'Talk to Me, Goose': Meet the Capital Region Dogs Working Behind the Scenes to Keep Canada Geese Off the National Mall

You know them, you smell them, you get into their business: geese are a part of everyday life here in the DMV.

But did you know there’s a small army of four-legged friends working behind the scenes to keep some of DC’s most iconic locations bird-free?

On today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax traveled to Constitution Gardens to meet the dogs of Capital Goose Control.

Founded decades ago in the Northeast, owner Doug Marcks said Capital Goose Control (then under a different name) was the brainchild of his father.

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These four-legged friends are keeping geese away from Washington’s green spaces

Originally created to keep geese away from a golf course in Connecticut, the company decided to “employ” Border Collies, due to their intelligence and incredibly effective herding techniques.

What makes Border Collies so special, Matt learned, is their wolf-like gaze called “the eye.” To learn more about how it works, watch his video!

During his visit, Matt met one of Capital Goose Control’s hardest-working employees: a 9-year-old black-and-white Border Collie named Cowboy. It turns out that it takes incredible discipline and focus every day to keep geese (and their droppings) from littering D.C.’s green spaces—and Cowboy is the perfect dog for the job.

The coolest part? No geese are harmed in the process.

Matt learned that highly trained border collies like Cowboy never touch geese, only scare them away. That’s why Capital Goose Control’s techniques are endorsed by PETA and the Humane Society.

The company has been working on the National Mall for about a decade now, serving between 30 and 60 private accounts in the D.C. area each day.

“Matt About Town” airs every Tuesday and Thursday on WTOP at 7:45 a.m. and all day on FM 103.5. His videos are always posted on wtop.com.

You can also find Matt’s videos on Instagram (@wtopnews and @mkaufax) and TikTok (@wtopnews and @mattabouttown_).

If you have an idea for an article Matt should cover, contact us via OMCP’s “contact us” page to submit it.

You can also contact Matt directly. His contact details are listed below.

Check out more of “Matt About Town” on WTOP.