As Jess said, ‘It was meant to be’, because the very characteristics which previous owners could not cope with, her relatively large size and high energy, make her a great dispersal dog. The Avisure team had identified that one of their projects would benefit from having a natural predator’s scent and physical presence to help deter and disperse birds.
Pippy is part bull arab and part blue heeler cross, ‘but I would love her to have a DNA test to see what else is there’, Jess says. Being so young when her training started, Jess says Pippy ‘was a relatively clean slate, and picked up on the basics of “stay” and “wait” very quickly. She’s very smart.’
Using a long-line leash to ensure Pippy always maintained a safe buffer distance from the birds, Jess then worked with a dog trainer to condition her to respond to controlled dispersal commands. ‘Pippy’s presence on site is now enough to make the birds disperse, she hardly needs to go near them.’
Since having Pippy on the team, Jess says, ‘the flight initiation distance of the birds which consistently come back to the site has increased’. The birds take flight when Pippy is on site, even if she is involved in a boisterous game with her tug toy to dispel some of her working dog energy.
And off duty, ‘Pippy and I have bonded – she follows me from room to room if I’m working from home. She’s hilarious, a real smoocher, bending over to put your shoes on to take her for a walk she’s in your face.’
‘It’s great to see a large, high-energy dog like her putting her energy into her natural role as a blue heeler, to be a working dog. It was meant to be.’
Engage with our expert team
For an innovative wildlife management at your site, reach out to our expert team:
- In Australia: 1300 409 927
- In the United States: 507 216 7672
- Or email contact@avisure.com
