Dog Learns Some New Tricks and Goose Problem Is History

FREMONT, Calif. —  Hundreds of geese that had the run of this city’s Central Park have finally been corralled by a dog freed from the pound to keep them in the pond.

Luke dons a vest every day and chases the Canada geese into the water, but never hurts them, said Judy Felber, the park’s supervising ranger.

Felber said she rescued Luke from the pound in August and immediately put him to work. The dog is a McNab, a Northern California breed that is a cross between a border collie and a Scottish collie.

“We had tried everything to get rid of the geese,” she said Friday. “People heard of our problem and sent us ideas from all over the nation. We even tried dead decoys to scare them off.”

As many as 1,600 unruly Canada geese monopolized the 450-acre park in the summer, making a dirty mess and gobbling grass down to the mud.

Luke is cutting down on the number of geese that linger after the big summer visit, according to Felber.

“He makes them leave earlier,” she said. “We only had 78 last week.”

Some geese have gotten so used to the routine that they jump in the lake when Felber merely whistles, her normal signal for Luke to do his job.

Luke was trained by dogs used to handling cattle, she said.

“The dogs did such a good job their owners now run a company called Goose Busters,” she said. The dogs are used at golf courses and other places that attract birds.

When he is not making sure the geese flee or stay in the small pond or 80-acre Lake Elizabeth at the park, Luke goes home with Felber. “He’s a kick,” she said. “He has his own chair and loves to watch TV.”

The dog has not only been a lifesaver for the park, he also may have been a literal lifesaver for the geese. City Recreation Services Manager Patrick Hayes had been pushed to his limits by the 10-year battle with the geese, at one point considering more drastic action such as trapping or even killing the birds.