We have rehomed several dogs and lived and worked with working line Border Collies for 25 years. Some of these Border Collies we have raised from pups, some we have gotten as young adults. These dogs are members of our family, and they are also our four-legged goose control crew. It makes a difference, whether a dog has been in one home or not. People do care and raise their Border Collies like all dogs differently. But no matter if they have been in our home all their lives or gotten to us as adults, it’s a long road together, to work and grow as a team and family.
One thing should be emphasized, it takes a lot of work and time to bring a pup, a dog to be a well-balanced family member and also a working dog. Unless an owner or handler is willing to put in the time to gain skill in training dogs, Border Collies for goose control, or on the farm, the results will be mixed at best. I have heard two sad stories this summer of people who have tried to start goose control services, bought as franchises, and the Border Collies they got just are not working out at all.
When we started bringing Border Collies into our human family, we had a rocky start. I even contemplated giving up on Border Collies altogether. But I then committed to take monthly lessons, go to Sheep Dog Trials to watch the handlers and their dogs and gave our selves plenty of time to bond and learn and work together with our dogs. Border Collies love to be with their people, and a have great desire and love of movement and work, and especially herding. I believe the Border Collies herding instincts is the basis for what the breed was developed for and this should be the backbone of how goose control dogs are handled.
One interesting fact is that working breeds such as Border Collies are not selectively bred for juvenile characteristics. Many breeds of dogs in America today are breed to be good companion animals and thus stay in a state of neoteny, never develop into mature adults. This is great for a pet dog but for working dogs growing and becoming mature dramatically enhances their ability to problem solve and deal with adverse situations they may face. I know I rely on the maturity of our Border Collies and our mix breed in the many environments we work.
Earlier this summer our older rehomed Border Collie Jim and our one and half year old pup Tara were standing in a school playing field. Jim came to us from a rehab home which in turn had gotten him off, Craigs List. He had not gotten much training, never got to experience the world in his first six years. The woman who rehabbed him, Tam Morse did a great job socializing him as it was challenging for him to be around people and other dogs and had learned nothing about herding. Now Jim was on one of his many goose control visits with us. He and Tara who came to us as a weaned pup, thoughtfully breed to be a healthy and talented working Border Collie, had both confidently and without stress to themselves or the geese, had sent off a flock into the sky. They both looked very pleased with their work, happy and content. I called Jim and Tara back to me, and they both came quickly toward me. This old Border Collie has done well in now his third home and Tara we hope will be with us for a long, long time. We love and rely on them both as we do all our dogs.