This llama had already been haltered once by someone else, and that did make it easier. Here, Bobra isn’t having much trouble getting her hands on him.

Once she has her arms around the llama’s neck, she gives him a nice firm massage with her fingers, while talking steadily to him in a reassuring manner.

She’s got the halter in her left hand below, and the llama is leaning into her, seemingly enjoying the continuing neck massage.

She’s moved the halter to below his head. Bobra calls this the slow motion haltering technique, as she doesn’t rush any of the steps.

Now the halter is approaching his face. He knows what she has in mind, since he has been haltered before.

And here she is sliding it up over his nose, but not making contact with his face yet.

Now that she finally has it where she wants it, she lets it touch his face. She is still massaging his neck a bit and also talking to him.

In the last shot in this sequence,  she is continuing to massage as she moves the halter around the back of his neck. She will clasp it in a moment.

To see a similar sequence with another young llama — a more reluctant one — watch the 2+ minute llama training video on the homepage of this site.  It’s a short snippet from the two-hour program we made with Bobra.

Can you handle your  llamas? It’s a great feeling to know that in an emergency, or anytime, you can work with your llamas.  Llama training gives you this confidence.

Or–if you don’t have llamas but are thinking of it–would you like to know how to do these things?

You can learn a tremendous amount about llama training from this DVD, Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith: What Every Llama Should Know. (A lot of people considering llamas have bought copies.)

Noted llama trainer Bobra Goldsmith has been training llamas for over 25 years. Her close attention to their behavior led her to develop training methods which are easy to use and respectful of the animals.

Now you can watch a couple of minutes of this video, right on the homepage of this site: Llama Training Video

Often llamas understand what you are asking of them after you have shown them only a few times. Once they understand, they tend to remember, much more quickly than dogs, for example.

Llamas are smart! Llama training can be tremendously enjoyable because of this. Bobra calls her workshops “Training Llamas for Willing Cooperation.”  Bobra and many alpaca owners have also used these techniques for training alpacas.

Would you like to try her techniques?

In just a few days, using Bobra Goldsmith’s llama training techniques, many people have trained llamas to:

• accept a halter
• walk easily with a lead rope
• load into a vehicle
• and perform other tasks.

We offer you the acclaimed two-hour program, Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith: What Every Llama Should Know.

We — well, mostly my husband Kelly Hart — produced this program, and we’ve sold hundreds of copies to llama owners all over the world at $65. Now we sell it as a DVD. Do note that since it was shot before digital video, the visual quality is not as good as it would be now. But the information is excellent.

This DVD retails for $39.95 but if you type in (or cut and paste) 82R2625S in the box for Discount Code, you get our internet price of $29.95.

“The program with Bobra Goldsmith has made an enormous impact on our training abilities. I am now able to halter and lead my llamas. I can’t say enough about this. It is incredible…

“I recommend it to everyone with llamas. It is a godsend to me. I tried so many things to get close to my llamas, but nothing worked till now. I am in heaven!!!”

–Linda Hann, USA, 2002

Proven Tips, Tools and Tactics for Training Llamas

On this DVD, Bobra provides information about llama training:

• specific methods for initial contact
• her “slow motion” technique of haltering
• leading with a light hand
• loading into vehicles
• kushing
• developing trust and willingness.

She works with both juvenile and adult llamas, including an untrained adult.

Bobra Goldsmith’s methods have been highly respected in the llama community for many years. She has been a mentor to many of us.

“Pioneer llama trainer Bobra Goldsmith… inspires with her words, sensitivity, and common sense wisdom.”

–Llama Life

“We don’t let anyone in the pens without viewing at least half the tape, so they can understand about how their own movements affect the llamas, the need to talk to them quietly, etc.”

– Llama owners, USA

Now available — only in DVD! This DVD retails for $39.95 but if you type in (or cut and paste) 82R2625S in the box for Discount Code, you get our internet special price of $29.95.

It’s also available through Amazon.com but not with our $10 off deal. Still, they give free shipping and it’s handy : Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith

Click to see the  table of contents for Llama Training with Bobra Goldsmith.

The legal stuff: handle and train llamas at your own risk.

You can benefit from Bobra’s years of llama driving experience. Topics include preparing the llama for driving, fitting the harness, the first driving lesson, the touch of the reins, ground driving, introducing the llama to the llama cart, riding in the llama cart, and safety. This program is rich in details.

We had no idea what the market would be when we made it, but it has sold very well. Bobra’s enthusiasm for llama driving is infectious!  It was originally made as a video but is not available in that format any more.

This DVD retails for $39.95 but if you type in (or cut and paste) 82R2625S in the box for Discount Code, you get our internet price of $29.95.

“As a training video, it is unparalleled. As a teacher, Ms Goldsmith is supreme.”-Llamas Magazine

Contents of the DVD

Times are in hours and minutes.

0:01 Introduction: goals in training and factors in choosing a llama.

0:08 PREPARING THE LLAMA FOR DRIVING
Catching routine and leading along the expected route.

