Johnson: Goats increasingly popular pets

There is little doubt that the Internet — viral videos and memes to be specific — has helped with their gain in popularity and reputation as a downright cute critter. After all, it’s pretty hard to resist an adorable bouncing baby Pygmy goat.

The reality is, however, not only is the relationship between goats and humans not a new thing, it’s one of the oldest stories of domestication in existence.

In search of ponies

For thousands of years, humans have incorporated goats into their pursuits, domesticating them from wild herds in Western Asia through the Middle East, with goat remains found at archeological sites worldwide.

A natural boon to human livelihood and considered easier to manage than larger domestic herd animals, the goat has contributed quite a bit to generations of folks — milk, cheese and meat, skins, horns, instrument strings and surgical sutures are all things goats have been used to produce.

While still significant in agricultural realms and despite the fact their lives are often committed to filling human needs, goats have also spent the last few thousand years learning how to live among humans and figuring out how to get along.

Seen with other animals such as dogs, cats and horses, a large part of domestication is the bonding and adapting that takes place when species cohabit, a skill goats have not missed out on.

As livestock critters go, goats definitely have some things going for them.

Being cute, intelligent, curious and available in convenient sizes helps tremendously. It is much easier to accommodate a dog-sized miniature goat than, for example, a cow weighing hundreds of pounds, regardless of how friendly it may be.

Believed to bear the distinction of being the first livestock animal to be domesticated, it really is no surprise, therefore, that goats might eventually transition from being strictly viewed as farm animals to join the host of other critters claiming pet status.

As it turns out, a recent study suggests the social ladder climbing of goats may not entirely be an accident.

There are a few things truly domesticated critters that have successfully made the pet ranks have in common, chief among them, relationship building through the development of communication with humans.

And goats have it, according to London researchers, who found that just as with dogs, it’s all in the eyes.

Long known for observing and adapting their own behavior to suit that of humans, dogs have often been considered the epitome of companion animals. They look for cues, turn to their humans for help and guidance and often communicate through the eyes — often referred to as the “puppy eyes” — a trait that has more than endeared them to mankind.

According to a study published July 5, when studying the behavior of goats housed at a British animal sanctuary, researchers found that the goats, much like dogs, would look pleadingly to humans for help when faced with challenges they could not resolve on their own.

Though primarily considered a production animal, researchers surmised that domestication has changed goats by cultivating communication traits that are usually credited only to companion animals such as dogs and horses.

Learning to navigate the world of humans, goats, it seems, have begun to develop relationships and to relate as companions to mankind, opening up an unexplored aspect of animal domestication that deserves more study, the London researchers concluded.

With or without research to document it, if developing a psychological and physical reliance on humans and communicating through pleading eyes are to define companion animals, it’s safe to say the pet world is headed for a pretty big growth spurt — goats and all.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

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