# Geese as pets?



## steve-in-kville (Nov 12, 2005)

I know geese can make a good watch dog as they don't seem to miss much! But I am thinking of getting some geese that would be allowed to free range during the day and hopefully become freindly enough to be a pet of sorts.

Has anyone done this before? What breeds should I be looking at?


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Not your best choice for a pet. They can get pretty aggressive if they don't respect you.

They can free range and they will stick around and they'll come for food, if that's all you want for "friendly".

I've had geese and I like them quite a bit, but they aren't good lap pets.

That aggression and territoriality is exactly why they make good watch dogs. They will defend their territory against any invader. They don't care how big the invader is. 

I didn't have any problems with the geese and animal that belonged there. They accepted the local residents as OK. It was just strangers that set them off.

If you have children, it is very important that the children don't harass the geese or tease them, because the geese will retaliate. What children see as being friendly or interacting with their pets can easily be interpreted as teasing by the geese. Once they've had their fill of the kid's behavior, they will go after the kids, and it will be every time they see the kids.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Some breeds are not aggressive. Geese aren't the best watchdogs though. 
If you want pets, you will need to hand raise a breed that isn't aggressive. The American Buff is a very nice goose for pets.


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## Jessilee (Feb 7, 2011)

When I was younger, we had geese (I'll have to look again to see what kind) and they were excellent watchers (we'd have to pen them if company was coming or they'd go screaming and honking after people) but they were as sweet as could be to us (except for one that wasn't mean but wasn't nice). Our biggest problem was Lucy Goosey - apparently thought she was a parrot and would come flying at you and try to land on your shoulder. She broke 2 pairs of my mom's glasses doing that. If she wasn't doing that though, she would (along with the others) come and walk around us, stand to be petted, fight over who got to sit in someone's lap, etc. We enjoyed them despite the few problems they caused.


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## Prickle (May 9, 2009)

I had a pet goose. She was a lovey and would climb in our laps and groom our hair. She was also very friendly with our dog but not friendly to strangers. 

She scared the poo out of the UPS man. She chased him down the drive way. She could be very intimidating and those ridges in their bills are sharp.

She was a Grey Toulouse and just a wee gosling when we got her. Geese imprint on large objects so if you get them very young they'll think you are their mother.


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## oberhaslikid (May 13, 2002)

I have the Pilgrim Geese and I got them because they were docile. They free range here .I do have a 1/4 acre pond in my backyard for them.They are trained to come when I call them.The only time they seem to come at you will be when they are breeding.The male tries to chase off anything near his females.If mine even act like hes gonna come at me he lowers his head.I charge at him and he retreats the other way.
I have been around some that would chase you till the end of the earth.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

We had a pet goose. We had 2 to start with, but both were ganders and one was extra aggressive and bit the dog one time too many and she killed him. So then we bought a lady goose for the lonesome gander but she soon disappeared. As a solo goose, he would hang around with us whenever we were outside. We ended up calling him Lonesome George. Going out to do chores was a parade, the dogs would follow us, then the goose, then a nosy cat we had. He was a pretty good "watch goose". He didn't want to be touched or petted, just close by. A stray dog killed him at about age 10. He was a Toulouse and I have read they can live to 25 years.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

I have 5 Toulouse. They are great!! They're hilarious to watch, keep hawks and eagles from stealing chickens (just by the geese being in the yard), aren't cuddly friendly but not outright mean to us, but heaven help anyone or thing that comes into our yard uninvited (by them) and they don't invite anyone/thing in the yard. 

Oh and the males are rooster killing machines. If the roosters are mean about mating (with hens), crow too much or try to dominate a goose it's all over for the rooster. The ganders (2) are just turning a year old and are too big for their britches and are brats. Obviously they aren't allowed to freerange together anymore...... 

Interestingly, they were also killing the roosters by color. I have lots of different breeds and (admittedly) too many roosters, but still. Took awhile to figure out that it was the geese doing it, thought it was a dog for awhile. Also weird that all my favorite roosters are still alive- of each color/breed. 

This all started when the ganders started fighting each other for dominance. I think that because the chickens and geese were raised together, the ganders are a bit confused by who to battle for dominance.

But- the geese are awesome and aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Oh, and they come when called too.


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## steve-in-kville (Nov 12, 2005)

Sorry for the delay in responding to this thread.... so thanks for the replies. I am thinking about either getting ducks or geese. Ducks I hear are pretty messy but I feel would be easier to raise. Not sure what direction I will take on this.


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## NorCalChicks (Dec 7, 2007)

We have 3 geese - the pair we had first made a baby - Baby Buddy! Unfortunately daddy didn't take to the baby and literally tried to take it out the same day it hatched! So Buddy was a hand reared goose. She just loves us - is scared to death of the other 2 geese and pretty much thinks shes a dog! She's a bit spoiled - Lakota brings her in in her crate if we are having bad wind storms so she won't be scared! Sometimes I'm pretty sure that make US the silly goose! LOL!


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

I had grey Toulouse. I hatched one that imprinted on me and thought I was Mama. One day when he was about two weeks old I let him out to eat a bit of green grass and walked away. He followed and ran under my foot. I darn near cried. 

Raised from goslings they will be very tame, but they are geese. One day the wife was bending over weeding her flower bed and a gander "goosed" her. I heard the scream and saw her running into the house. I tried not to laugh, but she whopped me anyway. 

I really like having geese on the place, but either the geese or the garden must be fenced.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

I had 2 toulouse and a buff. The male was agressive during breeding time....even to us. But a quick stomp towards him turned him around (if you saw him coming). I get deliveries for work and my fed ex driver started throwing my packages in the back of my pickup. Finally my husband caught her and the gal said she was so glad he came out. Them geese r mean! Them's bite me n th grits! I's aint gittin outta this truck wit dem here...na uh! He tried to tell her all she had to do was stomp at him, but she was having none of it. It was all my husband could do to keep from laughing, but alas..I needed my deliveries in good condition so the geese had to go to a new home. Oh the other thing no one mentioned...they leave large piles all over. Its pretty annoying trying to avoid stepping in it when it is right at the bottom of your steps where they hang out (since they know you come out that door to feed them). Ducks leave smaller piles. I am thinking of trying a more docile breed such as the pilgrim or sebastapool....but really thinking hard about it. The Toulouse were quite a handful.


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