Livestock guardian dog

Not to be confused with Herding dog.

A Maremma Sheepdog LGD with its flock of sheep in Australia

A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a type of pastoral dog bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators.

Livestock guardian dogs stay with the group of animals they protect as a full-time member of the flock or herd. Their ability to guard their herd is mainly instinctive as the dog is bonded to the herd from an early age. Unlike herding dogs which control the movement of livestock, LGDs blend in with them, watching for intruders within the flock. The mere presence of a guardian dog is usually enough to ward off some predators, and LGDs will confront predators by vocal intimidation, barking, and displaying very aggressive behavior. The dog may attack or fight with a predator if it is unable to drive away the predator. Livestock guardians may actively look for predators within protected territory to catch and destroy them, and there are known cases of dogs luring coyotes to a source of food in order to hunt them.

History

The use of dogs in protecting livestock originated over 2000 years ago, with their use being recorded as early as 150 BC in Rome. Both Aristotle's History of Animals and Virgil's Georgics mention the use of livestock guardian dogs by the Molossians in the ancient region of Epirus.

Training

A Great Pyrenees with a herd of goats.

The dogs are introduced to livestock as puppies so they "imprint" on the animals. Experts recommend that the pups begin living with the herd at 4 to 5 weeks of age. This imprinting is thought to be largely olfactory and occurs between 3 and 16 weeks of age. There are many myths in the West regarding the training of livestock guardian dogs, particularly the very incorrect idea that human contact should be kept to a minimum. Training requires regular daily handling and management, preferably from birth. A guardian dog is not considered reliable until it is at least 2 years of age. Up until that time supervision, guidance and correction is needed to teach the dog the skill and rules it needs to do its job. Having older dogs that assist in training younger dogs streamlines this process considerably.

There are trials underway to protect penguins.

In Namibia in Southwest Africa, Anatolians are used to guard goat herds from cheetahs, and are typically imprinted between seven and eight weeks of age. Before use of dogs was implemented, impoverished Namibian farmers often came into conflict with predatory cheetahs; now, Anatolians usually are able to drive off cheetahs with their barking and displays of aggression.

Traits

Kazakh shepherd: his horse and dogs' primary job is to guard the sheep from predators.

The Komondor´s ability to guard their herd is mainly instinctive

LGDs are generally large and protective, which can make them less than ideal for urban or even suburban living. Nonetheless, despite their size, they can be gentle, make good companion dogs, and are often protective towards children. If introduced to a family as a pup, most LGDs are as protective of their family as a working guard dog is of its flock. In fact, in some communities where LGDs are a tradition, the runt of a litter would often be kept or given as a household pet or simply kept as a village dog without a single owner.

At least two dogs may be placed with a flock or herd, depending on its size, the type of predators, their number, and the intensity of predation. If predators are scarce, one dog may be adequate though most operations usually require at least two dogs. Large operations (particularly range operations) and heavy predator loads will require more dogs. Both male and female LGDs have proved to be equally effective in protecting of livestock.

The three qualities most sought after in LGDs are trustworthiness, attentiveness and protectiveness—trustworthy in that they do not roam off and are not aggressive with the livestock, attentive in that they are situationally aware of threats by predators, and protective in that they will attempt to drive off predators. Dogs, being social creatures with differing personalities, will take on different roles with the herd and among themselves: most sticking close to the livestock, others tending to follow the shepherd or rancher when one is present, and some drifting farther from the livestock. These differing roles are often complementary in terms of protecting livestock, and experienced ranchers and shepherds sometimes encourage these differences by adjustments in socialization technique so as to increase the effectiveness of their group of dogs in meeting specific predator threats. LGDs that follow the livestock closest assure that a guard dog is on hand if a predator attacks, while LGDs that patrol at the edges of a flock or herd are in a position to keep would-be attackers at a safe distance from livestock. Those dogs that are more attentive tend to alert those that are more passive but perhaps also more trustworthy or less aggressive with the livestock.

While LGDs have been known to fight to the death with predators, in most cases predator attacks are prevented by a display of aggressiveness. LGDs are known to drive off predators that physically they would be no match for, such as bears and even lions. With the reintroduction of predators into natural habitats in Europe and North America, environmentalists have come to appreciate LGDs because they allow sheep and cattle farming to coexist with predators in the same or nearby habitats. Unlike trapping and poisoning, LGDs seldom kill predators; instead, their aggressive behaviors tend to condition predators to seek unguarded (thus, non-farm animal) prey. For instance, in Italy's Gran Sasso National Park, where LGDs and wolves have coexisted for centuries, older, more experienced wolves seem to "know" the LGDs and leave their flocks alone.

