An adorable video of an unlikely pair—a goose and a dog—patrolling around a Wyoming farm daily has been making waves on the internet.
For ranch owner Mariann Eckendorf, this isn’t an unusual sight as watching geese, eagles, horses, ducks, and chickens living together in harmony is her daily reality.
Ms. Eckendorf, 54, owns Bighorn Mountain Alpacas where she lives and works with her 18-year-old daughter. Originally from Pennsylvania, Ms. Eckendorf moved to Wyoming in the early 2000s, where she worked as a teacher on the Crow Indian Reservation. When she became pregnant, she decided she wanted to stay home. During this time, she began the farm and has never looked back.
Big Horn Mountain Alpacas began in 2005 with a herd of just seven alpacas, which has now grown to 22. The family shears the alpacas themselves to ensure the experience is as stress-free as possible for the animals.
Joey the goose arrived at Bighorn Mountain Alpacas in 2016.
“That’s when he hatched,” Ms. Eckendorf said. “I’ve had him his whole life.”
Joey was accompanied by another goose named Marty, who passed away from a genetic disorder at the age of 3. After Joey lost his friend, he decided he was joining the farm’s eight-strong guardian dog pack.
Solomon is one of the guardian dogs. He’s 75 percent akbash and 25 percent great Pyrenees. He’s nearly seven years old, and his main job is guarding all the residents on the ranch.
About five years ago, Solomon and Joey began what would become a world-famous patrol—their daily walk around the farm together.
Joey lives with the ducks, chickens, and another goose at night but hangs out with Solomon in the morning after the gates are opened. He patiently waits for Solomon to finish eating breakfast, and then the two head out to patrol the farm, on the lookout for potential predators.
Joey and Solomon—Joey’s favorite dog—make a great pair. Since Solomon’s sense of smell is better than Joey’s, and Joey’s sight is better than Solomon’s, they rely on each other’s unique strengths.
“Joey was also blessed with amazing night vision, which dogs don’t have,” Ms. Eckendorf said. “This is why the Guardians will arise when Joey gives a certain call when he sees a hawk or eagle, long before they can see it ... They have learned to believe and trust him. Many times, on a daily basis, I watch resting Guardians arise and wait for the perceived threat when Joey makes a certain type of alarm call.
“They are working together to keep our place safe. It makes me happy to see two different species have this interspecies relationship, and they work together so well.”
Ms. Eckendorf believes her ranch is a “glimpse of heaven;” a place where a lion and a lamb can lay down together. She said she is amazed at God’s handiwork in allowing different animals to work together.
According to Ms. Eckendorf, patrolling and protecting the property is Joey and Solomon’s constant state—they just live for it.
The pair always keep a watchful eye. They love to walk around the house and even keep an eye on the family’s phones. Protection is their purpose.
During their time together, the pair have protected the Eckendorfs’ ranch from several predators–everything from mountain lions to red-tail hawks.
“I just appreciate being able to live with this amazing wildlife that God has created here without anybody getting hurt,” Ms. Eckendorf said.
Apart from winning their owner’s heart, the adorable pair has also stolen netizens’ hearts, with their video racking up over 12 million views.
A video Ms. Eckendorf captured of Joey and Solomon walking toward her has gone viral. Sharing more about the clip, she said she was finishing up a barefoot run outside when she saw Joey and Solomon walking toward her and decided to film them. Solomon had been doing “his happy walk,” and Joey was tagging along.
Big Horn Mountain Alpacas is the Eckendorfs’ main business. On the side, Ms. Eckendorf has a niche business selling custom clothing made from dog hair.
Some of her customers even send her the fur of their dogs who have passed away as they view her creations as a beautiful testament to their pet’s life.
“A lot of times it’s from dogs that have passed, and they save the hair from shedding, and they want something to remember their dog,” Ms. Eckendorf said.
