How to Get Rid of Canada Geese From Your Property, DIY

Sparky staring the geese down in a small pond

    How to get rid of Canada geese and Do it yourself ?  If you are willing to put in the time, effort and planning is more complicated. There are a few ways you can Do It Yourself. If you are an "on the go" type family, the best answer is to hire us and we will take care of things for you while you tend to your busy life. 

    Our previous blogs have talked about establishing a predator on your property with our highly trained Australian Shepherd goose dogs.  If you are a dog owner you have a leg up on those who are not.  However, you will only be as successful as the effort you put into it.  The most important thing you must remember is that you and your dog cannot harm the geese and you cannot haze geese with goslings in the spring.  Geese are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty act of 1918.  You will want to read up on this act before you begin also.

    Any dog with a decent amount of prey drive and good obedience could probably do the job.  The best breeds are herding breeds based on their instincts.  That is why we use Australian Shepherds.  We know several goose control companies that do not use herding breeds that do quite well because they took a lot of time to train their dogs properly. That leads to the question "What do I need to train my dog to do?"

    First your dog needs to be obedient. He or she should respect you and your commands when given. Your goose dog should know the basic sit, stay, down, and come when called with distractions. By that we mean, your dog will obey you regardless of the squirrel in the tree, the rabbit on the ground or the neighbor's dog barking at him from next yard.  If your dog has these commands on him or her you are another step ahead.  Next, your dog should have a desire to chase or herd geese when he or she sees them.  If it does, you are ready to start to have some fun keeping geese off your lawn and out of your pond. If your dog has no desire to chase, you will need another dog. I am a firm believer in the saying, "You cannot put in what God left out."

   Let's use the premise that you own a two acre property. One acre of that is a pond that geese frequent, walk out of and poop on your lawn creating a mess of your shoes and your kids shoes and lawn mower.  All of you track it into the house where your significant other starts to complain about all the poop and bacteria being dragged into the home.

    To start your DIY goose control program with your dog, ensure he will stop if you need him to before he touches a goose should he get too close.  When the geese land on your lawn have your dog heel next to you as you walk out to the yard.  Let the geese see him. They will start to bob their heads and honk.  Give your dog the command you have chosen that tells him it's OK to herd or chase the geese.  We use herding directional commands. Let's assume you just say "Go boy!"  The geese that are on your lawn will more than likely run straight into your pond for safety.  This is where the fun begins.  Geese are not accustomed to a predator swimming after them. Have your dog sit at the bank and look at the geese. Sometimes this is enough to intimidate them to leave. If they stay, they will go the the side opposite your dog. Give your dog the "Go Boy!" command again. If he has the prey drive and the ability to swim he will get in the water and start swimming after the geese.
    It is important that you do not leave the geese to safely roost in the pond.  If you do, by the time you get back in the house they will be back on your lawn munching on your grass.  You must get the flock out of the pond each and every time.
   If you do this, each time the geese return there will be less of them.  The last remaining geese will be the most stubborn. Realize that each time they arrive you need to drop what you are doing, get your goose dog, and haze the geese until they leave.
    This is where most people and companies fail.  Either they chase the geese in the pond and leave them there or they do not continue the effort each time the geese show up because they are watching a movie, a football game or cutting the grass. The geese are smart and will change the times they arrive on your property so be prepared to expect the unexpected. They will stay out in the rain, the cold and even the snow if they are resident geese.  You must be as stubborn and willful as they are.  You must brave the elements with your goose dog no matter the day of week, the time of day or holiday.
    
    If you cannot meet the challenges above, the geese will win and you will not reclaim the beauty of your property.  This is what makes us so successful. We never let our dogs lose.  We direct our dogs each and every time no matter the day, the weather or holiday to chase the geese until they leave.  If you have the time, energy and persistence you will be successful.  If you do not, well, we Get Rid of Geese . . . FAST!  
    


Click below for more information on our goose control techniques and why they work.

    

Click here for more information!

