Goats Compared to Other Pets

Many in Tooele City residents would argue that goats make better pets than dogs. This is an opinion. But because many cities have chosen to change the definition of goats from “farm animals” to pets, Ive included the following information in the packet I will submit to the city. It shows one reason why the definition of goats is shifting from "farm animal" to "pet".

Comparing Size

A Pygmy goat weighs half as much as a Saint Bernard. A Nigerian Dwarf goat weighs in at about the same as a Greyhound. Even a Nubian goat, which is not considered a miniature breed, weighs less than a Great Dane.

Many of the cities who have changed their ordinances to allow goats have added a weight limit to the wording of the ordinance. The following charts show two things. 1) Many large dog breeds compare to or outweigh many goat breeds. 2) Tooele City could easily apply a weight limit to the ordinance and allow goats that are much smaller than the dogs allowed in the city.

Weights of Various Breeds of Goats

Breed	Male (in pounds)	Female (in pounds)
Alpine	170	135
Anglo-Nubian	175	135
Angora	180-225	70-110
Appenzell	145	100
Boer	110-135	90-100
Brown Shorthair	140-190	120-140
Don	155	80
LaMancha	150	130
Nigerian Dwarf	75	75
Nubian	175	135
Pygmy	75	50
Saanen	145	110
Toggenberg

Sources:

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/

http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/goat/factsheet/breeds.htm

http://www.raising-goats.com/raising-nubian-goats.html

http://www.ndga.org/about.html

http://www.ibna.ro/arhiva/AZ%2011-4/AZ%2011-4%2003%20Pesmen%20%20Yardimci.pdf

http://www.goats4h.com/GoatsHome.html

Weight of Various Breeds of Large Dogs

Breed	Weight (in pounds)
Akita	75-120
Alaskan Malamute	75-100
Belgian Sheepdog	50-75
Bloodhound	80-110
Great Pyrenees	85-125
Greyhound	55-75
Irish Wolfhound	100-130
Labrador Retriever	50-75
Great Dane	110-160
German Shepherd	60-100
Newfoundland	120-160
Old English Sheepdog	80-100
Rottweiler	80-130
Saint Bernard	120-180

Source:

http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/a-breed-list.html