Category: Connections to Dogs

Skye is the only dog we have raised from a pup, and it was an accident. Those things do happen. Her dad Ben and her mom Rhos both lived with us and well one day they got together. We don’t usually have unneutered dogs but Ben’s operation was postponed by the vet’s office and nature took over. We are very happy the “accident” happened as Skye is a lovely Border Collie as are all her littermates who we found great homes for. Skye will be nine in the Fall, how time flys.

I, of course, got to pick Skye out of the litter, Rhos was a very attentive mother. Skye is a lot like her mother was, always ready to do what is needed to be done. And Skye is like her father Ben was, a spitfire. Still, at her more advanced years, Skye can react quickly and be a bit compulsive, but nobody is perfect. She tries harder than any other dog we have or have had and with time has become a great herding dog. Well, not all the time, she is a spitfire. But usually, she moves our poultry at home very calmy and effectively in and out of their pasture. In fact, I have never seen chickens, who can be difficult, moved so gently and with such finesse from place to place. She can be a little awkward herding sheep but she usually gets the job done well enough. It’s funny how dogs like people have their strengths. But if I want a group of sheep to stay where they are and not run away she is the dog for that because she really cares.

As a goose control dog, Skye goes on hundreds of trips to clients each year. Our dogs really love goose control work. Border Collies were bred for herding sheep, taking care of sheep, mostly. But we use a modified herding method for goose control and the dogs “get” it and find deep satisfaction with their work. Skye does a very good job modify herding geese to fly away from a field but she is not in love with swimming in ponds to convince geese they should leave a property. Our four-year-old Blade and pup Moses are good at that as is our older dog, Jim. They only swim a little bit, then we use a kayak as a Border Collie modify herds from shore. Skye is a great dog to ride in the kayak. She sits still and “tells” the geese to fly away with her ” Border Collie eye”.  Like we move sheep and chickens and ducks from field to field to graze, we move geese into the sky and away from our clients’ properties.

At home on our small farm, homestead, Skye now is the supervisor. When all the other dogs and she are outside together enjoying some free time, playing, or just lying around in the sun, she is the mom of the pack. She sees it as her job, her duty to make sure no one gets into trouble, no misbehaving pups for instance. Skye’s mom taught her well how to be a good mom dog, even if she never has had pups of her own. Or you can find her making sure the sheep and poultry are not outside where they are supposed to be. And if a coyote or two howls in the night she barks right back, to say, “leave my sheep and poultry alone don’t even think of hunting here.” At night you can find her snug asleep on the “dog couch” or under the kitchen table. She has earned every minute of the sleep and naps she wants. But she is a Border Collie so I will let her decide how long she wants to rest.

My colleague who has a Border Collie control service south of us told me a story the another night. It was about a major client of hers who decided to go with a well-known pest control company last year instead of her service. As late Spring arrived she got a call from the client saying please come with her Border Collies. When she arrived at the corporate park she saw tens of Coyotee Decoys all over the parking lots and lawns. The thing is, there were hundreds of geese all over the parking lots and lawns too. Some of the geese were resting right next to those coyote decoys, that never happened when she had the contract. She was hired back as soon as the paperwork could be completed.

What is the difference between goose control with Border Collies and other methods of goose control? Border Collies get the job done. Coyote decoys, shotgun blats and flares and other methods have very mixed results. Of course, there is hunting if that can be done on a property. But geese can not get around the fact that Border Collies are “real” and can not come to realize that the Border Collies are not really well, “coyotes”. Its a big mind game and is effective if the Border Collie is well trained and handled properly.

I highly recommend if you have a Border Collie which you want to work with, that you get good advice, lessons and all. This means that since Border Collies, working line Border Collies, want to herd, mostly sheep. Ours also herd poultry here at our home. And I handle my goose control jobs as if the geese were sheep. And that means we treat the geese “right”. Taking care is the bases of sheep farming with Border Collies, not being rough on the sheep at all. It, of course, is counterproductive to treat farm animals poorly and Border Collies can not stay emotionally balanced if that is not the case. And, yes, that is the case without question with how I herd-chase wild geese. We have all heard the stories about hyper Border Collies which can not calm down and herd anything, the kids, the ants in the sidewalk, cars!

