Best breed for indoor/outdoor, well socialized, well trained pet goose?

[Miss Lydia]

Just stay away from Embden. I have read that this breed is notoriously bad with dogs.

My Embden gander has been pretty mean to our dogs, pinching them in the behind when they would walk by, it would happen so quick we didn't have time to respond, but I am working very hard now to break his habit and it is working, I am using a long piece of flexible pvc like an arm extension everytime the geese start towards one of the dogs the pole comes out between them, using my voice also at the same time, They are very smart and learn fast. I don't let my dogs and geese out together unless i am with them until we get this down pat, Dogs are your friends, don't make them your enemies.

 

[aoxa]

My Embden gander has been pretty mean to our dogs, pinching them in the behind when they would walk by, it would happen so quick we didn't have time to respond, but I am working very hard now to break his habit and it is working, I am using a long piece of flexible pvc like an arm extension everytime the geese start towards one of the dogs the pole comes out between them, using my voice also at the same time, They are very smart and learn fast. I don't let my dogs and geese out together unless i am with them until we get this down pat, Dogs are your friends, don't make them your enemies. 

So that reinforces what I've read How is Missy with them? Your gander probably isn't teaching her proper dog etiquette though

 

[Miss Lydia]

So that reinforces what I've read

How is Missy with them? Your gander probably isn't teaching her proper dog etiquette though

She watches everything he does and was picking up on his attitude towards them so she is being taught also, we were just outside with them all and they are learning that when the dogs are with us they have to keep a distance. My mixed breed hates Sammy and attacked him once already so I have to watch their interactions closely. I don't know if all Embdens are like this, But I think Ganders in general have more attitude than a goose does. Although she does grab chicken tail feathers to make them get out of the way if she wants to eat.

 

[Marty1876]

Perhaps you should consider socializing your geese real well, but allowing them outdoor time during daylight hours, and maybe a dog crate inside at night? My toulouse are quite bonded to me, as I hatched all but one of them. Even though mine live and sleep outside of my house, my special babies do still come right up to me when I squat down or sit on a bucket outdoors with them. My "babies" all hatched this spring. The chatter at me, nibble me a bit with their beaks sometimes, and generally make a rukus on my behalf whenever I come or go. They love me and I know it. They are also able to have a normal goose life. For us its the best of both worlds, but I could definately see having a goose equivalent to the indoor outdoor cat.

Here they are coming up to greet me, one of them is nibbling my pants, but shes half out of the pic



I'd say go with toulouse or sebastopol, they are both gentle and attractive. I have both (and Africans) and geese are definatley more social and inquisitive than ducks by far. Your in for a really lovely surprise. I was a die hard duck girl, and now that I hatched geese, I'm a die hard waterfowl girl. (And harver secret wishes for a house goose, but honestly, once you see their love of the outdoors, and consider their great need for grass, you'll understand why they really must have ample outdoor time)

 

[aoxa]

Perhaps you should consider socializing your geese real well, but allowing them outdoor time during daylight hours, and maybe a dog crate inside at night?  My toulouse are quite bonded to me, as I hatched all but one of them.  Even though mine live and sleep outside of my house, my special babies do still come right up to me when I squat down or sit on a bucket  outdoors with them.   My "babies" all hatched this spring.   The chatter at me, nibble me a bit with their beaks sometimes, and generally make a rukus on my behalf whenever I come or go.  They love me and I know it.  They are also able to have a normal goose life.  For us its the best of both worlds, but I could definately see having a goose equivalent to the indoor outdoor cat. 

 Here they are coming up to greet me, one of them is nibbling my pants, but shes half out of the pic



I'd say go with toulouse or sebastopol, they are both gentle and attractive.  I have both (and Africans) and geese are definatley more social and inquisitive than ducks by far.  Your in for a really lovely surprise.  I was a die hard duck girl, and now that I hatched geese, I'm a die hard waterfowl girl.  (And harver secret wishes for a house goose, but honestly, once you see their love of the outdoors, and consider their great need for grass, you'll understand why they really must have ample outdoor time)

You have buffs as well?! Where did you get them? MY gander came from Kansas - which is where I see you are

 

[Marty1876]

Wow, you had a gander shipped from KS to Canada? Man, that was a long drive when I was a kid! (We spent every summer for years in Manitoba - 2 hours from Thunder Bay - fishing and swimming and picking blueberries.) Now I want to bring you a goose. Buff? Got a lake??? LOL

To a Kansas girl, Canada is amazing and cool and nice and overgrown.

 

[Marty1876]

I hatched my buffs. The source is no longer available.

 

[aoxa]

Wow, you had a gander shipped from KS to Canada?  Man, that was a long drive when I was a kid!  (We spent every summer for years in Manitoba - 2 hours from Thunder Bay - fishing and swimming and picking blueberries.)  Now I want to bring you a goose.  Buff?  Got a lake???  LOL To a Kansas girl, Canada is amazing and cool and nice and overgrown.

We are in Eastern Canada, so Winston traveled from Kansas to Woodstock Ontario (16 hours) and from Woodstock to Shediac, NB (17 hours). He was really good! We picked him up in Woodstock. Buff ganders are rarer than hens teeth here!! We can find plenty of really good greys, but no buffs. My girls are my pride and joy though, and they sound just like your girls. Winston is still warming up to us. I had him eating out of my hand last weekend! The girls showed him

I hatched my buffs.  The source is no longer available. 

Too bad! So few people work with the colour anymore

 

[Marty1876]

Quote: I'm working with it now, and presearving it. Hopefully some are worthy of 4H shows and better, so we'll go with breeding the best I have for better. I will have some eggs and youngsters available this spring. My sources birds were dispersed. Me and a few others spent all spring trying to hatch eggs from them. A few folks bought birds too. They are very very rare here. They were only one of two sources we all found. I think a few more have been found since, but I'm content with the geese I've allready got.

 

[aoxa]

I'm working with it now, and presearving it. Hopefully some are worthy of 4H shows and better, so we'll go with breeding the best I have for better. I will have some eggs and youngsters available this spring. My sources birds were dispersed. Me and a few others spent all spring trying to hatch eggs from them. A few folks bought birds too. They are very very rare here. They were only one of two sources we all found. I think a few more have been found since, but I'm content with the geese I've allready got.

Good Shepherd has buff Toulouse That's where I got Winston. Is this part of the efforts to save that flock? All the birds were rehomed all over the country..?

Here is my trio. Winston in the middle right after his long journey. He took to them right away. He is a couple months younger, and the girls were born May 15th 2012 (picture taken 10/28/12) So glad to hear you are working with them!