Sheepdogs have historically been used with the raising of sheep to guide them and round them up. But the right dog can actually deter predators from killing your grazing livestock.
There have been multiple studies that have shown the effectiveness of these guard dogs in keeping wolves away from herds of sheep and other cattle. In fact, more recent surveys suggest that the use of guard dogs for predator control is rather mainstream in many regions in the US. It is also common in Portugal, Bulgaria, and Turkey! Close to half of these regions’ sheep operations use guard dogs.
If you’re still wondering about the possibility of a sheepdog killing a wolf, it depends. Very often, wolves just learn to stay away from herds that have a guard dog in the fear of losing a pack member. Confrontations are rare and who is killed really just depends on the situation. Sheepdogs are regarded as a “non-lethal” tool to protect livestock. In regions other than the US discussed above, they also defend livestock from bears and coyotes along with wolves!
In the case of larger herds, a wolf may be able to easily attack if it’s only a couple of dogs. But a group of around 6 well-bred and trained guardian dogs around the herd is well-guarded.
Benefits Of Sheepdogs For Predator Control
A well-trained sheepdog can be a friend to you and a much more effective, affordable, and humane alternative to standard ways of controlling the wild animals. It’s not to say that sheepdogs are a standalone solution. You can and must use them in combination with sensible livestock management techniques.
As important as it is to give livestock their space, they need to be well-guarded for them to stay safe and healthy. Farmers generally used barbed wires and other fencing techniques to prevent sheep and cattle from wandering about. For smaller herds and more simple areas, corralling in an enclosure for the night-time may be enough.
This in combination with guardian dogs has been so effective in some regions that they have reduced the loss of livestock from killing by predators to zero!
It is definitely beneficial and affordable for those managing the animals. But also considering the bigger picture, it is extremely beneficial for the wildlife and the environment. Hunting is a common solution to get rid of predators in a number of areas.
In an ideal world, there would be no predators, but it is not an ideal world and that is how ecosystems function. So, it leads to large-scale killing of wild predators, that are affecting the livelihoods of farmers. Sometimes these are non-selective extermination campaigns affecting many more animals.
This is why sheepdogs must truly be valued as a solution. They eliminate the reason for government agencies to kill predators for a response benefitting a variety of wildlife. Moreover, they themselves are a non-lethal solution maintaining a much more peaceful environment and continuing the balance in the ecosystem. The stress caused in situations otherwise can adversely affect the health of animals in the herd which is also prevented.
Sometimes, the indiscriminate killing of predators might actually worsen the problem. Consider the case of coyotes. These animals usually live in cohesive families.
These families are headed by a mated pair known as the alphas of the pack. It is only the alphas that breed, and all other members of the pack only help in raising the young ones.
Killing off one in the hunting pair lifts the breeding restriction. With no pair to dictate, younger members begin to mate leading to many more pups. With an increasing number of pups comes the need for more coyote-food which means more predation and killing of livestock.
This is one case. But even if the predators are reduced to a great extent, the populations of herbivores increase. This can also be a problem for the livestock. Competitive herbivores are freed from predation pressure can greatly reduce the grazing area available for the livestock. While of course this can be mitigated by using barbed wire and the like, it does have an effect on larger farms such as ranges as you will not be able to fence off large sects of land.
So, with guardian dogs, sheep are protected, owners of the livestock lose less of their animals, and predators can continue to hunt on their readily available source of meat like rabbits, and rodents.
They make predators safer and also keep other wildlife populations in control thus preventing overgrazing. This is why the use of sheepdogs to protect herds has gained increasing popularity.
Which Dog Breeds Are Best Dealing With Wolves and Bears
Maremma, Akbash, and Great Pyrenees were among the breeds that were most commonly used as guardians in the States in regions like Montana. This was around the early 20th century. In the same time, wolves had to be placed in the endangered species list due to decimation by hunting. As a corrective measure, when they were deliberately re-introduced, they started killing these sheepdogs which became a serious trouble.
This was when researchers went on the lookout for breeds that could not only perform their regular responsibilities but also keep wolves and other predators at bay. They started working on imported breeds and comparing their performance to the local breeds. These included Gado Transmontanos from Portugal, Karakachans from Bulgaria, and Kangals from Turkey.
When data was analysed, these breeds were better at fending off wolves. Not only that, but each breed also had its own strengths. Karakachans were the most vigilant ones while Kangals were better investigators. The key learning from this study was how a mix of guard dog breeds could be the best strategy for guarding livestock. It also showed how different types of dogs may be effective in different areas like forested and fenced ones.
People continue to differentiate between herding dogs and guardian dogs. This distinction continues to exist because some dogs are more friendly and self-sacrificing. Guardian dogs are more careful! They claim the latter to be more athletic, agile, and protective. This includes the foreign breeds mentioned above and others like Caucasians and the Central Asian Shepherd. Each of these dogs weighs 100-150lbs and work strategically. While some prefer to disguise themselves in the pack, some stay at a perimeter constantly on the watch.
Given the characteristics of a guardian sheepdog, it is worth considering if these dogs are really very different from wolves.
Dogs vs Wolves
Dogs dig holes, wolves dig mines. Your pet dog may rip off your couch, but a wolf is capable of reducing it down to nothing more than a few feathers here and there. Our domestic dogs and wild wolves are canine buddies that share a line of ancestry. While they can both be trained to an extent, wolves can never be domesticated.
This may be hard to believe! They share a common ancestor and are now being put to test against each other. Although dogs and wolves have proven to be very different in terms of evolution, scientists who study ethology claim that wolves are only an extremely intense dog. They believe that domesticated wolves of the older times are the ancestors of today’s sheepdogs.
This makes the herding instinct of a sheepdog more believable. It seems very similar to the hunting instinct of the wolves. While in a wolf, these instincts would help them catch and hunt their prey, in sheepdogs, it helps them protect the herd. Just like an alpha wolf leads its pack, it is extremely difficult to divert a sheepdog’s steer in a particular direction.
It is a trainable dog with a wild instinct. Current day sheepdogs that function as such strong guardians are a result of selective breeding. Plenty of research and observations from around the world has helped the researchers to identify and crossbreed these animals to refine these instincts and achieve a considerable degree of reliability. The commercially available sheepdogs are extremely good at what they’re meant to do.
But remember, the foundation of a sheepdog’s behaviour comes from the wild as a part of its evolution!