Tactile Preferences in Goats: Implications for Animal-Assisted Interventions

TL;DR

This study explores how tactile contact affects goats and identifies preferences in touch location and sequence during human-animal interactions.

Contribution

The study reveals goats' tactile preferences for trunk-initiated contact and the importance of the initial touch in determining overall interaction duration.

Findings

Goats showed shorter contact durations when tactile interaction started first in the sequence.

Contact duration was longer when initiated on the trunk region of the goat.

Goats did not show environmental preference between a goat house and a pasture.

Abstract

Touch is an important part of animal-assisted interventions, but little is known about how animals themselves respond to this type of contact. This study examined the effect of tactile contact on adult goats. It explored whether goats show preferences for specific body regions (head/neck, trunk, hindquarters), the ordinal position in the stroking sequence, and the environment in which the tactile interaction takes place (goat house vs. pasture). Goats were less receptive to the first touch in the sequence. In addition, goats showed longer contact durations when the stroking session started from the trunk. No preferences regarding the environment were detected. The initial touch may therefore be important in the context of the entire contact, and starting the touch from the trunk may be more readily accepted by the animal. Contact with humans remained attractive to goats even in an enriched environment.

Tactile contact is a key element of animal-assisted interventions (AAI), yet its effects on the animals involved remain poorly understood. Seven adult goats were included in the experiment, which examined three factors influencing tactile contact: the body region (head/neck, trunk, hindquarters; R1–R3), the ordinal position in the stroking sequence (first, second, third; O1–O3) and the location context (slightly enriched goat house and a highly enriched pasture; L1, L2). It was found that when stroking occurred first in the position of the sequence (O1), the duration of touch was significantly shorter (p < 0.0001). In addition, it was observed that when the session started with the trunk (R2), the total contact duration (T) was significantly longer (p < 0.039). No differences were found between the duration of contact in different locations (p = 0.179). These results may indicate that the initial phase was critical for the overall contact. Furthermore, the longer duration of contact, when initiated on the trunk, may indicate a relative preference for this body region. These findings suggest that human contact remains equally attractive to goats regardless of the enrichment of their location.

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