How Do Trained Border Collies Help Airports Reduce Wildlife Risks?

The Dangers of Airport Bird Strikes

Many may be surprised to learn that birds pose a major hazard at airports, causing significant damage and delays. Some aviation experts estimate that wildlife strikes cause between $625 and $900 million in damage to planes and delays in airport traffic flow each year in the US. Some of the most well-known aircraft crashes have been caused by birds, like the Miracle on the Hudson crash.

A flock of geese can cause a flight to require an emergency landing with little to no warning. Wildlife strikes happen daily all over the US, and in some years, there are over 20,000 strike reports submitted to the National Wildlife Strike Database. This safety concern has long been an issue that airports have struggled to fix. In order to prevent each bird strike from occurring, many airports are turning to goose dogs to patrol their fields. Airports that implement these wildlife patrol teams have dogs at the ready to scare geese and other wildlife away from the premises. Wild birds cause major safety concerns, significant flight delays, damage to aircraft, and put pilots and passengers at risk. Continue reading to learn more about how professionally trained goose dogs reduce airport wildlife and make flying through your airport safer.

The Role of Border Collies in Airport Safety

Border collies play a crucial role in hazard management for many airports across the US. Wildlife is difficult to control and presents a unique problem to solve in regards to airport safety. A patrol dog is able to clear runways, allowing planes safe passage when landing or taking off.

These dogs go through rigorous training and are able to focus under many conditions. Border collies are specifically chosen because of their innate eagerness to herd animals and follow commands. The border collie breed is known to be a herding dog, and has been utilized by shepherds, farmers, federal agencies, and goose removal businesses for many years. Goose dogs are happy to work in any weather conditions and can easily take on any terrain. This particular breed of dog has high endurance and stamina, meaning they are at the ready when their services are needed. Border collies are highly intelligent, learn quickly, and are proficient at following commands, even under pressured circumstances.

The role given to these dogs provides them with a sense of pride and purpose. Their ability to focus makes them a unique but effective solution to prevent birds from striking an aircraft. Border collie geese removal services are used across the US, including air force bases, international airports, and even small airfields. While some regions have higher populations of geese, birds have become a strike hazard from coast to coast. Kuykendall Border Collies offers specialized training, which has brought new standards of airport safety.

How Goose Dogs Chase Birds Away At Airports

Goose dogs undergo extensive training, which specifically prepares them for the unique job of goose control. They are an invaluable asset for clearing away wildlife that can otherwise be a strong safety risk. Goose dogs are trained to never attack the birds. Their instinct to herd animals is utilized to chase the birds away. This causes the wildlife to feel unsafe in the environment and encourages them to relocate. Like most animals, they will be less likely to return to a location if they don't feel safe, making your airport safer for aircraft.

Utilizing goose dogs is one of the most effective methods of controlling geese. Simulating the hunting experience for geese can make a lasting impact on them and cause them to find a new area to live.

There are gimmicks that many try in an attempt to quickly rid their properties of wildlife pests; however, these typically only work for a short period. Geese may leave the area when annoyed, but it won’t prevent them from returning. Goose dogs give you a much higher chance of ridding your airport field of some geese, making the entire process more manageable.

While goose dogs are becoming a standard for goose control, there are some other methods that can help reduce the amount of wildlife flocks on the runways. By modifying the habitat, geese are less likely to hang around. Geese love bodies of water like ponds or drainage ditches, and thrive in vegetation that offers them cover and a place to nest. Keeping vegetation pruned and cut back makes the area less appealing, reducing overall wildlife. These more reliable methods, paired with goose dogs, have become a success for many airports.

How We Train A Border Collie Goose Dog

For generations, the team at Kuykendall Border Collies has perfected the art of border collie breeding and training. Border collies are naturally intelligent and possess a boundless desire to herd other animals and wildlife. Border collies make excellent companions, and their impressive agility helps them complete many different tasks.

Our process begins with training from our trainer and handler, Kent, who has received national recognition for his work with border collies. We carefully select dogs during the breeding process. Our dogs are socialized and taught to interact with humans and other animals, even getting them used to overnight stays in unfamiliar environments.

Border collies have a herding instinct, and we hone this ability through a rigorous training process. Our dogs start by herding small livestock, and eventually birds on both land and water. This process teaches them uncanny levels of self-control to ensure they can reliably work in any condition and continuously offer their undivided attention.

The Kuykendall Training Facility

The Kuykendall facility has been designed specifically for breeding herding dogs. With 85 acres of land, our dogs are trained across 5 fields, allowing us to work with them in larger areas as they become more confident in their training. With multiple ponds and a stream on our facility, our goose dogs are trained in different types of water. Incorporating different herds of animals, different terrains, and distractions helps us to train our dogs to our own professional standard. Not only are we training goose dogs, but we utilize them ourselves, so we truly have an understanding of what they need to be trained on for working in the field. After training at Kuykendall, dogs are completely ready to provide an effective and humane way to control unwanted wildlife.

Prevent Bird Strikes with Trained Goose Dogs

Dogs trained at Kuykendall are playing a significant role in reducing this wildlife hazard that afflicts many airports. From military airport facilities to private landing strips, goose dogs provide a unique service that brings no harm to the geese. Goose management is synonymous with border collies, and we are proud to breed and train goose dogs at the highest level. To learn more about goose dogs and how you can prevent bird strikes at your airport, reach out to Kuykendall today.

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