What will Canada Geese Remember Next Year About Your Property?

  It is that time of year when the morning sunrises and evening sunsets are met with flying flocks of Canada Geese honking overhead.  Ah the sights and sounds of autumn. These flocks often head to familiar places where they safely stopped the year before to graze, rest and roost for days before gaining enough energy and fuel to fly on further south.  The sight of a flock of geese on a soccer field, golf course fairway or backyard is a signal to other migrating flocks that it is safe here to land.  This is why hunters use decoys to great success.  It is a calling card to others.

   A well planned fall goose control program can stop this cycle of migrating geese landing on your property.   Our Certified Goose Management programs put predatory pressure on migrating geese.  They will learn that your property has a very live and active predator on it.  This intimidates the migrating geese to move on and find somewhere else this year and next to rest, roost and eat.  It is very effective because we do not let our dogs stop until the geese are gone.  If the geese run to the pond or lake on your property we will continue our efforts there.  Our dogs will swim after them.  
   
    Our swimming goose chasing dogs are a game changer!  Geese see water as a safe place to go. Typically, a fox, coyote or even a wolf will not swim after geese.  This is why they always fly to the nearest body of water for safety.  But when our dogs get in the water and start swimming after them, the heads start bobbing and they start their distress honks.  It does not take long before they are gone.  Migrating geese are also much more sensitive to a dog's pressure. 
   
 Local or resident geese see people walking their dogs quite often.  Most of the time on a leash.  This gives the resident geese a false sense of security.  Our dogs usually can get much closer to resident geese than migratory geese for this reason.  Most geese coming down from the Canadian tundra see predators often that have dinner on their minds.  These geese do not take chances and give predators and our dogs a wide berth.  

We can stop the cycle of migratory geese in the fall visiting your property with our Certified Techniques, our highly trained dogs (that swim), and a few proprietary methods.  We can put an end to the droppings and the mess the geese make.  If you would like to reclaim your property and improve your lawn, school yard, soccer field etc.  Give us a call.  We would be glad to help.  

Next fall, what will the geese remember about your property? Is it a safe place or not for them to stop?

    

 Click here to learn more about Rescue Me Goose Chasing:

http://www.rmgoosechasing.com/Services.html

Canine Goose Control - How does it work?

       Our goose control business puts us in a position where we are often working where other people are out enjoying their day.  Like us, they are enjoying the outdoors. They are often walking their dog, riding their bikes, fishing or just out for a stroll with their kids.  Being able to enjoy the outdoors with our Aussies is something we love to do and why we enjoy doing our jobs so much.  Often, we are asked what we are doing and why we are doing it.  Then, without hesitation, most people will offer up a reason why canine goose control works.  Most of the time they are wrong.

    Some of those reasons are funny, others do not make sense. These are some of the more amusing ones:

1.) By walking around with our dogs we leave a scent for the geese that makes them leave.
2.) Once your dog catches a goose no more come back.
3.) So once your dog poops, the geese do not like the smell and leave.
4.) Geese do not like dog urine.
5.) S the geese know when you are coming.


   Most people are amused and a bit confused when I tell them why it works. Usually their eyes squint, their head tilts and they look a little sideways at me.  Then I explain.

    For Canada geese, it is all about survival.   Geese see our dogs as a natural predator like the fox or coyote that has hunted them for decades.  The presence of a predator in their neighborhood makes it unsafe for them to stay.  That's what our canine service does. We use our highly trained dogs to put predatory pressure on the geese so they feel unsafe and leave.  
    Geese are very family oriented. They choose a partner and mate for life. Often if one dies, the other will die shortly after. If a mate is shot down or injured the other will stay on the ground with it.  If goslings are orphaned, another family will gladly accept them into their flock and raise them all.  We have all seen pictures of the protective geese in the spring attacking people when they get too close to a nest.

