The case for case studies: A new approach to evaluating the effectiveness of livestock protection tools

Livestock operations in California face livestock losses due to a range of carnivore species. Simultaneously, there is an increased call to reduce the use of lethal predator control methods and replace them with nonlethal methods. Livestock guardian dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are one such nonlethal livestock protection tool (LPT), yet research is still lacking on the factors and situations that impact their effectiveness. Using three case studies, we demonstrate the value of objective analyses that explicitly address the inherent differences in ranch management, environment, and surrounding land uses in examining livestock guardian dogs as an LPT. We used semi-structured questionnaire surveys of livestock operators to collect information on effectiveness, behavior, and producer satisfaction of LGDs protecting poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus), calves (Bovus taurus), and sheep (Ovis aries) on private and public land and in conjunction with a variety of other livestock protection tools. We aimed to address all aspects related to the use of LGDs as a means of informing livestock operators’ decisions on whether LGDs are an appropriate tool for a particular operation. The case studies demonstrated the complexities involved in applying LGDs as a LPT within the context of a livestock operation. In two of the three case studies, LGDs did not entirely eliminate livestock losses yet operator satisfaction remained high.