List of breeds

There are many breeds of LGDs, many of which are little known outside of the regions in which they are still worked. Nevertheless, some breeds are known to display traits advantageous to guarding livestock. Some specialist livestock guarding dog breeds include:

Extant breeds

Breed	Alternate name(s)	Country of origin	Use(s)	Image
Abruzzese Mastiff	Pastore abruzzese & Cane da Pecora	Italy	Livestock guardian
Aidi	Aïdi, Atlas Mountain Dog, Atlas Shepherd Dog, Berber Dog, Chien de l'Atlas & Chien de Montagne de l'Atlas	Morocco	Livestock guardian
Akbash dog	Akbaş Çoban Köpeği	Turkey	Livestock guardian
Aksaray Malaklisi	Turkish mastiff & Central Anatolian shepherd	Turkey	Livestock guardian
Anatolian Shepherd	Karabaş, Anadolulu Karabaş & Kangal	Turkey	Livestock guardian
Armenian Gampr	Gampr	Armenia	Livestock guardian
Ashayeri Dog	–	Iran	Livestock guardian	–
Azerbaijani Shepherd Dog	–	Azerbaijan	Livestock guardian	–
Bakharwal dog	–	India	Livestock guardian & guard dog	–
Bernese Mountain Dog	Berner Sennenhund & Bernese Cattle Dog	Switzerland	Guard dog, herding dog & draft dog
Bucovina Shepherd	Bucovina Sheepdog & Southeastern European Shepherd	Romania & Serbia	Livestock guardian
Buryat-Mongolian Wolfhound	–	Russia	Livestock guardian	–
Cane di Mannara	–	Italy	Livestock guardian	–
Cão de Castro Laboreiro	Dog of Castro Laboreiro, Portuguese Cattle Dog & Portuguese Watchdog	Portugal	Livestock guardian
Cão de Gado Transmontano	Transmontano Mastiff & Transmontano Cattle Dog	Portugal	Livestock guardian
Carpathian Shepherd Dog	Ciobănesc Românesc Carpatin, Romanian Shepherd, Romanian Carpathian Shepherd, Câine Ciobănesc Carpatin, Carpathian Sheepdog, Carpatin & Romanian Carpatin Herder	Romania	Livestock guardian
Caucasian Shepherd Dog	Caucasian Mountain Dog & Caucasian Ovcharka	Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia & Russia	Livestock guardian
Central Asian Shepherd Dog	Alabai, Central Asian Ovtcharka & Aziat	Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Russia	Livestock guardian & dog fighting
Estrela Mountain Dog	Portuguese Shepherd & Cão da Serra da Estrela	Portugal	Livestock guardian & guard dog
Georgian Shepherd	Georgian Mountain Dog & Nagazi	Georgia	Livestock guardian
Ghadrejani dog	–	Iran	Livestock guardian	–
Great Pyrenees	Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Patou, Montañés del Pirineo, Perro de Montaña de los Pirineos, Can de Montaña de os Perinés, Chien des Pyrénées & Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées	France & Spain	Livestock guardian
Greek Shepherd	–	Greece	Livestock guardian
Himalayan Sheepdog	Himalayan Shepherd & Himalayan Shepherd Dog	China, India & Nepal	Livestock guardian
Kangal	Sivas Kangal & Turkish Kangal	Turkey	Livestock guardian
Karakachan	Karakachansko Kuche & Karakachanska Ovcharka	Bulgaria	Livestock guardian
Karst Shepherd	–	Slovenia	Livestock guardian
Komondor	Hungarian Komondor, Hungarian Sheepdog & Mop Dog	Hungary	Livestock guardian
Koyun dog	Bayburt Kelpi	Turkey	Livestock guardian	–
Kuchi	Sage Kuchi, Sage Jangi, De Kochyano Spai, Jangi Spai & Afghan Shepherd	Afghanistan	Livestock guardian
Kumaon Mastiff	Sipro Kukur	India	Livestock guardian & guard dog	–
Kurdish Shepherd Dog	–	Iran, Iraq & Kurdistan	Livestock guardian	–
Kuvasz	Hungarian Kuvasz	Hungary	Livestock guardian
Maremma Sheepdog	Cane da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese, Pastore Abruzzese, Pastore Maremmano, Abruzzo Sheepdog & Abruzzese Sheepdog	Italy	Livestock guardian
Mazandrani dog	–	Iran	Livestock guardian	–
Mioritic Shepherd	Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog, Romanian Mioritic, Ciobănesc Românesc Mioritic, Mioritic	Romania	Livestock Guardian	-
Mongolian banhar	–	Mongolia	Livestock guardian	–
Persian Mastiff	–	Iran	Livestock guardian	–
Polish Tatra Sheepdog	Tatra Mountain Sheepdog, Owczarek Tatrzański, Owczarek Podhalański & Polski Owczarek	Poland	Livestock guardian
Pyrenean Mastiff	Mastín del Pirineo & Mostín d'o Pireneu	Spain	Livestock guardian
Rafeiro do Alentejo	Alentejo Mastiff, Portuguese Mastiff & Mutt of Alentejo	Portugal	Livestock guardian
Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog	Ciobanesc Romanesc Corb	Romania	Livestock guardian	–
Šarplaninac	Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog	Macedonia & Serbia	Livestock guardian
Shirak Sheepdog	–	Iran	Livestock guardian	–
Slovak Cuvac	Slovak Chuvach, Tatransky Cuvac & Slovak tschuvatsch	Slovakia	Livestock guardian
Spanish Mastiff	Mastín español de campo y trabajo, Mastín ganadero, Mastín Leonés & Mastín Extremeño	Spain	Livestock guardian
Tibetan kyi apso	Apso Do-Kyi	Tibet	Livestock guardian	–
Tibetan Mastiff	–	Tibet	Livestock guardian
Tobet	Kazakhstan mountain dog	Kazakhstan	Livestock guardian	–
Torkuz	Uzbekistan mountain dog & Sarkangik	Uzbekistan	Livestock guardian & dog fighting	–
Tornjak	Bosnian and Herzegovinian Shepherd Dog, Bosnian Shepherd Dog, Croatian Mountain Dog & Bosnian-Herzegovinian and Croatian Shepherd Dog	Bosnia and Herzegovina & Croatia	Livestock guardian
Vikhan Sheepdog	Chitral Watchdog & Pakistani Vikhan Dog	Pakistan	Livestock guardian	–

