When you think of farm animals the first thing that comes to your mind isn’t usually ‘smart’.
The same could be said for your pets.
When you then start thinking of smart farm animals or smart pets, you wouldn’t typically think of goats.
Your mind probably goes first to pigs, cats, dogs, or cows.
Recently, I was thinking about the different levels of intelligence among animals and this got me curious about how goats stacked up when compared to other farm animals and pets.
I asked myself the basic question are goats smart and proceeded to do some research.
I found some interesting information and today, I am here to share that research with you.
So, let’s not waste any more time and answer the question “are goats smart?”
This article will look more closely at the intelligence of goats and will explore topics such as what makes goats smart, the IQ of goats, do goats remember their owners, can goats remember their own names, and much more!
What makes goats smart?
Goats are very inquisitive and curious animals, and this is seen in their constant need/desire to explore and investigate unfamiliar places and things they haven’t seen before.
Goats developed good memories and learning skills in order to source food and avoid predators in the wild.
Despite being domesticated, goats have retained a lot of these skills and inherent curiosity and are some of the smartest animals around!
According to a study published in Frontiers in Zoology by researchers from Queen Mary University London and the Institute of Agricultural Science in Switzerland, goats are much smarter than they seem.
This is because they live in complex social groups, are extremely adept at getting food in hard-to-reach places, they live for a long time allowing them to acquire a large number of skills and memories, and despite the misconception that they will eat anything, goats are extremely picky eaters and will go searching for exactly the right foods.
Are goats good problem solvers?
Yes, goats actually have excellent problem-solving skills.
The researchers from Queen Mary University London and the Institute of Agricultural Science in Switzerland presented the goats with a puzzle (“the artificial fruit challenge”) in which they had to retrieve food that was placed into a box that could only be opened by solving the puzzle.
In order to get the food placed in the box, the goats had to pull on a rope with their teeth to activate a lever, and then lift the lever with their head.
If successfully completed, then they would retrieve the food.
It was shown that the majority of the goats could complete the puzzle and, when tested ten months later, were able to complete it even quicker.
This indicates that goats have excellent long-term memory and are able to solve complex problems.
Related – Are Goats Stupid?
Do goats have a high IQ?
Yes, based on the research it was seen that goats have a much higher IQ than most people would have assumed.
Goats are actually really smart animals and have IQ’s that rival even the smartest of animals.
Goats are among the most intelligent farm animals and are smarter than most pets.
Are goats smarter than dogs?
Yes, goats are actually smarter than your average dog.
Not to say dogs aren’t intelligent; they can recognize their own names and owner and can respond to instructions.
They are also able to be trained and take directions.
Goats, however, are able to do all of these things (yes, it is possible to train goats!) in addition to being able to solve complex puzzles and having good long-term memories and learning abilities.
Goats can follow instructions and take directions and can even be taught how to do tricks.
As mentioned above, goats also have complex social structures and are able to find food in even the most difficult of places.
Goats in Morocco, for example, are known for their ability to climb trees in order to retrieve hard to reach food.
Are goats the smartest farm animal?
When it comes to being the smartest farm animal, goats have a lot of competition.
Traditionally the farm animals thought of as being the smartest are pigs and cows, with pigs being considered some of the smartest animals overall, not just among farm animals.
Chickens are able to communicate with each other with a wide range of messages, pigs are able to read the signs of other pigs and are extremely quick learners, cows have excellent problem-solving skills and are able to use logic, and sheep are able to memorize over fifty faces.
While goats also have a lot of skills that make them very smart animals, such as problem-solving skills and the ability to socialise they are, however, not the smartest farm animals.
Most people consider pigs to be the smartest farm animals and with good reason.
Pigs are extremely clever animals, are able to learn quickly and from each other, and can even move the cursor on a screen with their snouts.
Do goats remember their owners?
Yes, goats know exactly who their owners are and create bonds with them.
In a study conducted by Christian Nawroth, it was seen that goats turn to humans for help when unable to solve a problem, much like dogs.
Goats show their affection to their owners through body language, eye contact, vocal cues and asking to be pet.
Goats also show affection by rubbing their heads on you.
A buck’s scent glands are located in their horns and they spread this scent by rubbing their heads on things.
When they rub their heads on you it is their way of trying to claim you.
This is similar to cats who claim their territories and owners by rubbing their cheeks on people and objects.
Unlike dogs that get extremely attached to their owners, goats are very social animals and, as a result, need to be around other goats.
It is, therefore, very important to have at least more than one goat to ensure that your goats are healthy and happy.
Can goats remember their own names?
Yes, goats are able to remember their own names and most goats are actually able to learn them very quickly.
The main issue in teaching goats to remember their names is the owners of the goat forgetting to use their names when communicating with them.
By constantly using the goat’s name when addressing them they will be able to quickly memorize the names and will respond quickly to them when you use them.
Can you measure how smart goats are?
While not everyone is able to conduct complex cognitive experiments like those referenced in this article if you want to test the intelligence of your goats at home it is possible to recreate a simpler version of these experiments.
The most popular intelligence testing experiment that can be done at home is the “pointing test”.
In the “pointing test” the animal, in this case, your goat, is trained to expect food in a specific place.
The location of the food is then changed/switched and the human, you, will point to the new location.
If your goat goes directly to the new location, then it passes, and if it ignores your pointing motion and continues to look for the food in the location in which it was trained to look then it fails the test.
Try this with your goats and see how they do!
In conclusion, yes goats are extremely smart, curious, and inquisitive animals.
They love to explore and find new areas and are extremely adept at sourcing food even in hard-to-reach places.
They are able to learn new things and have excellent problem-solving skills.
Despite not being the smartest farm animal (pigs still have that title!) they are smarter than your average pet and are able to do a lot of the things that dogs, and cats are loved for.
They can remember their own names, can be trained to do tricks, follow instructions, and remember who their owners are, showing affection in a few different ways.