The use of three breeds of dog to protect rangeland sheep from predators

Abstract

A total of 24 dogs (11 Komondorok, 9 Great Pyrenees and 4 Akbash Dogs) were placed with rangeland sheep to test their effectiveness in reducing losses of sheep to predators. All but 1 of the dogs (Komondor) had been reared from puppyhood with lambs. Seven of the dogs (4 Komondorok, 1 Great Pyrenees and 2 Akbash Dogs) were determined to be unsuitable for rangeland use after a relatively short period (1–6 weeks), primarily because of their rambunctious behavior and their lack of attentiveness to the sheep. Three of the 24 dogs (2 Komondorok and 1 Akbash Dog) died before their performance could be adequately evaluated. Two of the dogs (Komondorok) were relatively unsuccessful, but details of their performance were not available. The paper focuses on 12 trials with the remaining 12 dogs (3 Komondorok, 8 Great Pyrenees and 1 Akbash Dog). In 7 of the 12 trials, a pair of dogs or a single dog appeared to be influential in reducing the loss of sheep to predators. The effectiveness of the dogs in 2 trials was questionable, and in 3 of the trials, the dogs had little apparent influence on the number of sheep killed by predators. The dogs that appeared most effective barked at night, patrolled the area around the flock, and were aggressive to animals that came near the sheep. A variety of problems occurred when using the dogs, and benefits other than a reduction in predation, such as facilitating trailing and keeping the flock together, were noted in several of the trials. The use of dogs to protect rangeland sheep appears to be a practical technique, however, as with other forms of control, dogs will probably not eliminate predation. Not all dogs will be successful, and their use may be impractical in some situations.