Camelidynamics, Computers and Camelids

By Marty McGee Bennett
Reprinted from the Llama Living Newsletter, December 2008

Like it or not, I spend as much or more of my time at a computer these days as I do working with camelids. Based on many conversations, I believe I am not alone. Computers are a fact of life, or vocabulary is peppered with new words that didn't exist even twenty years ago. People often come to camelids from disparate walks of life, many with no previous livestock experience, but with a wealth of life experience – much of it on the computer. In my work, teaching, training, and handling techniques, I often think in and use metaphors and analogies as a way of helping people relate to the concepts I am teaching.

I began to think about how the problems and solutions we encounter on our computer screens hit the handling nail right on the head (metaphor intended)! Who hasn't been caught in "screen saver" mode with mouth hanging open and eyes a bit glazed? How many boomers are feeling like the sum total of their life experience is leaving their brain/hard drive a bit dull and in need of "defragging?"

While struggling with a computer issue the other day, I made the decision that I was not going to fix the problem and could live with a "work around." Later that day, I was having lunch with a friend and alpaca breeder. We were discussing a male alpaca she owns — we will call him "Oscar." Oscar has been to several sessions of Camelidynamics Camelid Camp. Camelids come to camp for four days with their name clearly marked on their undies and their favorite snack. The human students work with the assembled animals and amazing transformations take place with both four and two-legged. The last day is "parent's day" and the owners arrive in the afternoon to pick up their animals, learn about what we have been working on, and how to continue where we leave off.

While Oscar has made progress in many areas, his basic issue of extreme halter resistance persists. It occurred to me that a "work around" was not only practical, but also the best and safest course of action. Tackling a problem like this head on (pun intended) with repetition is akin to picking a scab or, to use the computer metaphor, is just exactly like the endless loops we find ourselves in when the same warning window appears each time we execute the same set of commands. It is no more logical to assume that an animal will magically change with rote repetition than to think that a computer will fix itself just because we are frustrated and want it to. Just as with a computer, if you don't like what you get when you hit a key, don't keep hitting that key.

The more we humans insist on getting a halter on by wrestling and fighting, the more we unwittingly teach the alpaca to resist more effectively. Oscar is an animal that is determined that he will not wear a halter unless he has no other choice. He is a big male, is very strong and agile, and is extremely frightened. My guess is that he is a victim of a particularly unpleasant early haltering experience — perhaps innocently forced into a halter that didn't fit with a disastrous first leading experience or tied. A young animal in a halter that doesn't fit, that panics on a lead, is tied to a static object, or can easily pull the halter off of the nose bone. In this case, the halter can compress the cartilage and partially or fully block the airway. When animals can't breathe, they panic and struggle, ironically needing even more of what they can't get – AIR. When this happens accidentally, it is unfortunate, however the deliberate training practice of haltering weanling alpacas or llamas and tying them to a fence to let them "sort it out" is not a safe training shortcut in my opinion. The downside risk is creating what I call a "drowning victim."

Drowning victims are petrified of "THE HALTER" and will hurt themselves and anyone that tries to make them wear one and, just like Oscar, they are often very reasonable with other aspects of management. Once haltered, Oscar is a dream to lead, easy to trim toenails and, surprisingly, once in balance, he will accept touch all over his face, nose, and mouth. Issues that involve haltering or surprise movements around his head will cause this fellow to react suddenly and violently and he has connected more than once with the head of a person working with him.

We can't simply decide to never touch this animal again — it is time to accept a work around! (options below)

• To put a halter on and leave it on. In some cases, the best way to do this may be with a sedative. Once haltered, we must periodically check the safety and comfort of the halter and make sure that the pasture is as safe as it can be...no hooks or wires left sticking out, etc. This is not a perfect solution, but it is a good option for an animal that must be shown or transported and a halter is not optional.
• Use a different way of managing that doesn't involve a halter. As it turns out, this is a perfectly fine solution for Oscar.

I firmly believe that this and many issues can benefit from a "work around." For example, when alpacas or llamas become absolutely unreasonable and determined that they will not allow a human to touch their legs, I teach people to trim toenails while the animal is standing on them. Simply use the nippers to trim off the overgrown part of the toenail without picking the foot up at all. Trimming toenails on the ground is a compromise to be sure, but a perfectly fine "work around" and a perfectly acceptable alternative to a knock down drag out fight.

