Hello All! Hope everyone is doing well. I have a training question and knew just right where to come. I operate a cattle farm full time so fairly knowledgeable about cows in general in most subjects except trying to gentle a halter calf. I understand horse behavior and most of cattle behavior, but it's certainly a lot different working cattle down an alley into a chute than trying to make a pet.
Background is the calf I bottle raised. It is a Braunvieh calf (swiss beef breed) and pretty pushy/cocky heifer about 5 months old and 500 lbs. She is dog gentle as far as people oriented and wanting attention from people, etc. but just like a horse that was cuddled too much as a baby when you combine her natural temperament of being a little rowdy and full of herself she tends to crowd me bad. Especially during feeding time, pushing into me, etc. Not an issue on an every day basis and if I was going to turn her out with the herd, I wouldn't care. This one my daughter wants to keep as a pet. I have the calf leading fairly well. She will follow pretty well, but again she will walk with her head touching my back legs. Don't know if that is due to a feeling of security she is getting from me, or being pushy. Cows are physically tougher than horses in my experience and more stubborn. So outside of being too physical with her, didn't know if you guys have tips that have trained oxen, etc. I see the ppl that work oxen always carrying a stick. I may know why now. :)

I carry a piece of garden hose and whack them with that when they get in my space. Their mothers don't put up with that nonsense, so I don't, either. Horses and cattle understand physical as long as it is fair. With horses, bottle raised babies are the most dangerous domestic equines out there because people ooh and aah over them and don't teach them respect. I've raised and trained two bottle calves successfully by setting boundaries and sticking to them. That is a tiny number, of course.

I am no cattle expert, but I know horses. When my jersey got pushy and too friendly, I figured I'd use horse techniques....I taught her to respect my "circle" of space, and not come in uninvited. For about a week, I carried my training stick ( a whip would work), and every time she crossed the invisible line I had designated as my circle boundary, I smacked her and made her back up. I only had to do it a couple of times, and she stopped. The great thing was that it totally carried over to her interactions with my kiddos, unlike a horse, who tests everyone to find their place.

Quick note: Don't get confused about the stick that oxen people carry. That is a goad, and is used for communicating trained oxen but is not the same use as my garden hose.

Nothing to add to the good advice posted here, except that your training job will be easier if at first you build a routine around it that has water or feed, perhaps a nice pasture down the lane or road, at the end of the session, so the animal has the sense of a purpose for the process, and a reward at the end of it. It's the same technique my wife used on me long ago to be able to lead me around anywhere by the nose, to this day.

On a dairy, typically all calves are bottle fed. Training to lead is always going on here, between foals and dairy calves and kid goats. If you make a routine, stick to it with timeliness each day, they fall in step with good manners very well, and much more quickly than a catch-as-catch-can approach.

Thank you to all that responded and for the sound advice!