Here’s how to start a goose management business – you train your dog to chase geese from public areas such as golf courses, parks, schoolyards, etc.
You’re on the golf course, ready to take a shot. It’s going to be a hole in one – you can feel it – you bend over, ready to swing and it happens – out walk the geese.
Or…
It’s a sun-soaked afternoon, and the kids are kicking the soccer ball around. A few are eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, when it happens – honk, honk, here come the geese.
Let’s face it. Geese aren’t the friendliest of all animals, especially if you’ve got something they want; i.e. food. In addition, they tend to leave their waste behind (one goose makes about one pound of waste each day!) wherever they go – golf courses, parks, cemeteries, schoolyards, etc. In short, geese can be a real nuisance.
Actually, they are more than a nuisance – they can pose health risks to humans, especially when the geese are clustered together in large numbers.
That’s where a “Goose Be Gone” type business comes into play. Here’s how it works: you train your dog to chase geese from public areas (i.e. golf courses, parks, schoolyards, etc). Generally within six to eight weeks (sometimes more), the geese will stop returning to those areas, and you will have rid your client of a very annoying nuisance.
This could be the business for you, especially if you have a Border Collie. Because of their inherent herding instinct, Border Collies are the best breeds for chasing geese. Border Collies are taught to never touch or harm geese just scare them away. (This is an excellent selling point as well-your clients will be rid of a nuisance, but the birds will not be hurt in the process.)
Other breeds tend to nip at the legs and feet of the geese, causing considerable injury to the birds. (The point is to chase the geese and teach them to stay away from a certain property, not to harm them.) Labrador Retrievers, for example, instinctively grab their catches in their mouths – again, this can injure or kill the goose. Your goal is to rid an area of geese, not to harm the geese.
If you love dogs and want to adopt a Border Collie or two, you can visit this extensive list of Border Collie Rescuers across the United States. To find a credible, qualified dog trainer, look through your local phone book, ask your veterinarian, local animal shelter, or pet store if they can recommend someone.
In order to start your goose chasing business, you will need well-trained Border Collies, and you may need to make sure you have your business licensed and bonded. You can learn more about license and bonding by visiting the Small Business Advisor’s Small Business FAQ.
You can find potential clients all around you: cemeteries, universities, local school districts, golf courses, apartment communities, country clubs and so on. Wherever there are geese, you can find potential clients. Attract potential clients by creating a strong marketing plan, through word-of-mouth, creating an attractive website, and sending press releases to local newspapers and magazines.
Starting a “Goose be Gone” business can take some time – especially if you need to have your Border Collies trained. However, you are offering a much-needed service, considering the growing problem of Canadian geese migrating to the United States. The best part and a great selling point of course, is the fact that you will offer a safe, effective service resulting in happy clients without harming the geese.
You can do further research on goose chasing businesses by visiting Geese Police Inc, Adventure K9 and Triangle Goose Control. Some even offer franchising opportunities, if you would rather go that route.
