They’re as playful as dogs and they also provide milk (and if you want to, also meat). Backyard goats may not have reached the popularity of pet chickens, but they’re gaining ground.

Even in some cities- like Seattle- you can have a couple of small goats within city limits (see Where it’s legal to farm goats in the city).

They may not be as easy as dogs- you need space (at least 25′ by 25′), some good fencing, and the energy for twice-daily feeding and milking-, but backyard goats can be a great source of fresh, organic, and raw milk.

In this video, raw milk producers and goat owners from Bellevue Idaho’s Cottonwood Ranch show us how to milk and play with their 3-day old kids and explain their campaign to send goats to the White House (i.e. why the Obama kids should choose goats over a dog).