The poor Border Collie needs its real work, whether its sheep or, say ducks and translate that to goose control. I’m not saying you need a farm to keep working line Border Collies happy but finding somewhere to work, herd will keep your smart, driven friend happy and you, retain your sanity. Working with these dogs is a beautiful thing. But it takes a lot of time to learn the basis and more time to acquire real skill. The reward for all that hard work is like stepping into another realm. It’s a place where people and dogs have been together for tens of thousands of years. It can be magic, but it has to be every day and you need to find a good teacher or teachers, not just watch videos.

This blog post can be summed up very quickly, so you don’t have to read on. There are three options to a population of wild geese if not any wildlife overpopulating a property or environment.one-Do nothing, leave them be 2- Use lethal means,’ just shoot them!” 3.-haze

That’s it, it’s all you need to know! I’m being a bit sarcastic and trying to make light of a touchy subject that is being more exasperated year after year. For one thing, with more and more wildlands being taken over by development, wildlife often has nowhere to go but peoples’ back yards, literally and figuratively speaking. In my mind, the best solution would be to have smart growth. Coming from a part of New Jersey where it is now wall to wall houses, roads and stores, and now distribution centers, I know the value of conservation lands form way back. But that is a tricky one, who decides what is conserved and at what price to landowners, residents of towns and so on. We live in an upstate New York Town where locals often hate the thought of conservation lands as it takes away housing possibilities for their children and other ‘opportunities”. Of course, it can be argued that if done right, conservation can be a plus for the livability of any community.

There is a growing sentiment in this country to just to leave wildlife alone and not kill or bother, haze at all. People get upset when bears are killed that may endanger a suburban neighborhood. This can hold true for any furry animal, but coyote doesn’t generate quite as much love as some. Lectures on cougars draw huge crowds, but the plight of songbirds not as much. Wild geese can bring people up in arms on both sides of the aisle. I get laughed at convenience stores by the guys in the pickup trucks when they see my business name. I go to homeowner association meetings, and some think what we do is evil…

I have been a farmer on a small scale, let’s say “local, sustainable, organic” since 1983. I managed educational farms for outdoor museums for over 20 years and worked on several small operations, plus we have our own homestead. Right from my start, I realized that if you are going to grow any field crops even on a small scale and gardens and orchards, you have to figure out how to get around hungry insects, birds, and animals. This can be done in several different ways, I have ended up using organic sprays for plant diseases and bugs and used integrated methods too. For the hungry birds and animals, I have used dogs to protect the crops,think”haze” and the farm animals also. Sheep are a great food for hungry coyotes that are pressed by humans to eat other than smaller foods. I got my start in farming at a racehorse stable and watched on my first-day coyotes trying to take down a foul, young horse.

With all this, I should say I have practiced nonlethal means successfully at home and believe that the way we haze with Border Collies is a real and humane solution for goose control. I believe what many noted officials and scientists think, that a barrier,physical or mental, between wildlife  and people is the way to go. It is not healthy to allow wildlife bigger than songbirds and squirrels into our yards; conflict is always a great potential. Banging pot and pans to get a bear to stay off and away can be very effective as well as having a good dog like a Border Collie haze to an intent to cause no harm for smaller predators can lead to good long-lasting solutions. This is what we do for goose control. It’s a tried and true solution that dates way back in human history.

Nowadays you don’t know really when spring will come. It seems unpredictable now. Some years spring shows up in February other times much later in April. On our homestead, where we live with our dogs, sheep, and poultry, we also have gardens. I remember planting vegetables in early March a few years back, here in New York State. Though warm weather is inviting to us humans, it plays havoc with all things nature. Snow protects the ground, farmers fields, and wild plants from cold weather and adds needed water to aquafers. Wildlife and trees and plants rely on the old school timing of the regular seasons. If songbirds show up in our northern climes when there is a warm-up and winter hits back, they are stuck for food and left to fight a hostile environment. Bees, for instance, can starve because their winter store of food gets used up with long winters and freeze if they think spring is here, and it is not.