List of extinct breeds

Breed	Alternate name(s)	Country or region of origin	Era	Use	Image
Alpine Mastiff	—	Alps	Before 5th century BC to 19th century AD	Livestock guardian
Molossus	—	Southern Europe	Classical antiquity	War dogs, hunting, guard dogs & dog fighting

See also

• Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 (in the UK)
• Mountain dog

Further reading

• Dohner, Janet Vorwald (December 12, 2007). Livestock Guardians: Using Dogs, Donkeys, and Llamas to Protect Your Herd. North Adams, MA: Storey Books. pp. 122–123. ISBN 9781580176958. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
• Dohner, Janet Vorwald (October 4, 2016). Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers and other canine working partners. North Adams, MA: Storey Books. p. 117. ISBN 9781612125923. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
• Hancock, David (August 31, 2014). Dogs of the Shepherds: A Review of the Pastoral Breeds. ISBN 9781847978097.
• Kojima, Toyoharu (August 28, 2005). Legacy of the Dog: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide (Revised and Updated, 2nd ed.). Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN 9780811851138.

External links

• Livestock Guardian Dog Association
• Livestock and Wolves: A Guide to Nonlethal Tools and Methods to Reduce Conflicts, 2nd Edition
• Guarding Dogs: from the Transhumance to Pre-Zygotic Selection by Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger
• Livestock guarding dogs: their current use world wide by Robin Rigg, a comprehensive review of current livestock guarding dog use
• Livestock Guarding Dogs: Protecting Sheep from Predators, a USDA publication
• Attention, Sheep Grazing in this Area: Livestock Protection Dogs in Use, a USDA warning sign
• in-depth video about LGD use by shepherds from OPB
• Guardian Dogs: Best Practice Manual for the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs from Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre of Australia
• Livestock Guardian Dogs at Work: Another Side of The Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog
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