    So when a predator finds its way onto a property that is inhabited by these very protective, family oriented waterfowl the geese have to choose between fight or flight.  Geese have wings so they choose to fly somewhere they have not seen a predator.  It is a pretty simple principle. But when you stop to think about it, who wants to raise their family in a threatening and dangerous neighborhood?  Nobody, if they have a choice.  Geese have a lot of choices in today's urban environment.

    In fact, it is well known that geese will visit up to 5 different properties a day. Maybe they are keeping their options open.  But more than likely they are probably enjoying areas that are predator free that offer them nicely mowed and fertilized green grass and water.

   Some people ask why we use Australian Shepherds and not some other breed.  Any dog can be trained to chase geese. We network with companies across the U.S that use Weimaraners, Labradors, Terriers, Cockers and Border Collies.  The breeds in the herding group have a natural instinct to herd and protect their stock.  This makes them ideal for goose control.  Other breeds can be trained to chase geese and return to their handler but it may not be as easy. But people use them, because, as dog owners, we all love a certain breed.

    To us, Australian shepherds are more than a dog and suit our life style, our way of training and what we want to do with our dogs perfectly.  Aussies are loyal companions and have the stamina to work all day.  We love their medium size and their coloring that offers a wide variety and individuality. They are very attentive to their handlers, a bit animated and very agile.

   So it is, with these medium sized, athletic and colorful dogs that we put predatory pressure on geese.  The very family oriented, protective Canada geese feel threatened, unsafe and decide to leave to roost, eat and swim elsewhere.  Now if I can only get that out of my mouth before someone says, the geese leave because your dogs stink, right?

CLICK Here to read more about us!

Certified Goose Control is a War of Attrition

      

    Back a number of years ago when I became interested in starting a goose control company I had the pleasure of being introduced to Pete Rizzo of Hudson Valley Wild Goose Chasers out of New Jersey.   Pete was very generous with his time and spent a lot of time explaining the business side of things to me.  When it came time to discuss the goose control side of things he talked to me about work ethic and effort.

    This seemed like common sense to me. However, Pete drove this thought home with both passion and warning. The phrase that stood out the most to me was "Goose Control is a war of attrition, and I always win".   Not until I secured my first account did I actually know what he meant.  Our initial account had a large goose problem. Geese droppings surrounded this upscale retirement/assisted living complex. The property is about 10 acres with a pond, several buildings and next to a high school soccer and baseball field.  

    Putting predatory pressure on geese with a dog is relatively easy. We give our dogs a command, they run out to the geese and return when they fly off.  However, geese are not dumb. They are actually very smart. It is not easy to predict what they will do. They will test a dog to see how far he will run and how persistent he is. Sometimes geese will only fly about 25 yards away and wait to see if the dog continues the chase.  In large open areas I have seen geese do this 3 to 4 times before they finally get the message and leave the area completely.  Geese will also fly, or if close, run to the nearest body of water for safety. Depending on the size of the body of water, we can employ several different tactics.  Our options are swim dogs, RC Boats, John boats, Bird Bangers and high powered lasers.  Geese will then fly or move from one side of a lake to the other and back again.  Hence the chasing part of the business.

    It is up to the handler to properly direct the dog and use his or her other goose control methods to convince the geese they should go elsewhere.  This quite frequently takes 5 minutes or in some cases 50 minutes.  This is where the "war of attrition" comes in to play.  This is where we have set ourselves apart from other goose control companies.  

    This year we were hired to take over an account from a large goose control chain.  The reason the Park District decided to look elsewhere was because there were 20 geese this company could not get rid of even though they had addled 6 to 8 nests every year and hazed geese every day. This is a 15 acre lake with 40 homes around it.

Surveying the area for bidding purposes, we found a lot of goose droppings, ALL OVER! In yards, on the beach, on piers, on a basketball court and on paths.  It looked like they had no goose control. Yet they were paying a very reputable company good money for a service and not getting a whole lot in return. 

These geese were making themselves at home.( pictured below)

  After sharing our references with the Park District and our pricing, they took a chance on us because and I quote " Things are getting pretty stale with this other company and we are not seeing the results."   

