What are the best goats for pets? Well honestly, this can vary a bit depending a number of circumstances. And situations.
I’ll share our top five favorite goat breeds that we keep on our homestead.
Disclosure: Boots & Hooves Homestead may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking links on this page. View our disclosure policy for details.
Best Goats for Pets
Our goats have become little members of our family and I’ve become quite attached to several of them. Besides being adorable, goats make great pets. This list isn’t all inclusive to what you can keep as pets.
Rather, I’m sharing my favorite goat breeds that we currently have on our homestead.
Related: 10 Best Dairy Goat Breeds
#1 Pygmy Goats
Pygmy goats are my absolute favorite goat to keep as a pet. They are a miniature breed, super friendly and allow for snuggles. All total wins in my opinion.
We have never had a bad experience with the demeanor of a pygmy goat. Which helps make these breeds great for young children and getting them acquainted with chores.
#2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats
This is another smaller breed that makes a great addition to a small farm and is a favorite among many homesteaders.
In addition to their cute features, they are a great source of milk if you want them to serve that purpose on your homestead.
#3 Alpine Goats
Goats have incredibly entertaining personalities. And the leader of our pack is Miss Holly, such a smart and curious goat!
Our experience with Alpine goats has always been entertaining and they’re probably the most intelligent goat breed we own.
Alpine goats are an amazing dairy source for those who don’t have room for a dairy cow.
Find more about what I love about Alpine Goats here.
#4 LaMancha Goats
The LaMancha goat is another great dairy option for a small homestead. They produce a lot more milk than other goat breeds with a higher butterfat.
Generally, the LaMancha goat breed is calmer, quieter, and has an overall gentle demeanor and temperament.
#5 Boer Goats
Initially, I wasn’t sure if I would add this goat to this list. I’m not really a fan of them personally. But my husband loves this breed. I mean the babies are adorable and I’ve grown to love some of our does.
Boer goats make an excellent choice for a 4H show goat because of their large body build. So that’s something to consider if you have children interested in getting involved in that program.
I think my main dislike is their body build and also our Boer buck. Bucks generally stink, but have you ever smelled a Boer buck? They’re the worst. Ha. Great for breeding time, but definitely not a pleasant scent.
A Few More Tips When Planning on Adding Goats as Pets
Goats are companion animals and should always have a buddy or they’ll get lonely. Which could lead to depression, behavioral and other health issues.
I always recommend that people purchase goats in pairs for this reason. Other animals can make a great friend, too. Such as another smaller breed of livestock.
If you want a tame and mild mannered goat, handle them often. Start when they’re young and give them snuggles, play with them, give your goats treats. And just spend time in their pens often.
Wethers make better pets than a buck and don’t have the stink of a billy! But doelings are also a great choice!
If you are new to raising goats, I recommend you check out this post about raising goats for beginners.
What are your favorite goat breeds you keep as pets?
Best Goats for Pets
Highlighting a few of the most popular and best goats to keep as pets.
We have a variety of goats on our homestead. Over the years, I have come to favor a few very special goat breeds. One of which are the Alpine goats. They are some of the sweetest, craziest, and most entertaining.
Pygmy goats may just be my most favorite breed of goats. In our experience, keeping a Pygmy goat pet is a great option for a small farm or homestead.
Boer Goats makes a great addition to the homestead for a variety of reasons. It is a popular choice as a meat breed of goats. And Boers are also often preferred for showing or for 4-H projects.
Greg Ircink
Do you think the lamantia goat is the quietest?
Mary Beth
Actually…ours are pretty vocal. We find our Pygmy and Alpine goats to be some of the quietest.
Sandy
Do you know Where can I get Pgymy goats in Arizona.
Mary Beth
I would search online for breeders first. If you can’t find any local to you, another option is through an auction. Just note that there could be risk for bringing home one with illnesses. They have to be checked out by a Vet in our area before they go to an auction, but sometimes things are missed. Hope that helps! 🙂
Matt Bradbury
If I bought a female goat, does that mean she will make milk?
I just want a goat for the kids and to eat my blackberries down. I don’t want to milk it as well.
