# Does a Lack of Early Intensive Socialisation with Humans Exclude Goats from Participating in Animal-Assisted Services?

## TL;DR

This study explores whether goats without early human socialization can still participate in animal-assisted services, finding that while they tolerate human contact, more training is needed for active engagement.

## Contribution

The study identifies that goats without early human socialization show some potential for animal-assisted services but require additional training to initiate interactions.

## Key findings

- Goats generally accepted being approached and touched by both caretakers and familiar people.
- Female goats showed higher sociability towards humans compared to males.
- Goats exhibited calmer behavior during stress when a human was present.

## Abstract

Animal-assisted services (AAS) refer to any intervention that incorporates animals into a therapeutic or supportive process or environment. The animal’s motivation and enjoyment in interacting with humans make the experience particularly pleasant for all parties involved and have important consequences for animal welfare. This study explored whether adult goats without prior frequent contact with humans may exhibit social predispositions toward inclusion in AAS. The goats generally accepted being approached and touched by both their caretaker and another familiar person who visited them less often. They were also calmer during a stressful event; however, they rarely initiated interactions with humans. Female goats voluntarily approached a passive human and accepted being approached and touched with a higher probability than male goats. Generally, the goats showed some predisposition to participate in AAS, but further training is needed. Such training should focus on improving the goats’ acceptance of human presence and their motivation to voluntarily engage in interactions.:

Socialisation with humans and willingness to interact with them are essential traits for animals involved in animal-assisted services (AAS). This study examined whether goats without prior intensive socialisation with humans may show predispositions to AAS in terms of sociability towards people. Ten goats underwent four tests: (1) acceptance of human approach and touch, voluntary approach to (2) a passive and (3) an active human, and (4) a novel sound fear test. Tests 1–3 were conducted with the caretaker and a familiar neutral person, and 4 with the neutral person. The goats generally accepted being approached and touched but showed little interest in interacting voluntarily with humans. Goats’ responses did not differ between the caretaker and the neutral person (p > 0.05). In the fear test, goats escaped less often and returned more quickly after the sound playback when a human was present (p < 0.01). Female goats exhibited higher sociability towards humans. Overall, the goats demonstrated some predispositions to AAS, such as tolerance of human contact and a tendency to perceive humans as a source of support during stress. However, these traits alone are insufficient for participation in AAS. Additional training is needed to increase the goats’ willingness to initiate interactions with people.