Why can’t I just do this myself?

This is a common question, and rightly so, people ask it. Why not try to save money, and skip using a professional when “I have a dog”?

The main reason I tell customers they should not use their own dogs to scare geese off of property is liability.

Dogs can be unpredictable, even when properly trained. Canada geese are federally protected wildlife. Without proper training about the birds behavior, you may not know when geese are flightless or highly aggressive. These things do occur at different times of the year, and for different reasons.

If you send your untrained dog, who partially listens after a goose that can’t fly, you will be held responsible for that bird being injured. Federal fines and possible charges apply when a goose is hurt by an untrained citizen.

On the flip side your dog could be seriously injured. Canada geese are very large birds who have attacked people without a second thought. They can harm humans, who are three times their size, and they are not always intimidated by them. If you send your dog after a goose that can’t fly, and they peruse them into the water, the goose will then have the advantage and the potential to drown a dog.

Through training and experience, my K-9, Beau, and I work together in the safest and most efficient way possible. I watch the birds and their behavior, and he listens when I call him back, or give him directional commands. I assess the flocks, and the dangers around them so I know I’m not sending him into a situation where he will fail, or worse, be hurt.

Sometimes the environment around us changes as we’re working. Properties with lots of nice lawn also have lots of people watching. There are roads, parking lots, and other people’s dogs to consider as possible threats to Beau. A working dog sees the job asked of them differently than your every day pet, and their job is to listen to you, and trust what you tell them, without questioning it.

I always welcome further conversation with future clients, and the public, as to why the use of trained professionals is always safer than using a pet dog.