Using a sedative when doing things that animals cannot tolerate without high levels of restraint is another "work around" that is absolutely reasonable and can be far safer in the long run. In order for a camelid to let go of "looped behaviors" we must figure out a way to get the job done without doing things that reinforce the behaviors we wish to eliminate.

In the case of Oscar (and many more drowning victims that I have had the opportunity to work with), he is easy to lead and very cooperative. My suggestion for this fellow is to manage him using containment. Oscar can be led using a long lead rope attached to a collar placed as high on his neck as possible. This provides a reasonable amount of leverage and control. He can also be wormed, receive injections, and be shorn without using a halter. If he is to be used for breeding, the female can be brought to him or the owners can use a laneway to herd him to a neutral breeding pen or use a combination of a lead rope attached to the top of the neck, offering a reasonable amount of leverage and laneways to get him where he needs to go.

There are other computer metaphors that can help us understand our decidedly animate companions.

SYSTEM FREEZES: Ask an animal for too much too soon or to do too many things at one time, and we overload the system (think high strung weanling at a huge show) and it freezes. It is more efficient and safer to do periodic maintenance and ask for less… but when the system freezes there is nothing to be done but shut down and begin again.

Backing up to much easier tasks with an animal can help to re-boot. When working with animals that are very resistant to having their toenails trimmed, I will often ask the animal to pick up and IMMEDIATELY put the foot down. I repeat this 15-20 times per foot before asking the animal to allow me to hold the foot up for even a second or two. Repetition of this SUCCESSFUL behavior will build lost confidence in the handler and reboot the behavior.

FIXES: When attempting to diagnose a problem, it may be better to address one thing at a time instead of the more scattershot approach we often take to problem solving. Trying too many files at the same time may result in a system crash or if you do manage to fix the problem, you won't know which fix or combination of fixes did the trick.

USER ERROR: Computer problems are just about always a result of user error, but we humans love to swear at and blame the machine. The same thing is true of our relationship with our animals… handler error is the cause of 99.9% of the difficulties we have with our wooly buddies and, just like a computer, animals don't lose any sleep over our decision that isn't their fault! The sooner we realize that we bear the responsibility, the sooner we can set about figuring out the solution.

GARBAGE IN / GARBAGE OUT: As wonderful as a computer is, the quality of the output is only as good as the input. Handle your animals well and you train them to do good things, handle your animals badly and you train them to do bad things. Using methods that are unkind and disrespectful seldom result in a truly good solution.

INCOMPATIBILITY: Load a Mac program on a PC or try to use a program that is too big for the capacity of the RAM, and incompatibility becomes a problem. Some animals and some owners are just not a good fit and there is no shame in making that decision. One person's bane can be another's blessing. Some animals do better in a large herd, others in a small herd. Some camelids are not cut out for the show ring regardless of how lovely they look. Some males are too aggressive to live in company, while others are too easy going to be good breeders. Some females are not good mothers. Some animals are not appropriate for new owners. Recognizing and then accepting that you have an incompatibility issue can give you peace of mind.

That just about exhausts my list of computer comparisons. I think I will say so long, happy handling, and go outside on this beautiful day to spend some quality time with my llamas and alpacas!

Did you read the Camelid Companion and think, "Finally, THIS is how I want to handle my llamas or alpacas!" Did you come to a clinic and get really excited about the techniques, but then lose touch with the ideas and your commitment to them after you got home? Have you had problems with an animal and wanted the counsel from someone that understands the way YOU want to do things? Do you want to learn more about kind, efficient, respectful, and fun handling? Do you want to teach others the Camelidynamics approach? Consider the Camelidynamics Guild! For more information about Marty McGee Bennett and Camelidynamics visit www.camelidynamics.com.

Haltering the Untouched Llama

By Gary Kaufman, Roads End Llamas, Reprinted from the SELR Newsletter, Vol. 2 Issue 3, June 2008

One of the hardest processes I have to deal with is trying to define any given llama's spatial 'comfort zone' during any training session. If you have the ability to, create a large space, round, square, or any shape you can create fine. It's not the shape that's important at this time, just working within a space.

Time is your friend, and llama time and people time are not the same thing. The other thing that is surprisingly critical is that you keep breathing and BE CASUAL. These guys live and die by understanding the nature of body language, and anything that is interpreted as threatening will be. If you move around in your regular life briskly during tasks, keep that same pace when with him; if you are a 'slow mover' then move slow when you are with him during training. Be consistent.