I took the Border Collies on a walk-behind our Homestead a few weeks back. This would have been in the middle of January. The temperatures were very warm, almost 60. I can’t remember it ever being that warm in January. As we came out of a woods that overlooked a neighbor’s farm pond, we saw a pair of geese floating. A flock of migrating crows feed on the farmers harvested cornfield, eating corn kernels left behind. All I could think was it was way too early. The Border Collies looked surprised to see the “early birds.” The pair of geese would have to fly back downstate where it is a bit warmer as the winter did come back, to a degree. The flock of crows disappeared as well the following week.

However, it does pay to be ready and be adaptable with nature. As pairs of geese do show up, it is best to prevent them from nesting in places where they will trouble people. We have helped clients deal with geese nesting in parking lots and by doorways to buildings. In both cases, the male geese of the pairs would chase people, not allowing them to walk or enter buildings. Pairs of geese can show up on a property in early spring and set up a nest. They are highly territorial but have their own personalities. Some geese, pairs, are actually on the shy shy, but others are quite combative. People can get knocked over, kids scared, and they can go nose to nose with our herd-chasing Border Collies. That is why Border Collies are used to haze geese. Border Collies know how to defuse confrotations with sheep and with wild geese.

Border Collies have a strong drive, instant, to work/herd and to listen in partnership with their handlers. Border Collies are bred to be effective at moving sheep without causing harm/stress, and so it goes for geese. But that comes with a fair bit of knowledge on the humans part and a lot of “team” practice. So winter is a great time to practice herding the sheep. We also have poultry on our homestead, which are herded to and from areas they forage on. And that happens in a winter such as this without too much snow, not just in the warmer months. Otherwise, keeping the Border Collies happy with exercise if not a lot of outdoor time within reason is recommended. I will go off with some of the collies for lessons if not, “fieldwork” on larger farms,this is helpful to keep refining our skillsets.

Of course, catching up on some rest after a busy goose control season during the winter is great for my family and me. I think the collies and our one mix-breed dog begrudgingly appreciate the quieter winter too if it doesn’t last too long. Staying in touch with clients, setting up operational plans, and other office work starts in earnest after the Holidays. Some of our clients have geese regularly show up earlier than other clients. We have clients who use our services more in the summer. But if you have geese show up early in the spring or whenever they do, it’s easier and less confrontational to send them somewhere else by hazing them with Border Collies.

He came with that name. It was his litter name. Moses’ father is a cattle and sheep Border Collie Dog from Montana, named Mo. The breeder, Mary Thompson, as most do give the pups all “litter names.” In this case, the pups’ names mostly started with a Mo. I liked the name, so we kept it. But often we shorten his name to “Mo” or “Mos.” We are with our dogs a lot, day in and out. It is important to have a name that is short, easy to say. But when we pal around we often use a fun nickname. I will call Moses’ talented cousin, Blade, who is now maybe our”best dog,” “Bladey, Blade, Blade,” when we are just about to go into a nonwork situation. This energizes the dogs,it’s fun, but also gets them a bit excited, not good for a work situation with geese or sheep. Work with farm animals and poultry and wild geese calls for the Border Collie to be focused, level headed.

But, this is about Moses, “our” lovable, very handsome Border Collie pup who is probably the most persistent pup/dog I have ever worked with. He also is very “chill,” an exciting combination. Border Collies which are breed for work, “working lines” come with a wide variety of looks, hair length, and color variety and personalities as well as their own take on that Border Collie instinct for herding. Forget about the American preoccupation with how smart Border Collies are said to be. What is important is the whole package, right? This is why the working Border Collies come in such a variety of ways. Farmers, shepherds, sheepdog trial handlers, and goose control professionals, and that is often a blend of those categories, do like a dog that will fit their needs. But a Border Collie pup can be trained or through experience, become adapt in many working situations. Different work for a Border Collie can be the difference of type or breed of sheep on a farm, or if the dog would be used primarily for trial work, etc.

Moses came to us from the breeder’s farm in Western Ontario, a ways from our home in eastern upstate New York. Moses’ mom, Mia, like, dad, Mo, is a very good working herding dog, and I trust Mary to have healthy dogs. It is very hard and heartbreaking to spend a lot of time and money to bring up a dog as a work partner and then have terrible health issues, like epilepsy, inherited eyesight issues that can be sometimes left out of the equation with careful breeding. Moses is a big boy, as Border Collies go, he is a year and a half at this writing. He is at once shy and also very lovingly persistent. If he wants to sneak into Lori’s lap now even though not little anymore, while she is dozing off in the evening, he will find a way. Moses will play for long periods of time, rough and tumble with our three-year-old Border Collie Tara. But he, when asked to stop doing something, is very willing to do so.