0:11 FITTING THE HARNESS FOR THE FIRST TIME
Function and nomenclature, while showing the proper fit on a llama.
0:28 Removing the harness.
0:29 Proper fit of girth in relation to the llama’s legs.

0:31 THE FIRST DRIVING LESSON: LEARNING “WALK” AND “WHOA”
The helper’s role, and that of the driver, in ground driving.
0:32 Choosing a route.

0:35 A TECHNIQUE FOR LEARNING THE “TOUCH” OF THE REINS
0:37 Signals for control: reins, voice, and whip.
0:39 Example of initial ground driving to teach commands.
0:42 Length of lesson, and initial turning lesson

0:43 GROUND DRIVING ALONE: DEVELOPING FLEXIBILITY & OBEDIENCE
0:44 Training the llama to jog.
0:46 Developing the light touch on the reins.
0:48 How to hold the reins and whip.
0:51 Use of tugs or rings to keep reins low on a naughty llama.
0:54 Use of safety line. Practicing diagonals and circles.
0:55 Jester gets naughty and needs discipline.
0:58 Three commands: Stand, Easy, No.

1:01 INTRODUCING THE LLAMA TO THE CART FOR THE FIRST TIME
Attributes of various carts.
1:05 Hitching a cart to the llama: order of events.
1:10 Procedure for unhitching.
1:13 Example of initial introduction of llama to cart.
1:21 Using pole with a llama who is afraid of, or naughty about, the cart.
1:24 Using “fifth wheel” device for llamas who want to avoid the cart.

1:27 RIDING IN THE CART THE FIRST TIME
1:29 Walking behind the cart, with an assistant.
1:30 Getting into the cart the first time, with assistance.
1:32 Assistant joins driver in the cart.

DRIVING ALONE AND WITH OTHER LLAMAS
1:33 Where to drive: arena or parking lot.
1:35 Using a safety line and ground driving behind the cart.
1:36 Getting into the cart, still with the safety line.
1:37 Practicing the commands, speeds of travel, and praising the llama.
1:40 Practicing backing by standing in front of the llama.
1:42 Working around other llamas. Attributes of 4-wheel carts.
1:46 Balance of discipline and fun for the llama.

INTRODUCING THE LLAMA TO A NEW CART
1:48 Proper angle of the shafts; meeting horses.

1:49 DRIVING COMPETITION AT THE DENVER STOCK SHOW

1:56 FINAL COMMENTS
1:57 Credits

This DVD retails for $39.95 but if you type in (or cut and paste) 82R2625S in the box for Discount Code, you get our internet price of $29.95.

Bobra’s profound understanding of llamas is evident throughout this program. She and other people have also used these methods for alpaca training.

Here is a list of what you get. There’s atw0-minute  llama training video excerpt from this DVD  on the homepage of our site.

INTRODUCTION
1 min: What every llama should know
INITIAL CONTACT AND HALTERING
5 min: Initial contact with a young llama
7 min: Slow-motion haltering technique
9 min: Contact with and haltering a second young llama
12 min: How to hold the halter before putting it on
17 min: Contact with and haltering a third young llama
22 min: Desensitizing
LEADING
23 min: First leading lessons
AN UNTRAINED ADULT
36 min: Haltering and leading an adult for the first time
MORE ON HALTERING AND LEADING
43 min: How to adjust a halter
44 min: Second leading lesson, the three young llamas
50 min: Short-tying a llama for the first time
CATCHING RITUAL
52 min: The catching ritual with an adult male llama
LOADING IN VEHICLES
54 min: Preparing the vehicle
57 min: An adult male learns to load in a trailer and in a van.
KUSH TRAINING
1 hr, 2 min: Kushing (lying down) and getting up
GROOMING
1 hr, 5 min: Blowing with a leaf blower
1 hr, 6 min: Brushing
1 hr, 8 mins: Patting for desensitization
SOME ADULT LLAMAS DIFFICULT TO HALTER
1 hr 8 mins: A female puts her head down.
1 hr 10 mins: A tall male stretches up.
LEADING TIPS
1 hr, 13 mins: Getting a llama to run with you
1 hr, 14 mins: Lead rope under your elbow for pokey llamas
SOME USEFUL KNOTS
1 hr, 14 mins: Neck rope, clove hitch on post, Bobra’s bowline, quick-release knot
A COMPLETE TRAINING SEQUENCE WITH A YOUNG LLAMA
1 hr 18 mins: Catching, handling, haltering, first leading lesson
1 hr, 24 mins: A young male resists quite vigorously.
1 hr, 31 mins: Second lesson in leading
1 hr, 38 mins: Walking around obstacles
1 hr, 49 mins: Loading in a vehicle
CONCLUDING REMARKS

This DVD retails for $39.95 but if you type in (or cut and paste) 82R2625S in the box for Discount Code, you get our internet price of $29.95. (The discount box code is in the shopping cart, after you click on “buy now.”)