Genes are everything’
By Dean Fosdick / Associated Press
Friday, July 28th, 2017 at 12:05am
Guardian dogs like this Great Pyrenees have been genetically refined to protect livestock. (SOURCE: Dennis Loxton/Great Pyrenees Club Of Southern Ontario)
Livestock guardian dogs, sometimes called LGDs, can be lifesavers, not only for herd animals and poultry, but also for farmers and ranchers trying to build a profitable business.
A livestock guardian dog, like this Great Pyrenees in Southern Ontario, is effective at predator control, especially when it bonds with its herd. (SOURCE: Dennis Loxton/Great Pyrenees Club Of Southern Ontario)
Laura Faley owns Hidden Meadow Ranch near Mount Vernon, Wash., about 60 miles north of Seattle. She raises chickens, turkeys, ducks and sheep with the help of dogs bred specifically to cope with the coyotes, bears, raptors and other predators roaming her property.
The guardian dogs also help control other dogs – family pets allowed to run loose through neighborhoods, posing a threat to goats and sheep.
Before Faley acquired her guardian dogs, she was losing more than 40 lambs per year to eagles, and large numbers of ducks and chickens to great horned owls.
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“Now it’s zero,” Faley said. “I’ve had my dogs for five and a half years. In that time, I haven’t lost any livestock.”
Dogs have been genetically refined over the years to protect livestock from predators. There are some 20 to 30 breeds of livestock guardian dogs around the world.
The breeds display a wide range of temperaments. “Some are better suited as remote pasture guardians where a daily routine is very constant, while some are good in situations where there is a high degree of variety,” the Livestock Guardian Dogs Association says.
Just as you wouldn’t try to use an Irish setter to herd sheep or a border collie to hunt birds, only livestock guardian dog breeds are big enough, powerful enough, determined enough and calm enough to be effective at deterring predators, Faley said.
The best-known breeds in the U.S. are Great Pyrenees, Anatolian shepherds, Akbash and Maremma sheepdogs. “They are generally aloof toward strangers and their size alone is rather intimidating,” the association says.
Picks of the litter can be pricey, said Faley, who has two Anatolian shepherds and two Kangals. “I paid $1,200 each for the (two) purebred registered Kangal puppies,” she said.
Match the animals to your specific needs.
“Buy your dog only where you can see both parents working,” Faley said. “Genes are everything. Bad training can be fixed. Bad genes cannot.”
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The most effective livestock guardian dogs are those that bond with livestock and poultry rather than with people.
“There’s a strong distinction between pets and guardian dogs,” said John Tomecek, a Texas A&M Agrilife Extension wildlife specialist. “It’s good to be able to approach them in the pasture and handle them, but it’s not good to have them hanging around the house.”
The larger the area and the more livestock you have, the more guardian dogs you’ll need.
“A lot also depends upon the terrain,” Tomecek said. “If it’s open and you can scan it pretty well, then you won’t need as many.”
A commonly cited rule is one dog per every 400-500 acres, but that’s not universal. “Visit with others to see what works in their areas,” Tomecek said.
Llamas and donkeys also are popular for protecting vulnerable goats and sheep.
“Most of the problems here are with coyotes,” Tomecek said. “I prefer using a canine to deter another canine.”
Tips from experts
Some additional LGD tips from members of the Great Pyrenees Club of Southern Ontario:
• Do get dogs from a recognized kennel club. Getting them from farmers or backyard breeders leads to disaster since it is about genetics and proper upbringing as pups. You can get aggression to humans, otherwise. However, just because both parents work does not guarantee a dog who wants to work.
• It’s actually fine to have them at the house, especially for grooming. These dogs must be groomed to keep their coats mat free and allow the air to flow through so they are able to stay cool. They must be socialized to people. People must be able to handle these dogs in the case of grooming and vet care. It won’t change their outlook on watching over their livestock if they’re away from their herd for a couple of hours a week.
• Dogs per acre: There are variables, such as numbers of head of livestock, terrain and grazing habits of sheep. If you have many livestock, you’ll need more dogs on 400-500 acres and, with fewer acres, fewer dogs.
If the terrain is treed, hilly and/or rocky, you’ll need more dogs since there would be more places for predators to hide.
Some breeds tend to spread out separately and others graze close together. If they graze close together, you won’t need as many LGDs. If they spread out, you’ll need more dogs.