Moses is a slow learner but a pup that is very careful and perspective. Moses did take part with goose control last year and seemed to pick it up well and was a good addition to “the team.” However, working with sheep and poultry is coming along slowly. Dogs like humans learn at different individual rates. And in the best of possible worlds, it is best to let the individuals learn at their own pace. Moses’ littermate, which lives with Mary, named Daisy, is already working at a high level. But, I am happy with how Moses is progressing in all his work and maturing toward adulthood. A calm but persistent and perspective dog will be great to have in the family for the years to come. Like with raising and teaching kids, it’s the hard work, not just the love of these early years, that makes the difference. After all, the great Border Collie handlers in the UK and Ireland talk about “respect” for their dogs and the dogs” respecting” them back, in the best most possible of ways. You have to respect what is there in front of you, to truly understand and go forward with your best care and hard work.

Life just doesn’t stop during the Holidays for a break. We can make some “space”. But of course, our Border Collies need to be cared for as does our poultry and our sheep. It is a great time if the weather allows for herding training which helps the goose control skill as well as farm work skill and sheepdog trailing. You can’t just take the Border Collies to a kennel and it is hard to find someone to do farm chores for you during the holidays while you’re off to visit Grandma on the Day. Actually we do that but are very fortunate to have two women who do back up chore work for us, lively Border Collies, sheep, chickens, ducks, all that.

Of course, all dogs may be an issue when it comes to winter in northern climes and the Holidays in particular. The day before writing this, I was at the vet’s for boosters with two of our dogs and was told, out of my curiosity, that yes their kennel was full during this Christmas week. In fact, as I was checking out my dogs after their shots a mother and daughter brought in their sweet Bichon to stay a few nights. The nice kennel worker took the squirming little dear back to the boarding area as the mom and teenage daughter left the building in tears. I left the building with Blade and Nash with a lump in my heart. Dogs do tie you down. They also bring so much to our lives. But, the choices can be so hard and our society does not make it easy. Check out how people live differently with dogs, around the world.

You may be well thinking about the horror of giving a pup as a Christmas present. So many have gone badly. Of course, that is not always the case. I guess it depends on one’s own approach to The Holidays and understanding of “dog ownership”. The bonds we have with dogs and the love and care, as well as the know-how and the ability to make good choices, are the key, I think. Recently a relative and his wife bought a cute King Charles Cavalier pup. They live in a condo. One works full time, the other part-time. But they did their homework, not only read online but actually talked to people and decided on this breed. It just happens to be Holiday time. They know life is 365 days a year. Most importantly for them is that they found a reputable breeder who has a line of King Charles Cavaliers that are healthy, mind and body. They know that they want a companion that does not have any background issues that will sink all into deep rabbit holes.

So, you may think that only adoptive dogs should be had, not dogs from a breeder. Breeders have gotten a bad rep in the US. But, without people understanding dog health and care and  of companion and the functions of work dogs, we are lost. Most experts agree that the reason why the US dog population is “in a crisis” is that so little care is given to dog health and forethought and the actuation of actual knowledge. We can’t just neuter our way out of this.

When I got home from the vets, Blade the pure breed, but quirky working Border Collie jumped out of the vehicle. Nash, our mix-breed and one of our two rehomed dogs jumped out as well. Both happy to be home, Blade made sure the sheep were good and then helped me herd a hen which had gotten out of the winter chicken run. Nash focused on any movement in the nearby woods to see if any coyotes or hawks may have been around, that may be a danger for the sheep and poultry. I love Blade’s breeder. She has a line of working Border Collies that are healthy and so fun to live and work with. Nash, came to us from his first home, which ended up being in New York City. He came as a one-year-old, now six. Nash was rescued as a pup. he is very emotional and was having a hard time with the loving couple who just found him too much with their City lives. He has found a good place here, has things to do that seem to fit his instincts and personality and fills in with goose control. Blade and Nash are great pals, as usually is the case with all our dogs, and despite very different backgrounds are a good team with goose control.