So... llama is in big space with YOU in the center. Angled facing towards his head, just behind his ribcage off his flank and he should walk forward or angle away from where you are standing. Keep distance and don't chase, just 'move him out' with your body. Angled facing towards his head a bit but more off his front shoulders and with the right space between you and him, he should stop moving. Do it all slowly and from a reasonable distance. The minute he stops moving, start watching his feet, say a command ["AND STAND"] BEFORE he shifts his weight or moves a foot, then take a half step backwards, turn around and walk away. Remember the distance that was between the two of you, go get a cup of coffee and give him a very small amount of something he likes to eat in a bowl. Come back after your coffee, but BEFORE he starts stressing about being confined, and do it one more time. See if that space of his standing can shrink a bit. If it doesn't, oh well, if it does COOL. Walk away, feed him a bit more and call it a day, unless you think he is ready for more. Each time, shrink that space until you think you are close enough to touch him. When you can reach out and touch him, that is literally all you do; reach out touch him with a quick stroke and walk away. I wouldn't do it all in one day by any stretch of the imagination, but I've seen it done in under an hour with some pretty wild guys. At some point during the process, he will eventually turn into you when you turn your back and start walking away. That is a good sign. You are building a relationship of trust and leadership.

When you get to the point where he is willing to let you be within a 10 foot area, you could certainly shrink the space a bit and keep on going. The objective is to make him a willing partner in the process of being touched and handled. Then you deal with the halter.

Time, time, time and being consistent are going to be the allies in your partnership. I'm not sure I would even make this an everyday thing, but every time you have the opportunity to just "touch him" take it. You aren't trying to do any-thing. Just walk by, reach out and brush some part of his body without even stop-ping to breath.

It's hard to explain verbally, but if you ever watch horse training shows, you can apply this to that process. When you watch, listen or attend a Cathy Spalding clinic, John Mallon clinic, or Marty McGee-Bennett clinic, the single common thread you will find in all of them, although they all call it different stuff, is your positioning and placing yourself in a location of control of the space, AND using your body to assist the animal in understanding what you want him to do. That is decidedly different from what you DON'T want them to do. I suggest that you check out your local llama association. They have a lending library for members I assume, but will also probably be able to assist you with someone who is a member and might live nearby.

Basic Training From Nose to Toes!

By Shari Templeton, Ridge Mist Llama & Alpaca Supplies

Perhaps the scariest and saddest attitude or practice we encounter, on an all too regular basis, is that of well-intentioned llama owners who believe they are properly fitting halters when they are not and the common practice of ignoring overgrown nails. The serious neglect of proper care for nails and noses is not reserved for the new owners or those transferring their livestock practice from one breed to another. Many long time llama owners and breeders fail to attend to these incredibly important aspects of camelid life.

When to Halter Train

On our own farm, halter training a young llama occurs in stages. First we fit them to a halter in the confines of a small area-- typically when they are three to five months old and while mom is eating her daily grain ration. We repeat this step three times in a week period. Each time the llama wears the halter for just 5 to 15 minutes, and no attempt is made to attach a lead. We believe llamas have the least difficultly in accepting a lead rope if they are walked with mom (and mom only) at an age in which they are still emotionally dependent on mom. Ideally, two handlers should be involved so that the cria has a personal trainer. The first walks consist of a trip around the lawn alongside the security of mom. Once the cria begins the social separation from mom, stage three begins. We will walk the cria/weanling with an older sibling or another cria/weanling now, exposing them to short stints slightly off the confines of the farm as they know it, e.g., a short walk on a road, into a nearby unfenced pasture, along a wooded trail.

Fitting a Halter

A well-fitting halter is vital to both the safety and comfort of your animal. Halters should be strong yet flexible so as not to cause abrasions on the nose, chin, or behind the cars. A properly fit halter (fig. 1) is one in which the noseband is high on the nose and somewhat close to the eyes without risking the movement into the eye if a quick pull occurs. Two to three fingers should fit comfortably between the chin of the animal and the bottom of the chinstrap... no more, no less. The headpiece should be high and just below the ears. It should not slide down the neck at all. Avoid the extremes: a halter that is too tight restricts the ruminant's ability to chew cud while a halter that is too loose is a disaster waiting to happen. A loose halter may slide down into the danger zone of a llama's nose, i.e., that area of the nose that is only supported by cartilage and not bone (fig. 2), resulting in llama panic and suffocation. If a training session is long or difficult, the fit of the halter should be checked periodically, as it is possible for adjustable halters to slip in a struggle.

