Goose Control and Herding Dogs: September 2015

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.

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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?