“What do you do in the offseason?” I am asked that question often.We start our goose control season in March or April and end in October with some late visits into November. So what do I do to occupy myself and keep those active Border Collies happy? To tell the truth, there is a lot to do in the office and we have a “homestead”/think “small farm,” which we do not “get to” enough during the warmer months. So, there is plenty to do. Add that I substitute teach in the local Elementary School in the “offseason”. I enjoy the change of pace. I don’t know if I would want to do goose control year round, in the warmer parts of the US, out side New York Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

But what about the Border Collies? And don’t forget we have the one mix-breed dog named Nash. The dogs may not agree with me, but they could use a rest as well. We have six dogs, as not to overwork any of them during the goose control season, but a few months of slower activity is great for them. This is especially true for the older dogs. But this breed lives for work, so having some activity for them, think work, is preferred. Border Collies were developed as a breed and then breed by farmers over time from collie dogs, which had been helping with sheep and other farm animals and farm fowl since Roman Times. Not only do herding breeds seem smart, but they have this high energy for long hours of work on the farm.

Oh, you don’t have have a farm or work long hours on a farm? Yes, Border Collies and other herding breeds like the Kelpie can enjoy and find satisfaction in exercise and sports like agility, but to them, it’s the job well done, herding, that satisfies. There is actually a scientific explanation to go with that, but I will not go into it here. Most working Border Collie folk will say that their dogs will not make good pets. But I will add they are wonderful companions and great workmates. So, we work hard at our dogs quality of life so they can do their goose control work at the best most possible level. And that means, to me, they enjoy every day doing some work on the Homestead and enjoy the outdoors when not employed. We do chore work at home, train and compeat in sheep dog trails and demonstrate herding at festivals.

Did I mention that there was skill involved? Well, there is, and after over 25 years at this, I’m still taking lessons from time to time to stay sharp.  So, the colder months, the downtime, is a great time to get extra training in, if the weather cooperates. The training starts, or your life with these dogs, starts and ends with your relationship. Without a good relationship, good work, the quiet, precise work of herding and the nonlethal job of herd-chasing/hazing wild geese can not be done well at all. So, “work on your relationship” with your dog.” Learn the skills and apply them. Go forward with love, but also with a healthy dose of reality and a tad at least of wisdom. The sheep, poultry, the wild geese, as well as the clients as well as everyone involved, will be the happier for it. And the dogs, Border Collies, need people who are at least as smart as they are.

It does not matter if I and my sons are doing goose control in New York, Massachusetts or Connecticut, we will get questioned at times about what we are doing. Working with dogs is strange to many Americans. This tradition, heritage that dates back tens of thousands of years is all but lost too many. We call it “working dogs” but not too long ago and for most of our human history “working” meant just “being”. Wolves,wolf-dogs, or proto-dogsand then just dogs (depending on the evidence you go with from the archaeological/anthropological evidence) have lived with us for a long time. It is said that “they” adopted us as much as the other way around. The relationship was mutually beneficial for survival. “They” protected us, helped us find food and then as time went on, helped to tend a major food source, the farm animals. It is said that humans would not be where we are if not for the dog, draft animals like ox, horse, mule, llama, elephant, and also, cats.

Before we started our goose control service, when our then boys were young, we took them to the New York State Museum form time to time. There is one of the Halls is a diorama of New York Native People protecting their crops from wild birds and some wild mammals that want to eat the garden. In the diorama are Native women and children armed with noisemakers and yes, there is a dog or two to help out. The reason why dogs and people “work” well together is that we have different senses, of smell, hearing, and eyesight. The strengths and diversity of our two species senses complement us and make us more adapt for survival and so, to thrive.

So, why Border Collies for goose control and not another breed or breeds? Yes, it is true that the Border Collie breed was not used for predator control of farm animals and keeping rats away for food storage and protecting gardens and crops. There are plenty of other breeds better suited for those needs. And in fact, breeds of dogs as we know them did not exist more than 200 or so years ago. The “dog” that lived and worked with us through most of history adapted and thrived through happenstance and survival breeding to whatever was needed in the villages and farms of the times.
Of course “living with” matters too. And dogs and people developed a strong caring if not loving bond or bonds as the times moved on. It probably didn’t take long to develop the strong bonds that we feel and feel to this day.

