Guppy and Her Swarm of Puppies

The lovely Guppy is a mother again. A job she takes very seriously...

Guppy disappeared to have her pups... After a long day with the goats in a yard I came home and wondered where she had gone off to. Found her right away in the failed cistern with a freshly dug, nearly ready to go den carved out nearby...

...Inside the house they came...

To the crate in the living room to begin socialization...

The first few days are all about taking in sounds and smells through their slowly forming sensory system... 

After day two or three we start "DT" 

Desensitization Training...

These are short, consistent exercises where the pup is held upright, upside down, on their belly and on their back and touching the toes.. Each for three seconds and then followed by close contact-holding puppy close at the end... Add a little breath exchange and after a few weeks this creates a hardy, trusting individual that loves to be handled by people...

Papa Buck (Hart II's SunStar Buck) and granma Zuli (SunRay's High Desert Lazuli)... Just like their parents and grandparents these puppies will be able to work anything!

Guppy-Pup Testimonials

Here at Horned Locust GoatScaping we are celebrating this holiday season with 6 little Aussie pups underfoot...

A few are still looking for their Forever Homes... Consider bringing home one of these furry companions home for Christmas if you have livestock to herd, are in search of a Service or Support dog or simply want an active companion to fill your life. 

We have sent many Aussie crosses off to homes where their personality, intelligence and easy training ability are very much appreciated..  Here are a few testimonials...

Buddy

Hello Amanita. Here are a few photos of Buddy. He has been such a great dog for all of us. He and little Lorenzo are best buds. Buddy follows him everywhere and protects him. He lets me give him lots of lovings and brush him. One of the photos is of Buddy and big Lorenzo and Buddy is pretty fond of him too.

Busco

Hi Amanita...We have been having a great time! Busco and I are back in San Diego and are having so much fun exploring together. He goes everywhere with me and doesn't leave my side.  I take care of lots of little kids and he has been so great around them! My 4 year old little cousin and him are best friends. She tells everyone that she is helping teach Busco how to be around kids. Busco and I spend a lot of time either hiking or going to the beach. We have learned fetch and also like playing with the other dogs of my various family including standard poodles, great Pyrenees and blue heelers. He loves being with them!  I just wanted to let you know we are doing great and share some photos.... I just want to thank you for my new best friend. He's been so amazing and we are having so much fun together!

Blue Cheese

Blue Cheese is doing well- loves, and I mean loves to play ball- big small. She is wonderful at catching and knows how to sit and stay! We are blessed to have such a wonderful girl! She has many tennis balls and probably fetches more than 500 times a day- also drops on command, catches tennis balls, carries 2 at a time, and herds a big red tennis ball and basketball!

Solstice

We are all in love and doing great... Thanks for raising such a great dog. She is agile, spirited and smart. She had her first shots and the vet thought she was terrific, we do too... and she trained to the invisible fence in 1 day. Smartest of all our dogs and we have had many really smart ones... Thanks for breeding such a wonderful dog.

Happy

Paul was so excited to meet Happy last night. He is a grown man who turned into a little boy when I gave him Happy. Paul’s never had a dog of his own before and always dreamed of having an Australian Shepherd. He couldn’t be happier with his new friend for life. 

Another llama Roundup

Wet weather last week left puddles... Time to head out to find the llamas...

Through and over the tall tumbleweeds...

Across to the flats... 

Where the llamas stood grazing..

Back across the flats towards home...

Across the foothills...

Over the ridges...

A mob of acrobatic Ravens came to check out our procession.. The dogs and llamas and Ravens all got a good look at one another...

Back through the deep tumbleweeds again...

And up the long valley again...

Pausing at a stud pile to add some...

The parade continues...

Back home again..

Chopo greets the fuzzy creatures along the back fence..

Goating Around the Neighborhood

Papa dog Hart II's SunStar Bucky

Zuli's mutt Guppy... Nearing whelp time..

After a busy season of weed reduction, and land regenerating around New Mexico, the herd is on a short break... spending more time ranging on the local lands again, accompanied by LGD and herd dogs, horse and rider...

The dogs keep the herd together and safe from coyotes or stray dogs... They  take up different stations according to experience, need and individual inclination. When threats are not immediate and the herd is settled, eating, the dogs watch, listen and scent from hillsides, often together.

Herding dogs keep track of the goats and make sure everyone stays together.  Badger here has inherited his dad's intense working mind and also his tendency to take and hold the herd in good feeding areas...

October weather is great this year, perfect for goating around...

Monsoon in June

These photos of one enchanting sunset from the first week of June are evidence of the amazing weather we have enjoyed this year...

Unusual weather as well as the rains are usually gentler and fewer in May, and June is typically quite dry, and usually May and June are quite hot.

This year the rains came early...

...and have stayed...

Toads are abounding around SunStar... our population has increased well these last few years..

This year the first toad was spotted months early hanging around the front of the house.. 

a good sign for a wet year

Many evenings this summer we have driven home from GoatScaping somewhere to watch incredible electric storms and black-wet micro-storms trending across the sky, trailing water as they go...

The weather has been wonderful, may it continue! 

The goats are busy working in weedy yards and in invaded fields and under overgrown solar arrays... 

Any time spent at home on the range is an opportunity to jump for joy, kicking up their heels in frolic as they head to their tumbleweed field to fill up full of tumbleweed and grasses and clover and saltbush...

GoatScaping Solar Installations in New Mexico

This solar array at the San Marcos Cafe and Feedstore south of Santa Fe on Hwy 14 (well known for their fabulous food) is the second large solar installment that our goats have worked. 

In both cases they have proven to be very safe and effective in reducing the vegetation which will otherwise grow tall and interfere with accessing the panels for both maintenance people and importantly: sunlight... 

Many installations across our nation are currently maintained either by hand pulling the weeds or with the all too common herbicide, Rodeo. 

One being very labor intensive and the other being at odds with the "green" nature of solar, and with balanced life on earth. 

Managed Goats and Sheep are a perfect match for photovoltaic arrays...

Mowers and weed whackers can be used but they must not throw rocks. 

Also, much of the biggest and thickest vegetation often grows right up against the panels and the frame making mechanical removal there difficult to impossible...

...Goats enjoy working photovoltaic arrays...