Recently, we had the opportunity to photograph two geese dogs and their human teammates at work in the Boston Public Garden. They were trying to make Canada Geese understand that the lagoon is not a place to settle down for the summer.
If you should see this pair with their yellow vests off-leash in this park, please understand that they are there to do an important job. They are trained to voice commands and obey instantly when asked to stop, stay, or change their position.
One of their handlers works on the lagoon from a kayak and the other (the woman in the yellow jacket) stays along the shore. The dogs work both in and out of the water.
The object of the game is to keep the birds from feeling safe in this park without hurting them. This is called site aversion by the GeesePeace model program.
"You can take a break, I've got this one," said one dog to the other!
These pups were working so hard we never did get their names. If you are in a park where you see Border Collies working on geese control, please keep your own dog on leash and away from them. These herders move very fast and it would be easy to get in their way. They might also tempt your dog to chase them.
We were worn out just watching them as we said so long to two very tired dogs.
Thanks to this team and the Friends of the Public Garden for making the park a cleaner and safer place to walk. And, thanks to other teams working in other parks, golf courses, and open spaces. It will take a sustained and combined effort to undo the human mistakes that caused the overpopulation of these birds.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino
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