When we just look at a dog why do many of us feel such a strong sense of warmth, care, love and if not peace? It may not be true for all people and all dogs but what we feel so deeply is well seeded in our human tradition, heritage if not biology. So how does this all work at its best? It takes “skill”. The understanding of how to care and how to work together and how to perform the crafts of our jobs. And that is, in part, the answer to “why Border Collies”. There are other breeds and even other herding breeds like the Kelpie. Herding breeds are known to Americans to be the smartest of dogs. But it is the herding breeds strong ability to work with their handlers and intact instincts for work, herding, that makes them able to step onto clients’ properties and “work” in our present-day American world.

In the UK, the very popular  TV program is “One Man and his Dog” has been replaced by the popular” A Way With Dogs”, both herding sheepdogs. People in the UK and elsewhere are a bit more connected to tradition than Americans seem to be, in general. Draft animals still have a place around the world as a matter of necessity, and maybe an alternative to motors of any sort should be kept in play. I have been taken aback at many Americans’ view that a “functional” relationship between us and animals as being something just short of evil. I will give credence to the thought that all traditions are not  worth saving and very worth getting rid of. But sustainable, earth-friendly traditions should be given careful consideration especially if they are handled with skill. Our past can be or can be an important part of our now and our future. We should not be constantly try to reinvent every step of our way. that is not sustainable if not shortsighted.

Several times a year someone will ask me how long it takes to train a Border Collie. This question pops up on goose control client visits, herding demonstrations or at sheepdog trials. I usually say something like, the length of time depends on the dog and the handler. Then I grin and say something like, now that I know more it takes less time, I don’t have to go back and fix so many mistakes. But the rule of thumb is you start working with Border Collies when they are a few months old on the basics and by the time they are 3 or 4 years old they may be considered fully trained. This usually stops a few people short who ask that question. Any pup to dog is a huge investment in time or should be. Dogs we partner in work with probably take a bit more time to teach and build a relationship with. Herding is a simple concept but to get it right, there are a lot of complexities.

Getting the training and work right with Border Collies, whether it is working wild geese or sheep, means understanding the relationships. A handler needs to know how the dogs thinks and reacts and that goes for the sheep or geese as well. Each Border Collie has his or her own personality, so that’s a variable too. Wild Canada Geese seem to be somewhat similar to each other by nature. But Border Collies have been breed for hundreds of years, lets say, to accommodate different farmers’ needs. Some farmers, shepherds, may want a quiet dog, others a more active dog. Sheep breeds vary in nature and the terrain of a farm plus other factors can play on a farmer’s mind when it comes to what type of dog will do.

A handler learns with time, as does a maturing Border Collie just the right way to work with sheep and or wild geese. The object is to get the job done with no harm but without taking undue time. The watchword may well be , go carefully. This allows the Shepard to work with any stage of the goose control or farm year, including the all-important lambing time, handling mother sheep and their young lambs on pastures and in barns. And for goose control handlers to work families with young, which can make a big a big habitual mess of properties. Herding or herd-chasing geese does come down to how much space is in between the dog and the sheep/geese. Get too close and the sheep get too worried about being moved by a dog. Get too far away from geese or sheep and the job can not be done.The distance, flight distance, depends on how “strong” the dog is, the speed of the dog and how wary the sheep/geese are.

Yes, different sheep, breeds of sheep have different flight distances and geese will act more wary as the hazing process progresses. We actually do not herd-chase families of geese with young, but herd as we do ewes with young lambs. This means that the speed of the dog slows a bit while working but the distance between dog and ewes with lambs and families of geese, at first is closer than normal. This is because of the mother’s tendency to stay still  very close to their young. But as the fast growing lambs and gooslings  mature, in a matter of a few weeks good respect on both ends is established.

Distance and time while herding or herd-chasing is varable depending on the situation,sheep,geese, individaul dog,dogs and handeler. A good herding dog understands what time to take and the space to work in, with. And a good handler “gets” how to adjust depending on the dog’s experience or individual skill according to the situation.