How to quiet a loud goose?

[beachbumdad]

I have a white Chinese swan goose and a mallard duck. I grew up with this same combo and loved them! I don't, however, remember the goose being this incredibly loud and often annoying with his honking. He honks a LOT of the time and sometimes gets going and won't quit for a while.

On another forum I read about getting a dog bark ultrasonic control, but the one I've bought just doesn't seem to be teaching him anything!! I got a really nice one with a 50' range and their pen is only about 60' across, so not sure if they don't hear that frequency or what.

Any other ideas or help on how to quiet my crazy goose would be GREAT. My 9 year old daughter loves him and so he's permanent in our family.

Thanks,

John

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Chinese geese seem to be voted the Loudest Goose Breed. I know that they whistling honking can be very annoying. I think I would be tempted to try the training collar systems for small to medium size dogs and see if the goose could be trained not to honk. It would take some serious dedication because if he/she honks a few times without correction, he/she will learn he/she could get away with it.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Chinese geese seem to be voted the Loudest Goose Breed. I know that they whistling honking can be very annoying. I think I would be tempted to try the training collar systems for small to medium size dogs and see if the goose could be trained not to honk. It would take some serious dedication because if he/she honks a few times without correction, he/she will learn he/she could get away with it.

I dont think a collar system for dogs would be wise to try on geese at all.

I also have a pair of chinese geese - male & female - but they dont honk all the time. Do you know how old your gander is??
Also, did you raise him from gosling stage or get him as an adult? Was he raised with the duck?

My geese honk when we go outside, kind of like a greeting (at least that's what I think it is); they honk when someone they dont know approaches them, or when they get excited. Both of them honk, but the gander is def louder & more shrill - when they do honk, it doesn't last long, less than 5 mins max, I'd say. When you say he gets going & wont stop for a while, how long would you say the honking lasts?

 

[1MrsMagoo]

I have a white Chinese swan goose and a mallard duck. I grew up with this same combo and loved them! I don't, however, remember the goose being this incredibly loud and often annoying with his honking. He honks a LOT of the time and sometimes gets going and won't quit for a while.

On another forum I read about getting a dog bark ultrasonic control, but the one I've bought just doesn't seem to be teaching him anything!! I got a really nice one with a 50' range and their pen is only about 60' across, so not sure if they don't hear that frequency or what.

Any other ideas or help on how to quiet my crazy goose would be GREAT. My 9 year old daughter loves him and so he's permanent in our family.

Thanks,

John

My suggestion would be to get him a mate and then he may move more toward constant chatter with occasional outburst of loud honking. Geese are flock animals and although he has a duck friend, would probably be happier with another goose: Especially a mate. It does not have to be the same breed, so you could go with one about the same size that isn't known to be as loud.
Personally, I'd be really surprised if zapping the goose is teaching it anything except to hate that collar. Mine tend to be very headstrong about some things and I've heard that if you hurt them they seem to remember.
Just my two cents...take them how you will.

 

[beachbumdad]

Hey everyone! Thanks for the fast replies.

Some quick deets:
We got the duck and goose together at 2 days old and raised them. Gus (the goose) imprinted on my daughter and the duck just follows the goose around.
They are about 10 months old (we got them April 23 2012)
I keep food out for them during the cold months as there isn't any verdure in their pen.
They have a kitty pool I keep fresh water in for swimming, wading, bathing.

Just to clarify, currently I am using an outside Ultrasonic Dog Bark Controller, I would never try to put the collar on my goose, either the shocking or the ultrasonic one...I don't believe in causing physical pain to any animal or human, so that's out of the question.

Also as an update, I put a new battery in the Ultrasonic device and it seems to be working better, he only screams about 5 times and then quiets down. But it's still very frequently, usually triggered by my daughter and her friends playing outside or inside (making noise), but when they are outside he just keeps going and going. I want her to be able to play outside freely without the goose annoying the neighbors etc...and if he is hearing the ultrasonic sound, which I believe he is based on his response, I don't want to cause him continual agitation either.

I really like the idea of getting him a mate, 1MrsMagoo you said I don't have to get the same breed, what is the best breed to get (that is also quiet so I don't inadvertently make the problem worse)? And do I get the mate as a gosling or an adult?

Thanks!

John

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey everyone! Thanks for the fast replies.

Some quick deets:
We got the duck and goose together at 2 days old and raised them. Gus (the goose) imprinted on my daughter and the duck just follows the goose around.
They are about 10 months old (we got them April 23 2012)
I keep food out for them during the cold months as there isn't any verdure in their pen.
They have a kitty pool I keep fresh water in for swimming, wading, bathing.

