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The Border Collie

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Why Border Collies for goose control? Many people ask us that question and of course think their beloved pet dog can do the job. While their dog may be very eager and have special talents, they do not possess the needed talents and temperament best suited to be a good goose dog. The Border Collie is the best suited breed of dog for this job for several reasons. First, they are herding dogs and their main job is to collect/gather groups of livestock and move them calmly to their handler or around a course. Secondly, they possess breed specific behaviors including the “eye”, an intense gaze at their stock or flock. With that “eye” and their lowered stance (head lowered, tail tucked) the Border Collie approaches the flock in a menacing and intimidating stalking manner. Since they are herders, their instinct is to gather the geese, not grab them.

The Border Collie is a working and herding dog breed developed in the English-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It was specifically bred for intelligence and obedience. In fact they are widely considered to be the most intelligent dog breed. Due to their working background, Border Collies can be very demanding, energetic and playful. They require a fair amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation. That is why they do not always make the best house pets if owners do not provide for these needs.

Border Collies can take direction by voice, hand signals and by whistle at long distances when herding/working. Their vast amount of energy and herding instinct are still used to herd all kinds of animals from sheep, cattle, poultry, pigs and even ostriches. And, of course they are also used to remove unwanted wild birds, such as geese, from corporate office sites, schools, golf courses, neighborhoods, apartment complexes, just to name a few. The use of dogs for herding sheep etc. also makes good economic sense as each trained dog can perform the work of three humans.

The natural life span of the Border Collie is between 10 and 17 years with the average falling around 12 years.

After having now owned 11 Border Collies, I can honestly say they astonish me every day with their personalities and intelligence. Best Dog ever!!!

Sally Wyatt
Geese Police

Happy Holidays from Geese Police

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It is hard to believe that another year is almost over and that the Holidays are upon us. We would like to thank all of our clients and friends for their support and we wish you and yours a Happy Holiday Season.

We have had a busy year with lots of changes. Our original two Deputies, Flo Jo and Katie retired this year at the ripe old ages of 13 and 12 respectively. Both are now enjoying a life of leisure in our house with Piper our Aussie. They spend most of their time sleeping and eating. Katie will occasionally do a “ride-along” and even will get out of the truck to look at the geese. You can tell by her expression when she looks at you that she is thinking “seriously, you want me to stalk them; you know they are just going to leave.” Which is usually what happens—they leave before I can get her to engage-at which point she looks at me again as if to say—“see, I told you so.” Flo Jo has slowed down quite a bit and has developed some deterioration in her back legs. She still runs when she is outside although not as fast as she use to. Her real challenge is changing directions. Also, she now sleeps in the bed at night, much to Piper’s chagrin.

We also added three new dogs, Stormie, Pearl and Dixie. Each has her own unique personality and are fitting in well with the rest of the Deputies. We have added pictures and a bio of each on our website so please check them out.

The rest of the team is doing well. Bond (our only male border collie) loves all of his girls. Unfortunately he has a special place in his heart for Dixie our newest and youngest addition; principally because she is not spayed.

One of our goals for 2017 is to post more blogs with useful information so stay tuned. Also, if you can’t get enough of pictures of our deputies in action or play then follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we routinely post there.

Thanks again for your support and Happy Holidays!!

Sally & Michael Wyatt
Geese Police of Central Indiana

Who Are the Geese Police

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As you may have noticed in your area there are trucks and vans driving around with decals on them saying, “Geese Police”. Like me, I wondered what that was all about. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to travel far to find out. As it turns out, my neighbors are the owners of Geese Police Central Indiana. Like you, I’ve wondered what they do and why they do it. Geese Police is a company founded in 1986 to humanely control the Canada geese and other birds from destroying property and crops in an environmentally safe way.

Why do you need to control Canada geese and other birds? According to a study done by the Virginia Cooperative Extension associated with both Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, there’s a huge population increase in Canada geese that no longer migrate, which are commonly referred to as resident geese. According to estimates, there are over 1 million individual Canada geese in the Eastern U.S. to date. This exponential growth in the residential geese population has created quite a problem. Like all animals, Canada geese must go potty from time to time. Unfortunately, their bathroom is the sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, eating areas, sitting areas, playgrounds, and many other places. This causes business owners, residents, consumers, diners, and airports especially a problem.

Many of us would say why don’t we just round them up and destroy them? Well, that’s only a temporary and inhumane solution. There will be more birds that will land there eventually and you cannot keep destroying them. Also, Canada geese have a negative impact on safety but they have a large impact on natural wildlife and ecosystems. They tend to find their food near shorelines of lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks. An overabundance of feeding geese will create a lack of food for other waterfowl. This causes the predators of said waterfowl to not be able to hunt for their natural prey. Also, large amounts of feces in the water causes large amounts of phosphorous and nitrogen which depletes the water of oxygen that the fish use to survive. As a result, you see other species of birds, fish, and other animals leaving the area to find resources in another location or simply dying due to the tainted resources or lack thereof.

Not only do Canada geese negatively affect the natural environment and natural species, but they can negatively the health of humans. Canada geese and many birds are carriers of bacterial parasites that can be pathogenic to humans. The bacteria most commonly associated with Canada geese feces is E. coli. E. coli can be found in the gastrointestinal tracts of most humans, but there are certain strains of E. coli that can be harmful to humans such as Legionnaire’s disease and Salmonella. No evidence shows that direct contact with Canada geese can cause you to contract these diseases, however you can by drinking or using water tainted by Canada goose droppings.

As I have delineated, the Geese Police provide a pivotal service not only by ridding the community of a nuisance and sometimes eyesore, but by preventing potential serious health problems, preserving public natural areas such as parks, and helping to keep the farm fields in the area from being totally consumed by Canada geese. So, the next time you see a Geese Police truck or van, I suggest you give them a kind wave or nod so that they know you appreciate what an important job they do.

Fall Tips for Troublesome Fowl

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Fall is in full swing and the geese have been on the move since the end of July. They are typically in large flocks this time of year. Winter is just around the corner and there are some things we highly recommend. If you have fountains or bubblers in your ponds and you want to keep the geese away, you should shut them down and allow your ponds to freeze over. As the smaller ponds start to freeze, the geese will look for open water. If you keep your bubblers and fountains on, that can attract the geese during the winter months.

The migratory geese will start to work their way through the area in late November. They will be in larger flocks and stay for a short period of time. However, during this time, they can certainly leave quite a mess as they deposit 1.5 to 2 pounds of droppings per goose per day.

If you are having a problem with large numbers of geese around your ponds in the winter, call us. It generally does not take longer than a couple of weeks or so to move them out. They look for open water for safety and preening.

Now is also the perfect time to start thinking about service for the spring nesting season. It is never too early to start planning for this. The geese start pairing up in February and will look for their nesting sites in March. We highly recommend that our customers be on service no later than March 1 before the geese become too entrenched on your property. If you need information and a quote please give us a call. We are more than happy to come out and meet with you.