Livestock Guard Dogs and Wildlife

Guarding breeds have been used throughout the world to protect livestock. Guarding dog breeds are an environmentally sound method of preventing predation by wildlife.

In Africa, they are being used to guard livestock from predation by cheetah and leopard. In North America, they protect sheep and cattle from wolves and bears. The most popular breeds for guarding sheep, goats and cattle come from Turkey but the ancestors of the Turkish breeds may have originated in Mesopotamia as much as 6000 years ago. Livestock guarding dogs are weaned into the flock or herd of animals which they will eventually guard. They bond to the species, and as their guarding skills develop, it is these animals they will be most protective of.

In Namibia, the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Livestock Guarding Dog Program introduced the Anatolian Shepherd dog to the area in 1994. They use the dogs to guard their own flock of goats as well as providing them to herders in the area. This has resulted in a significant reduction in livestock losses. And that means a reduction in cheetah losses as well.

In North America, ranchers and sheep farmers are also discovering the value of the dogs. The use of guarding dog breeds is being strongly encouraged by wildlife organizations anxious to reduce the incidence of livestock predation. By preventing access, the guard dogs decrease the chances of a wolf or bear becoming used to domestic species in their diet.

It seems we are coming full circle on this situation, going back to a process we left behind as we got further and further from the land. I, for one, am glad to see it happen.