the water so when she jumped out she kept running away from me. She's imprinted on me since I first got her and she still follows me but ever since I put her in the water, she always gets scared of my hands.

 

[keith14]

Hi, I have a goose that's 5 weeks old so she's still a baby but I tried to let her swim and put her in the water but I didn't know she would get scared of the water so when she jumped out she kept running away from me. She's imprinted on me since I first got her and she still follows me but ever since I put her in the water, she always gets scared of my hands.

Is she always going to be scared of my hands or will she get used to it again?

 

[Goosebaby]

She may not like being held, some don’t, but she’ll get more used to you and lose her fear if you don’t force it.

First swims are scary for a lot of goslings too, so it’s not really something to be concerned about.

If you’re reaching down to pick her up it creates a natural fear response, being low to the ground and slowly scooping upwards to pick them up is less scary, though it doesn’t guarantee that she won’t try to avoid it, some grow out of wanting to be held early.

 

[GeeseGoose]

She may not like being held, some don’t, but she’ll get more used to you and lose her fear if you don’t force it.

First swims are scary for a lot of goslings too, so it’s not really something to be concerned about.

If you’re reaching down to pick her up it creates a natural fear response, being low to the ground and slowly scooping upwards to pick them up is less scary, though it doesn’t guarantee that she won’t try to avoid it, some grow out of wanting to be held early.

Goosebaby said it well! If she is just shaken up after her first swim, she just might have lost a bit of trust for you. However, that should pass if you spend time around her. Don’t try to pick her up, just chill out and hang around with her.
My adult goose absolutely loves to be pet and picked up (and even walks up to me for pets,) but she wouldn’t let me pet her for a day after some relatives with younger kids wanted me to show them the flock. (They didn’t touch or harass them, but small people being a bit loud and getting a bit too close for their comfort.)
It was almost like “Eh, no pets- you brought all those strangers near me. Come back tomorrow.”

 

[keith14]

Goosebaby said it well! If she is just shaken up after her first swim, she just might have lost a bit of trust for you. However, that should pass if you spend time around her. Don’t try to pick her up, just chill out and hang around with her.
My adult goose absolutely loves to be pet and picked up (and even walks up to me for pets,) but she wouldn’t let me pet her for a day after some relatives with younger kids wanted me to show them the flock. (They didn’t touch or harass them, but small people being a bit loud and getting a bit too close for their comfort.)
It was almost like “Eh, no pets- you brought all those strangers near me. Come back tomorrow.”

Yeah but I have to pick her up when I put her back in her cage every night.

 

[Goosebaby]

Yeah but I have to pick her up when I put her back in her cage every night.

You can start offering her a treat before and after you scoop her up, she may not like being picked up but it will train her to tolerate it.

 

[keith14]

She runs away when I try to pick her up so I tried giving her a treat and instead of running away, she stopped but didn't come closer. It's impossible to pick her up without her running away but when I do pick her up she stays calm. I had her when she was born so that's probably why.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe if you sit down on the ground or on a low stool and show her the treats letting her come to you. Let her have the treat then scoop her up gently and place her in her cage. Just do everything slow and easy not fast and jerky.

 

[iturnknobs]

The pool was like molten lava delivered by satan the first time I threw them in. Now they love it. I ended up with a mated pair that follows me everywhere. When it starts to get dark they run to stay near me. I am their person. They DO NOT like being touched. I almost think that they instinctually know that hands can "grab" and it is a danger to them as far as "survival" goes. I love them more than any pet I've ever had and I know they love me(as much as a goose can). If I ever hatched geese again, I would handle them much more in order to acclimate them more to it. I'm sure all geese are different, but I think it's probably more likely that they don't end up being "cuddle bugs". Lead them to their night time coop with treats every night and you'll likely end up with the best gardening/yardwork buddies ever that you can walk down the street with as a conversation piece for/with the neighbors...hang in there through your first mating season. I thought I lost my buddies. All is good...now.