Livestock Guarding Dogs: Protecting Sheep from Predators;Agriculture information bulletin

摘要

A livestock guarding dog is one that generally stays with sheep without harming them and aggressively repels predators. The dog chooses to remain with sheep because it has been reared from puppyhood with them. Its protective behaviors are largely instinctive, and there is relatively little formal training required other than timely correction of undesirable behaviors (e.g., chewing on ears, overplayfulness, and excessive wandering). The guarding dog is not a herding dog but rather a full-time member of the flock. Success of the dog is a result of a quality genetic background with an emphasis on proper rearing. Success may be enhanced by viewing a livestock guarding dog as a tool to be incorporated into the overall management of a sheep operation. Dogs do not perform automatically like a piece of machinery, and their behavior is variable. Producers who successfully use a dog may need to slightly alter their management routine to take advantage of the traits of the dog. This may include grazing sheep in different pastures, separating or grouping sheep, moving supplemental feed or sources of water, changing fence design and configuration, or altering schedules of checking the flock. The report describes the rearing and training of various breeds of herding and guarding dogs.