Sixth grade students at Troy Middle School made a new furry friend this week. Her name is Skye and she is a Border Collie who helps chase wild geese off the athletic fields behind the TMS/THS campus.
Skye and her owners, Eric and Sam Johnson of Wild Goose Chase NE in New Lebanon, came in to speak to students about their company and how they use the breed to control birds for school districts and companies in the area.
Skye and her siblings “drive” and “fetch,” the terms used to move livestock, or in this case…geese, from one area to another. The Johnsons have trained the dogs, but utilize their natural hearding instincts to control birds that often leave a messy situation behind.
The Johnsons say Troy’s problem tends to flare up in the fall, but says he hopes to come back in the spring to show students a demonstration outside. For this presentation, students were able to see the basic commands the dog responds to and even received a few doggy kisses.
The presentation is part of a classroom activity in which students read an article called “The Great Bird Poop Disaster” which discusses the health and infrastructure impact of bird droppings in urban areas.