    It took us about a week to get rid of most of the geese. Then, another week to convince the others it was time to go.  It took a lot of effort and work in those two weeks. We chased geese from bank to bank, from beach to yard and back again. We chased in the morning we chased in the afternoon and we chased them at night.  We chased these stubborn geese with RC boats, with our dogs swimming after them, with dogs running after them and staring them down.  It was a "war of attrition" we did not and would not lose. (Thanks Pete!) 

    Through the spring we were complimented on our work by many residents. We heard comments like, "Best ever", "What did you do with the Geese?", " You are doing a good job".  We would occasionally even get the Thumbs Up by passersby.

    Not long after servicing the account, I saw an ad for one of these high volume goose control companies for help. The ad requested people who had good driving records and loved working with animals.  Really?  Both are necessary but how about employees who have a good work ethic, are self driven, know how to work a dog, have a desire to reduce human and wildlife conflicts,  and do not like to lose.  I think this is where we shine. We work and work hard with our dogs.  Higher volume goose control companies set up people that have good driving records with a dog and instruct them to visit a lot of accounts every day. This is why we won this account and will continue to win more. It is a war of attrition, we will not lose! We take the time to service accounts properly because we are not on a time schedule and take it personally when geese show up on one of our accounts. Our hard work, CERTIFIED Goose Management training at the National Wildlife Control Operators Association and our love of what we do with our Australian Shepherds sets us apart.

    One other thing, our goose control methods were so effective we did not have to addle any eggs or destroy any nests. The geese found out that our handlers and dogs would not quit until they left for good. For 6 to 8 pairs of geese to nest there year after year previously, they had to feel pretty comfortable that the lake they chose was  a nice safe place to  raise their young. Not any more. This community will be enjoying a goose free summer thanks to the efforts of Rescue Me Goose Chasing, Canine Goose Control. We Get Rid of Geese .  .  .  FAST!

DIY Dog Leashes

Do It Yourself Dog Leash 

    We do make our own dog leashes.  There are a number of reasons.  We can choose the color of the leash we want. We can make the length of the leash any size to fit our many training and working situations. We can customize the handle and type of hasp we use to connect to our dogs collars.

    Making a leash does not take any particular skill.   On a scale of 1-10 in terms of difficulty I would give it a 2. 


Time to complete: 30 Minutes

Materials needed:

1/2" polypropylene rope in your desired color ( Menards/Home Depot etc.)
Swivel hasp to attach to the dogs collar 
Electrical tape
Heat shrink tubing 1-1/8" (electrical aisle) 6" long
Kitchen stove top burner / heat gun
Scissors
Tape Measure

1.) Cut the rope to your desired length. 

2.) Remove the shrink tubing and cut it in half

2.a.) Your rope ends will look like this.

3.) Slide one piece of the tube over the end of the rope.

4.) Turn on your exhaust fan above your stove.
Take each end of the rope and hold it over your oven burner
until it starts to melt and catches a small flame.

5.) The melted ends should look like this. It will stop your
rope from fraying at the ends. Let them cool for a couple minutes.
If you touch them you will get melted polypropylene on your hand
and it will not come off until it cools. OUCH!

6.) We use these swivel hasps. They are cheap and durable.

7.) Slip your hasp onto the rope and leave about
4 inches exposed to secure it in place.

8.) Using electrical tape, tightly wind it around both
strands of rope to secure the hasp in place.

9.) Wrap the tape around tightly about 3 times
It should be just short of the length of shrink
tubing that is on your rope.

10) Slide the Shrink tube up the rope to cover the
electrical tape up. 

11.)  Hold the shrink tubing above your burner about 6-8 inches.
If your fingers are too hot you are too close. The tubing needs
just a little heat to shrink. Rotate it every 15 seconds until
it is very tightly shrunk to the rope.
This should take only 1- 1.5 minutes 

12.) The finished heat shrunk end should look like this.
The tube, tape and rope will shrink together and should
ooze some clear glue like material. Just don't touch it!
It is hot stuff!



