Goats are social animals and should never be kept alone. A single goat will become depressed and will be far more vocal. So, it’s incredibly important to their heath that they have a companion. Most farms, included us, will not allow you to purchase a single goat unless you already have a companion animal set up, preferably another goat. Goats can also be put in with other social farm animals like llamas, alpacas, donkeys, or horses.
I have had several people tell me that they have heard that a dog can be kept with a goat as a companion… there are several issues with this. People have a tendency to bring dogs inside and a goat’s companion should never be taken away from them. You would have to be ok with leaving the dog with the goat at all times. The other issue is that there are only a few breeds of dogs that are recommended to be with goats. Great Pyrenees is the breed that is most commonly used as a guard dog for goats. It’s important that any dog with a goat have a guard mentality and not a herding mentality. Herders can become more aggressive with goats, especially when they don’t do what the dogs what them to do. Goats are not herding animals and will fight being led. It wouldn’t take much for a dog to kill a goat. So if someone wants to use a dog as a companion for a goat it’s going to require finding the right dog, with the right personality, lots of training, and a wiliness to leave the dog out with the goat at all times… Quite frankly a livestock animal would be easier and more cost effective.