Recent research shows that domesticated goats may have more in common with dogs than previously thought. A group of scientists found that just like dogs, domesticated goats turn their eyes to humans when they need help.

Other domesticated animals don’t display such a loving relationship. Study authors believe that the goats’ friendly behavior towards humans is due to a long history of domestication which stretches back to 11,000 years ago.

A new study suggests that the 11,000 years of domestication have turned goats into man’s second best friend. The analysis revealed that goats have the same gaze at humans as dogs have when they need help.

Prior to the study, only dogs and horses were known to use direct eye contact to request something from their human owners.

Study authors wanted to test the theory and set up an experiment involving boxes filled with treats that animals couldn’t open all by themselves. Dogs, horses and, surprisingly, goats made eye contact with nearby humans to help them get to the food.

Study investigators underlined the distinction between taming and domestication. For instance, tame foxes can act like pets but they will never become domesticated. For several hundreds dollars you can buy a fox from a Siberia producer which breeds only animals that are docile in the presence of humans.

The Siberian company claims that the animals are very doglike and can be trained.

On the other hand, domestication creates a stronger bond between humans and animals and the implications are not yet fully understood. For example, tame wolves which can also never be domesticated did not turn their gaze to their human companions to help them open the containers in the experiment.

Researchers believe that the doglike gaze can only be attained through countless generations of domesticated animals. And goats had plenty of time at their disposal to become more acquainted with their human handlers when they need help.

Lead author of the study Alan McElligott who is a researcher at Queen Mary University of London in the U.K. noted that goats were never bred as pets. And neither were horses and dogs which were domesticated because man needed them as companions or for animal traction.

Goats were kept close to humans due to milk, hair and meat. But paradoxically, they treat us as their friends even though they weren’t bred to be our pets but our dinner.

The study was published this week in Biology Letters.

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