While x-style halters may work for trained llamas, they should not be used while training a lama. Should the animal pull, the noseband tightens and could result in panic. During training, any tension felt in the halter should be felt on the back of the head (on the headpiece strap).

Halters should never be left on for extended periods of time. The only exception to this may be while traveling, at a show, or at an event. In these cases, it may be in the best interest to leave a halter on for the safety of the animal should there be an accident or an escape where an animal would need to be moved quickly or caught. At these times, it may also be necessary to give them a hair more than the two to three finger rule of space to encourage them to relax enough to chew their cud comfortably.

Nail Trimming

Nail needs vary tremendously from animal to animal, and from farm to farm, depending on the individual animal's nail growth rates and depending on the types of surfaces the animal typically walks over. All too often, we have visited farms where nails are beginning to curl under, impeding the entire process of picking up a llama's foot to work on it because the owner lacks the knowledge of how to trim the nails. The clear implication is that if the owner is a breeder, animals will be sold without training the buyer in basic foot care and a new generation of neglect is begun!

We were originally taught how to trim nails by a veterinarian from the Baltimore Zoo while at a GALA conference years ago. The best advice we received was in how to plant one human leg between the two llama legs (whether front or rear) while facing the rear of the lama. This leg serves several purposes: it lets the llama know who is in charge, it is less stressful to the llama due to the added support of his/her body while on three legs, and it positions the owner closely so that the foot is easily accessible. The front leg can be grasped comfortably and folded so that the foot is face up. Nail clippers then lie on the pad of the foot while clipper tips face the rear of the animal. First, snip off either side of the nail, then snip off the tip in two to three swipes. Lastly, we snip off a tad extra from the very tip. The finished nails should be even with the pad. Don't panic at the sight of blood. The quick tends to grow downward and it is not uncommon to catch a bit of the quick. If bleeding does not stop shortly, more attention may be required. When trimming the rear legs, be sure to tuck the leg (hock joint) strongly into your own body while firmly grasping the lower portion (fetlock joint) for trimming; our animal will relax sooner with a firm immobilization of his/her leg. Most animals have a preferred side; start there.

Camelid Handling Tricks of the Trade, Or Don't Cut Off A Piece of Perfectly Good Ham!

By Marty McGee Bennett, Cool Camelids

You would think that human beings would just naturally do things the easy way. As it turns out, we don't. Instead we often do things the way we were shown how to do them the first time. This is not necessarily the easiest or best way. I am reminded of a story… A woman is getting ready for Easter dinner and is busy cutting off the ends of the ham before putting it in the huge roasting pan. Her daughter is watching and asks, "Why are you cutting off the ends? There isn't anything wrong with the ham you are cutting off." The woman says to her daughter, "You know, now that you are asking...I don't know why. This is the way Grandma showed me how to prepare the ham for roasting and I have always done it that way." They both decided to find out why when Grandma arrived that afternoon. When asked about the mystery technique, she said, "My roasting pan was never big enough to hold the ham."

In my experience, I see an awful lot of people using training and handling techniques that are just as nonsensical, and for the same reason. The person who sold them their first alpaca or llama did it that way--so they do too.

You need not begin reading this article at the beginning or keep reading until the end. You don't have to understand or agree with any particular training or handling philosophy. The following list is a compilation of tricks of the trade that will help you work magic with your animals immediately. Newcomers to the camelid business will want to laminate this article and put it in the barn. If you have been at the camelid game for a while, you may already have figured out some of this, but read carefully. You may find one or two nuggets of wisdom to add to your "toolbox."