Thanks
Matt
Mary Beth
Not necessarily. A doe will only need to be milked if she has reached maturity and has become pregnant. Even then, after kidding, the baby goat could take care of that if there weren’t complications and it wasn’t a bottle kid. If you don’t plan on breeding, you won’t need to worry about milking. 🙂 Also something else to keep in mind, goats are companion animals and do best if they have another buddy goat to keep them happy. They tend to get lonely otherwise.
Camille
Can any goats live indoors as pets if raised as such?
Mary Beth
I’m sure that it could be possible. However, I wouldn’t recommend keeping goats indoors. They are natural foragers, so I can’t imagine they would be happy staying indoors for long term. They may appreciate the extra attention. But they will also create a mess and probably break or chew on various things in the home.
If this is really your goal with raising goats, the smaller breeds like a Pygmy or Nigerian Dwarf are probably better options. 🙂
Nancy Garrett
If you don’t want to breed, do you need to spay/neuter?
I would love to have as pets.
Mary Beth
I’m sure that it could be done, but it may be challenging finding a Vet that would do this procedure. You should not have a problem with breeding if you only raise does or raise a wether with your does. They really do make great little companions and pets! 🙂
Megan Doreen
Is it possible to have a small herd (2-4) goats that were ONLY wethers? Or do you have to have does too? We are looking into getting goats to have as pets/teach our kids about responsibility/help clear brush…but aren’t interested in breeding or milking. I had read that does aren’t great in areas with a lot of blackberries because the thorns can tear up their udders.
Mary Beth
Yes, you absolutely can. Some factors to consider if you are raising all wethers: all males may not be as tame as if you were to raise all females. If you can start with them when they are young and work on training and handling them often, it will make a lot of difference in how they will interact with you and each other. Bottle feeding them would help with this, too. Some breeds will also do better than others if you kept only wethers. I would think the gentler of the bunch are probably Pygmies & Alpines. But that can vary on a lot of things. And I’m speaking from our personal experiences. 🙂
Desiree
We have two little boy brothers that are Nigerian pygmy goats and they’re great. They’re loving and gentle. We got them at 6 weeks and spend time with them every day. I live in Kentucky and we have a vet locally that does neuter them at 5 months. He’s one of the only vets locally that deal with rumenants. Llamas, goats, etc. I would think people new to owning goats could ask their local vet if they know of any vets that deal with goats.
Mary Beth
That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
John
Considering getting a few (2-3) and was wondering if you have gender recommendations… Same? If so, which gender? Different? If they are siblings will they attempt to breed (assuming they would…)??
Mary Beth
Our experiences in raising goats as pets are that the does are the best. Really, you could keep any of them, but they are usually much more tame. And that does have a lot to do with the breed and training/handling the goats from the time they are young. Wethers and does would do great together if siblings because a related buck/billy would definitely try to breed with their sibling.
Susanne Miller-Urban
Just curious . . . Nubians aren’t on the list. I just bought a Nubian / Nigerian Dwarf cross for our family. Am I going to be in over my head?
Mary Beth
Nubians are great, too! I have many friends who raise those and love them. We just haven’t raised them over here, so I didn’t include it in my list. Good luck with your new goat! 🙂
Kathy
I get my goats from the local county fair 4h kids. If you buy them at the auction it is more expensive but as a business we can give to the kids and then they know they aren’t going to get eaten. But a cheaper option you can do is a “buy back” meaning another business bought the goat but it will go to slaughter you get get them at fair market valve and these goats are tame because the 4h kids have been working with them for show and the wethers are always friendly and great pets. That’s the best way to go and the Boer goats are great pets. All of my goats have come from the 4h kids except our buck and he came from a small farm not far from us where a little girl is learning to run a goat business. The 4h kids appreciate people taking their goats home especially the smaller kids in 4h until they learn that what happens in life. But I really try and help the kids know their goats will have a great long life on my farm and they are always welcome to come out and visit if they ever want too. You also get to know the kids and you see the dedicated ones year after year that’s the most amazing part of it. I love it and will keep going for as long as I can afford to keep buying them. Good luck with your goats.
Karen Page
My favorite goat ever was a Toggenburg/pygmy cross. Never did figure out how she produced that much milk in that small body!