Problem populations of wild geese are a Human social issue. Oh, geese can take over an environment, shoving other birds and even animals out of the way. Wild geese can denude grass fields and golf courses and lawns as well as pollute waters. But the sight of all the poop they leave behind as well as the possibility of aggressive geese is why people want them sent off. The Human factor can lead to some raised emotions and strong opinions when it comes to decisions on what to do with “all those geese.” So, it is important to separate whoever is doing the chasing, or as I call what we do, “herd-chasing” from all that all too human angst. Dogs don’t do well with handlers who are emotional and even without dogs; it can be dangerous in any environment if you are not focused.
There, of course, are people out there who will yell at you while you are actively chasing,herd-chasing geese. This can be downright distracting if not dangerous. If you are working with dogs, every moment you’re handling them should be totally focused, to get the job done effectively and as stress-free as possible. But a person yelling, thinks they are protecting the geese from you and the dogs, without any realization of the bigger picture. We have been through these situations a few times, happens to us every year once or twice, so we maintain focus and a calm presence and have someone to call if need be. We ask every client who we should call if we are comforted by anyone with a phone number provided.
About being calm with dogs….It runs counter to most of our American thoughts on how to relate to dogs, but working with them; dogs really appreciate a calm person. Oh, socializing is one thing, we play and greet each other with lots of fun, but on the job as with wild dogs or their relatives, staying focused and being calm is very important. As a matter of fact, if you are not calm with your dog, Border Collie or another herding breed at a sheepdog trial, you do not do well, or can even be disqualified. Sheep and other farm animals do not like a lot of Human noise or fast exuberant movement. And so, the dogs that have been working with these farm animals for hundreds of years know how to act around their “livestock.” Its unknowing Humans who can mess things up.
The weekend before writing this blog post, I had two of our dogs in Connecticut for some goose control visits. My team was the talented four-year-old Border Collie Blade and the mix breed Nash. We were at an office park. It was quiet, few cars on the roads but as we arrived, I saw two people walking several dogs in our direction. I saw geese in the nearby ponds as I pulled in. Timing is critical with goose control, and these geese were in a right spot to herd-chase, waiting for the dog walkers to go past would mean the geese would swim off in the pond, making it difficult to send them flying.
I quickly parked and as calm as I could, got Blade and Nash out of the car. I made sure no cars were coming on the road we had to cross. And off we went to the pond where most of the geese were. I put a lead on Nash as he can go a little too fast in pressure situations and Blade moved calmly with purpose. The geese sensed the dogs moving toward them, started honking and I released Nash. Both dogs went on opposite sides of the small pond, and that was enough for the geese, they flew off. The dogs and I then walked to the other end of the pond to make sure all the geese had left. When we got back to our car, I noticed the dog walkers had passed us on that road and were moving far away. That worked, a quick decision, then a job done with focus and the skills and the knowledge we have. I think Blade and Nash made an impression on those geese and no real harm was done and our client does not have to worry about people worrying about those geese.