Herding

• Using a special word, noise or whistle to call your animals into the barn at mealtime is a great way of getting them in the barn--but be aware of the dangers of creating a "calling" pattern. Periodically call the camelids in at two in the afternoon or ten at night and give them food when you do. You won't be faced with a group of cute, clever camelids looking at their watches and shaking their little heads when you holler the magic word at the wrong time of day.
• When threatened, an animal's first choice is to get away--the flight response. All mental circuits are focused on finding an escape route. Herding a group of animals is actually the same as creating an escape route for the animals that suits you. Camelids will instinctively orient themselves so that they have a forward escape route relative to any perceived threat. Before you begin herding, look at the process from this perspective and block all exits, except the one leading to the desired location.
• When moving animals into or through small spaces, and particularly when moving around frightened or shy animals, be aware that you are larger than you think. Remember… to a camelid, you are as big as the physical space that you occupy and your reach (reach=your body and the length of your arms). You will make major points with your animals, especially nervous ones, if you keep yourself at a safe distance as you work around them.
• When sorting animals, it is helpful to have two or more levels of confinement. Small catch pens that join a slightly larger area are much more useful than a single, tiny catch pen in the corner of a huge pasture. It will be much easier to herd the animals into the secondary container. There will always be those animals that sneak by when you are working them into the smaller catch pen; with an intermediate container you will not have to start over in the big field.
• If your pasture is too big to manage alone, you can build a temporary fence in the middle of the pasture to create an area you can work with. Fiberglass fence posts and nylon tape make a visible barrier and can be taken down easily for pasture maintenance. You may be able to manage smaller pastures with a length of rope or flat nylon tape (40 feet works well). Simply tie the rope or tape to the corner of the pen, walk out with it, and round up the animals.
• When herding with more than one human, both herders must remember the effect of their reach. Gate tenders should stay as far out of the way as possible. You would be amazed at the difference one giant step backwards will make. At clinics I have helped someone move an animal that was absolutely stuck simply by asking a bystander to move back a bit and open a gate slightly. Your camelids are acutely aware of human anatomy and will pass easily if the human is more than an arm's length away from the path the animals must take. It also is better if your gate tender is standing behind the gate instead of on the animals' side of the gate. It feels safer for the animals to pass through a gate if the gate is located between the human and the critters.

Catching

• Use a catch pen! Build or buy panels to create a sturdy, safe, confined area approximately 10' x 10' in a convenient spot accessible from your pastures. Herd your animals to this pen each time you halter or work with them. If you have any trouble with any particular technique or task while working in the pen, try making it smaller by stacking bales of hay inside the pen.
• Try catching difficult animals (wild or spitty animals in particular) in the pen by tying a rope to the end of a stick (a four-foot dowel will work). Use the stick to guide the rope over the head. Once the rope is around the neck you can control the head, but still allow your animal to move within the catch pen. Use the rope to steady your animal as you walk up to him with the halter.

Haltering

• If your animal is having difficulty with initial halter training, try this: Buckle the crown piece of your halter in its largest hole and offer this large opening as if it were the noseband of the halter. Sometimes a few practice attempts with this much larger opening can pave the way for actually putting the noseband over the nose.
• Check your halter fit! Halters that don't fit are dangerous, create behavioral problems, and don't work well for their intended purpose. Your halter is probably lacking if the noseband cannot be adjusted. A properly fitting halter rides up high on the nose bone close to the eye and stays there regardless of what the animal does or doesn't do. A properly fitting halter is safe and comfortable. The noseband rests firmly on bone and stays there, NO MATTER WHAT. There is enough room in the noseband for the animal to chew without interference.
• Before you put any halter on, always open the noseband so that it is larger than you think you need. Snug up the crown piece--tighter for animals with smaller heads. Take the slack out of the noseband. Larger animals need more room. Always physically examine the nose bone before you put a halter on an animal you don't know. Some animals have shorter than average nose bones. Recheck halter fit after about ten minutes—especially when haltering alpacas in full fleece.

