I'm part way through the second course, so I've been practicing escape route techniques, and now am working on catching my alpacas with a wand and catch rope. One question I have, is what happens BEFORE all of the videos in the course? In the online courses, all of the videos start with alpacas in the pen, but that itself is a challenge worth discussing and quite a daunting task for a new alpaca owner. I feed my alpacas in or near the pen each day, but there are two timid ones who like to stand outside the pen. I have five in total. Later in the day, I can easily bribe about three of them back in with food, but the timid ones often don't want to come near the pen, even for a treat. I really work hard to move slowly and build trust, because I want the alpacas to be comfortable and happy. Yesterday, I coaxed a timid one and a confident one into the pen (with no food! I was so excited) and when I turned around to pick up my wand, they broke free. They ripped the door out. (I need to get rid of the door. I knew that already but it is so lovely and convenient I was being stubborn.) What advice do you have for getting alpacas into a pen?
