The Goose Patrol

While walking my border collie mix at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, I met a man with two border collies. Now these border collies (unlike my very mellow mutt) were intense. They crouched like wolves, stared with laser eyes and obsessively chased tennis balls. All during their coffee break. I had met the Goose Patrol. Every day, they start at Larz where they chase geese from the field and into the pond. When the geese land in the water, the dogs swim after them in "dogged" pursuit until the geese fly away. (A border collie can outswim a goose.) Eventually, the geese tire of this and find somewhere else to go -- a golf course or office park, perhaps. Then the Goose Patrol rolls over to the Fenway, where they clear geese from a park where Mayor Menino is scheduled to give a speech. In the afternoon, they tackle their most prestigious and challenging assignment: the Public Garden. The dogs are not allowed to harass the swans or the ducks who are beloved by tourists. But they are so attuned to their owner, he can call them off instantly with a gesture or a whistle. Kids on the swan boats snap pictures of the dogs swimming along side the boats. Then the Patrol is off for a some relaxation - an hour or two chasing tennis balls!