Leading/Loading

• If you pull steadily on your llama or alpaca, he will pull steadily back. You and your animal will be counterbalanced. No productive movement will result from this counterbalance. Camelids learn very quickly to widen their stance, drop their head and grow roots. Llamas and alpacas commonly learn to cush as a reaction to the steady pull. Use intermittent signals with a mini release in between each signal and continue giving them until the animal loses his balance and moves.
• Use a longer lead for initial lead training. I like a lead that is about 17 feet long. Getting further away makes your camelid feel safer and more likely to try walking with you. If he does bolt, you have more lead time to react with a longer lead.
• If you have a long narrow aisle way, use it for your first few leading lessons. You can keep control of your animal more easily, and leading in a long narrow pen encourages your camelid to walk in a straight line behind you rather than all over the place.
• When showing a llama or alpaca, help him stand still by watching for weight shifts in the front half of the body. Pay very close attention to the front feet and use your lead to keep the weight evenly distributed on both front legs. If the animal's weight is more over the right leg, move the head and neck to the left and release--weight over the left leg, move the head and neck over the right leg and release. You must correct and release or your animal will begin to lead on the lead rope and you will end up fighting with him. Your camelid will be much more likely to stand still using this technique than if you try to hold him still using force.
• Do you have an alpaca or llama that has trouble paying attention on the lead? Try walking him over 5-6 parallel poles on the ground spaced about 3 feet apart. This will often help a scattered animal learn to slow down and focus.
• Loading a difficult camelid: Most llamas or alpacas would rather not get into a confined space with a human and will load in a trailer or other conveyance much better if they can get into the trailer themselves without being led in. Spot the trailer by the entrance to a barn and use panels to block any exit other than the trailer door. Herd the animals into the trailer. It will be much easier to herd a group of animals into the trailer releasing the ones you don't need rather than trying to load a single frightened animal intent on getting back to the group.

Management

• Try giving subcutaneous injections using the group method. Put as many camelids as you can into your catch pen. The animals will feel safer in a group, making the job easier from a pure-y psychological point of view. But the advantages don't stop there. With enough animals in the pen, you don't have to restrain the animals as you give the injection. The shot recipient can't move very much because of the crowd of other camelids. Stand behind the animal's eye on the side of the animal closest to the center of the pen, and use an injection site in the front half of the body—the crease of the neck works well. This is not only easier for the animals, but also a real time saver for the manager.
• Add a butt board to your chute! Tie a frightened camelid in a chute by the head and he will more than likely throw himself around, flip over, end up forward of the shoulder restraints, or lie down. A camelid's long neck makes it difficult and dangerous to restrain him by the head. Add a rear barrier to your chute, tie your animal loosely, and your chute becomes a very tiny catch pen instead of a restraint device. Camelids will remain calmer when contained than when restrained. Always double check halter fit when using a chute!
• Don't have a chute? If you have a trailer, use it for the chores that you would normally do in a chute.
• Are you nervous about giving an injection for the first time? Forget the orange; practice on a chicken! Get a whole chicken at the grocery store with the SKIN ON. Practice both sub-Q and IM injections with a variety of substances. Soy sauce is just about like Tetanus C/D; honey is very similar to Ivermectin. Try a variety of needle sizes. You will get a much more accurate idea of what to expect on a real animal. You can even bake and eat your chicken after you practice.
• Difficulties picking up feet to trim toenails? Don't bother picking up the feet at all! Stand your camelid on a rubber mat or concrete pad and trim the long parts of the toenail while the animal stands on his feet. It may not be the perfect answer, but it is possible to do a fair job of trimming toenails this way and this technique can keep you out of a fight with your camelid. A helper can steady the animal as you squat down and work. If your animal kicks, you may want to use a panel as a boundary reaching under the bottom rail to trim. Another alternative for quieter alpacas... steady the animal by putting your hand on the shoulders or hips while reaching down with the other hand to trim. When using this technique, it is best to nibble away at the nails rather than taking off big hunks. Pruning style toenail trimmers work best for this technique. I have even used long handled limb pruners on very long toenails. With these long handled pruners, I don't even have to bend over!

Husbandry

• If you ever have to milk a female camelid, this trick comes in very handy. Cut off the needle end of a 20cc syringe and insert the plunger in the wrong end-- the end you just cut off. You now have a breast pump. You can put the smooth end with the rim up against the teat, draw back with the plunger and you are milking away.
• Work with your babies early (three to four days old) and often (once a week) in the first three months. Five minutes per session is enough. Work in a catch pen with mother present; handle the mouth, tail and legs while the baby stands in balance unrestrained. Allow the baby to move freely in the catch pen and move with him as you work.
• Correct young camelids that don't respect proper boundaries. Male or female camelids that pull on your clothes, make physical contact with you, or stand in your way without yielding the right of way are heading down a dangerous path. Don't encourage this behavior and learn more about how to respond appropriately. 

And finally… Whatever you are doing, remember to breathe!

More information and details on these and other training and handling techniques are available in the past columns of Camelid Quarterly and Marty's book, "The Camelid Companion." For more information about Camelidynamics, Marty and TTEAM visit www.camelidynamics.com.