Throughout my life, there have been very few times that my family did not have a pet. From the rabbits and guinea pigs my sister kept, to the dogs and now horses that we have had at one time or another, they all have had a special place in our hearts.

But I recently met Lindie Huffman, and her Australian Cattle Dog, a Red Heeler named “Goose” and discovered the word “special” was an incredible understatement when it comes to this very gifted canine.

All of her life Lindie has lived on the family farm in Grant County, where they now raise cattle and grow hay.

“It’s a seventh-generation family farm, which I am very privileged to get to call home,” Lindie told me on a cold, very cold, but beautifully clear day in January.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the view from her favorite spot on the farm near a red barn that used to house tobacco when it was grown there. I could see why it had become her favorite place, a place where she and Goose walk each day. 

As we continued our discussion, it was easy to see how important family is to her.

“I've been blessed to grow up and live here in my childhood home,” she said. “When I came home from college, I told my PawPaw, ‘I'm moving in with you or I'm moving into the old house. And he said, all right, you can move in the old house.’”

The next few years would be quite eventful for Lindie, beginning with a new job as Pendleton County Extension Agent for Agriculture in 2012 and a marriage to her high school sweetheart in 2014. It would be between those years when Goose came into her life.

“I had only been on the job for about a year, and it was right before July 4th when my secretary messaged me to tell me there was a Red Heeler pup available," Lindie said. “I had been wanting a puppy, and he was the last one available in the litter.”

When she picked him up, Goose grabbed the harness Lindie had brought, right out of her hand and away he went. She knew then he was meant to be her dog. Goose quickly became part of the family and another farmhand, proving his inherent ability to herd cattle early on.

And while his usefulness on the farm was apparent, Lindie found that he had other talents that would be just as valuable in a different way.

“When my grandparents got dementia, and were homebound, Goose would go with me to visit, and I could see the difference in their demeanor when he was around,” she said.

The more we talked, the more I realized how special Goose has been in more ways than one, to this family. But his biggest challenge was yet to come.

“In 2020, which was a hard year for everyone, I began to think that Goose was going blind,” Lindie said. “We noticed his eyes would blue-over and swell so we took him to the vet and after some testing found that he had glaucoma, something that is prevalent in this breed.”

Goose’s condition worsened with pain that couldn’t be relieved, so a hard decision was going to have to be made. Lindie said their choices were few, but it was decided to do a double enucleation (removing both eyes).

As she talked about it, I could sense the agony she must have felt in making these decisions, but also the love she had for Goose to do all she could to help.

Lindie said the first few days were tough, but once she realized that Goose was getting about the farm from memory, she knew all would be okay.

That isn’t the end of the story, but rather a new beginning. Lindie had often read about the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Farm Dog of the Year competition, and she decided to enter Goose. Afterall, he was still a farm dog walking the fence line and finding his way around using his other senses.

She got the call last fall that Goose had not been picked for this award but was entered in and was one of three finalist for the AFBF People’s Choice Pup Award, which according to the folks at AFBF, is a popular social media element of the Farm Dog of the Year competition in which members of the public are invited to vote online for their favorite dog as part of the overall competition.

In early January, Lindie walked out on the stage at the AFBF Convention and accepted, on behalf of Goose, the 2026 People’s Choice Pup Award in front of thousands of attendees and to marvelous applause.

While his duties on the farm have changed, his purpose in life has not. Lindie takes him to schools and to work, and to places where his story can be told. 

“He's sharing the story of agriculture, the story of a working farm dog, and then the story of resilience and overcoming,” she said.

When I asked Lindie what Goose has meant to her, she became emotional and said he means everything.

“He is my reason for getting out of bed every day,” she said. “I've had a lot of farm dogs in my life and Goose is one of the first that was truly mine. He's so kind. He is so funny. He's got so much personality, and I just cherish every day. As soon as I get home, I drop to the floor and love my dog because I know that those days won't always be here.”   

I met with Goose that blustery day, had a chance to talk to him and watched him maneuver around the farm, perhaps like he had always done. His sight may have been lost, but I suspect his memory of the place and the love he receives from his family and friends will never leave him.

Lindie said it is a running joke that if we had half as much confidence as this no-eyed wonder dog does, we'd all be doing okay.

I couldn’t agree more. I plan to visit him again, but until then, I have taken away my own lessons from Goose, that sometimes we can see more, do more, feel more, if we just let our hearts do the driving, as we travel down the backroads.