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USE OF GUARDING DOGS TO PROTECT SHEEP AND GOATS
Presented by
Dr. Frank Craddock
Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist
San Angelo, Texas
during a seminar in Joshua, TX, 2000
Potential Benefits
- Reduced predation.
- Reduced labor (i.e. no longer confining or corralling nightly, graze in a tighter flock, thus are easier to monitor).
- If night confinement is discontinued, pastures can be more efficiently utilized and condition of sheep and goats may improve.
- Increased utilization of acres where predators made grazing prohibitive prior to the use of dogs.
- Increase in grazable acres may provide opportunity to increase the size of the flock.
- Improved potential for profit.
- Dog alerts owner to disturbance (predators) near the flock.
- Increased self-reliance in managing predator problems.
- Protection for family members and farm property.
- Peace of mind.
Potential Problems
- Dog harasses sheep and goats (usually a play behavior), resulting in injury or death.
- Dog does not guard sheep or goats.
- Dog is overly aggressive to people.
- Dog harasses other animals (livestock or wildlife).
- Expenditure of labor to train and supervise the dog.
- Dog destroys property (chewing objects and digging).
- Dog is subject to illness, injury and premature death.
- Dog roams beyond farm boundaries causing problems with neighbors (critical in urban settings).
- Financial expenditure with no guarantee of the dog being successful.
- Dog interferes when sheep and goats are moved or interferes with herd dog.
- Dog affects the use of other predator control activities.
Source: U.S.D.A. Agriculture Information Bulletin 588 entitled Livestock Guarding Dogs: Protecting Sheep from Predators.
Summary of 1986 survey characterizing livestock guarding dogs.
Benefits and Problems (Percent) *
|
Effectiveness |
Economics |
Stays with Sheep |
Aggressive Toward |
DogInjures |
OtherProblems |
Breed |
Number of Dogs |
Very |
Somewhat |
Not |
Asset |
Breakeven |
Liability |
Mostly |
Usually |
Rarely |
Predators |
Dogs |
Sheep |
People |
None |
Minor |
Major |
Great Pyrenees | 437 |
71 |
22 |
7 |
83 |
11 |
6 |
53 |
24 |
23 |
95 |
67 |
7 |
4 |
42 |
47 |
11 |
Komondor |
138 |
69 |
1 |
12 |
82 |
8 |
10 |
50 |
23 |
27 |
94 |
77 |
24 |
17 |
38 |
48 |
14 |
Akbash |
62 |
69 |
22 |
9 |
71 |
12 |
12 |
71 |
12 |
17 |
100 |
92 |
20 |
6 |
36 |
49 |
15 |
Anatolian |
56 |
77 |
13 |
10 |
82 |
8 |
10 |
69 |
16 |
15 |
96 |
86 |
14 |
9 |
42 |
48 |
10 |
Maremma |
20 |
70 |
20 |
10 |
84 |
5 |
11 |
79 |
16 |
5 |
94 |
94 |
20 |
5 |
58 |
24 |
18 |
Shar |
11 |
40 |
30 |
30 |
50 |
0 |
50 |
30 |
20 |
50 |
88 |
89 |
33 |
25 |
40 |
40 |
20 |
Kuvasz |
7 |
57 |
29 |
14 |
80 |
0 |
20 |
33 |
33 |
34 |
100 |
67 |
40 |
0 |
0 |
86 |
14 |
Hybrid |
23 |
87 |
4 |
9 |
84 |
5 |
11 |
70 |
13 |
17 |
95 |
85 |
18 |
0 |
43 |
38 |
19 |
Other |
9 |
43 |
29 |
28 |
20 |
20 |
60 |
33 |
17 |
50 |
83 |
100 |
43 |
29 |
17 |
50 |
33 |
Total |
763 |
71 |
21 |
8 |
82 |
9 |
9 |
55 |
22 |
22 |
95 |
74 |
14 |
7 |
41 |
46 |
13 |
Data collected from 399 livestock producers.
*With the exception of "number of dogs", all numbers are percentages.
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