Now let's do the handle end

13.) Slide your other half of the shrink tube over the unfinished end.

14.) Make a loop that you feel comfortable with using.
It could be any size. Use the electrical tape to temporarily
test different handle sizes.

15.) Tape your handle up the same way as we did the
hasp end. Make sure it is a bit smaller than the piece of
shrink tubing you are using.

16.)  Slide the Shrink tubing up to the handle and cover the
electrical tape.  Then proceed to the burner as we did above
and shrink the tubing using the heat from the burner.
Again, let it cool and do not touch the shrink tube!

17.)  You now have a completed, customized dog leash!



Now you can take your dog for a walk and when someone asks "Hey where did you get that nice leash ?"
You can brag and say I did it myself!


COSMO AND SPARKY SAY "ENJOY YOUR LEASH BY
TAKING YOUR DOG FOR A WALK!"

Balaenoptera Musculus RC Boat Review - 0 stars

Balaenoptera Musculus RC Boat Review 

    One of the more challenging aspects of getting geese to leave an area is when they go to water. Canada Geese will run or fly to nearby water, immediately, when they feel threatened by our dogs.  As goose control professionals we cannot leave the geese there because they will return to the land they left and feel safe.  We have several methods of getting the geese out of the water depending on location, time of day and the size of the body of water.

    One of our techniques is to use Remote Control Boats.  Geese are afraid of them.  One boat we have tried is the Balaenoptera Musculus RC Boat.  It is relatively inexpensive, $36 - $70 depending on who is selling it on ebay or elsewhere.

    This boat is relatively fast, runs a bit loud and has a tail of water that streams from it's dual propellers.  We originally had thought these were going to work out well.  However, you get what you pay for.

    

  We purchased two of these for use in ponds and lakes.  Initial use was OK and they got rid of the geese. However, they frequently stall in the water.  Thinking that it was the flimsy antenna falling in the water we supported the antennas by sliding a small straw over them.  They ran a bit longer but still stalled every now and then. They leak water inside and this may be the issue. battery, motors etc get soaked. The lid is not waterproof.   So the routine became: turn on and off the remote a couple times, bang on it with your hand or just wait and it would restart. (Patience) 

Just in case we damaged a boat, lost a battery or broke a remote control, we purchased a third as a back up. 

Stranded Musculus Boat,!

    In our line of business, we do not have time to dilly dally with poor craftsmanship. The third boat we received would only go about 10 yards in the water and stop.  Then it became take off your shoes, socks and roll up your pants, wade into the murky pond (get black feet, yuck) and retrieve the boat.  Using  one of these boats late one evening, I had to leave it in the middle of a lake overnight and retrieve it the next morning during daylight hours.  They were so unreliable we put our phone numbers on the bottom so if someone found it stranded, they could call us and return it.

     We purchased these boats though a company called http://store.hermanstreet.com/. We contacted them to return the defective non running boat and were told to contact the manufacturer. They could and would not help us. Herman Street would not even do a return refund.  We contacted  http://rcfishingworld.com/ who Herman Street purchases the boats from and got no response.  

    Needless to say our experience with these boats is poor. I would not recommend buying one based on our experience. You get what you pay for.  If you do buy one, look for a store that has good customer support because more than likely you will buy one that does not work and may need to return it. 

    Many hobbyist reviewers like this boat because of its hull but they rebuild it with better motors and controllers. We chose to buy a different boat and will review it next. 

    You can also search problems with these boats like here:    http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/speed-electric/10339548-please-help-noob-balaenoptera-musculus-print.html

Hope this review helps you out.

Rescue Me Goose Chasing Company Video

This is our first white board type video.  We used a free 7 day trial of VideoScribe to produce it. It is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate around. Importing pictures is easy. It took a couple tries to produce it in a way that it flowed nice from screen to screen but we managed.

I like the way we were able to use it to explain what we do and how it works.

Please give it a watch and tell us what you think.

Thanks,

Your RMGC Team!