Canada Geese are a pretty messy and aggressive species of bird. And they love the big, green open spaces of Governors Island. To prevent these birds from making a mess, or attacking visitors, the island employs four working border collies—Max, Chip, Quinn, and Aspen— to scare the birds away. See them in action in this short video from the Gothamist.
Max, along with his fellow working dogs—Chip, Quinn, and the newest addition, 9-month-old Aspen—make up the fleet of dogs who patrol Governors Island. Their job is to scare off the geese, and it's a job they love, as these guys are highly energetic. The dogs also find it rewarding; I was told that at first, Max was sad when the geese would fly away, thinking he failed. Max came to Governors Island from a farm in Maryland, where was "fired" from his herding job there for being too friendly. Since he had been trained there to herd sheep into a tight circle, he thought the geese flying off was not the result he wanted.
You can follow the dogs on Instagram @giworkingdogs to keep up with their activities.
via Gothamist
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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