Just to clarify, currently I am using an outside Ultrasonic Dog Bark Controller, I would never try to put the collar on my goose, either the shocking or the ultrasonic one...I don't believe in causing physical pain to any animal or human, so that's out of the question.

Also as an update, I put a new battery in the Ultrasonic device and it seems to be working better, he only screams about 5 times and then quiets down. But it's still very frequently, usually triggered by my daughter and her friends playing outside or inside (making noise), but when they are outside he just keeps going and going. I want her to be able to play outside freely without the goose annoying the neighbors etc...and if he is hearing the ultrasonic sound, which I believe he is based on his response, I don't want to cause him continual agitation either.

I really like the idea of getting him a mate, 1MrsMagoo you said I don't have to get the same breed, what is the best breed to get (that is also quiet so I don't inadvertently make the problem worse)? And do I get the mate as a gosling or an adult?

Thanks!

John

I have an Embden gander and a Toulouse goose and they are madly in love, my gander is alot louder than my goose, i think it's just a male thing.

 

[The goose girl]

But it's still very frequently, usually triggered by my daughter and her friends playing outside or inside (making noise), but when they are outside he just keeps going and going.

I think he's calling out for your daughter. He is imprinted on her and can hear her, so he's honking to let her know where he is. Geese do a lot of "here am I - where are you" communication so they won't get lost from one another and the flock. When he hears your daughter, he thinks she is calling out to find him, and he yells at the top of his lungs, not understanding why she can't find him.

My late goose would always honk when she heard a neighbor friend clear his throat (he does that really loud). She obviously thought he'd gotten lost. If he came over, she'd run to greet him.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Hey everyone! Thanks for the fast replies.

Some quick deets:
We got the duck and goose together at 2 days old and raised them. Gus (the goose) imprinted on my daughter and the duck just follows the goose around.
They are about 10 months old (we got them April 23 2012)
I keep food out for them during the cold months as there isn't any verdure in their pen.
They have a kitty pool I keep fresh water in for swimming, wading, bathing.

Just to clarify, currently I am using an outside Ultrasonic Dog Bark Controller, I would never try to put the collar on my goose, either the shocking or the ultrasonic one...I don't believe in causing physical pain to any animal or human, so that's out of the question.

Also as an update, I put a new battery in the Ultrasonic device and it seems to be working better, he only screams about 5 times and then quiets down. But it's still very frequently, usually triggered by my daughter and her friends playing outside or inside (making noise), but when they are outside he just keeps going and going. I want her to be able to play outside freely without the goose annoying the neighbors etc...and if he is hearing the ultrasonic sound, which I believe he is based on his response, I don't want to cause him continual agitation either.

I really like the idea of getting him a mate, 1MrsMagoo you said I don't have to get the same breed, what is the best breed to get (that is also quiet so I don't inadvertently make the problem worse)? And do I get the mate as a gosling or an adult?

Thanks!

John

Thanks of the clarification: I kept wondering where in the heck you'd get such a small shock collar, but in a world with tiny dogs anything is possible. As to a mate, I would suggest something around the same weight. Pilgrims are supposed to be very calm, so are Romans, but both of these breeds are fairly rare. From what I have read in some literature, a common cross made commercially is the Chinese x Embden.

So, honestly, you can probably get just about any breed other than Dewlap Toulouse or Super African since they are rare and huge and your gander would be happy. I know time of year is a very limiting factor. However, their are periodically adult geese being sold rather inexpensively on Craigslist. You could also try posting a want ad on here as well. Ms. Lydia would be an excellent resource since she brought in the Toulouse female for her Embden gander last year.

Also, in just a few months time, breeders will be culling out their juveniles and choosing next season's breeding stock. It may be a good time to pick up a young adult at a good price: If you can keep your hearing and sanity intact until then!

 

[beachbumdad]

Great info! Thanks all of you! I love that he's calling for her, that's so sweet. And I feel kinda guilty for being mad at him I do like the mate idea and I'll start doing more research on it. So it sounds like I need to get a goose about my gander's age then right? Again, thank you all for our help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Great info! Thanks all of you! I love that he's calling for her, that's so sweet. And I feel kinda guilty for being mad at him I do like the mate idea and I'll start doing more research on it. So it sounds like I need to get a goose about my gander's age then right? Again, thank you all for our help.

My gander was 5yrs old when I found my Toulouse goose for him she was 4 months old.this was last Aug. whats going to happen to your duck? will it still be able to live with your goose? is it a duck or drake?